C for Colombia. After
traversing through Armenia and Brazil, we go to Colombia today.

Colombia. Columbia. 

A
slight difference in the spelling but a world of difference (pun intended). 

There is only one correct spelling for the South American
state and it is Colombia. If 'Colombia' refers to the South
American state and 'Columbia' refers to the North-American river which
"rising in the Rocky Mountains and flowing through British Columbia",
There’s also a city by the name Columbia in South Carolina, USA. Even its own country men
seem to be angry about being misspelt as seen in this
media report

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So
today, we are travelling to the country Colombia (in South America) with a
wonderful salad of Quinoa with Avacoado and Mangoes. Thanks to Mir, who
promptly messaged me that Quinoa had roots in South America. I had (still have)
a huge bag of red and white quinoa that H lovingly lugged back from New York,
and everytime I look at my staples, it says to me ‘please use me up’. It was
the first time I was cooking with Quinoa (a wondergrain in today’s parlance)
although I have eaten the baked Quinoa at a friend’s place.

The
lightness of the grain along with its versatility blew me away. I had two
servings of today’s salad and still felt light like a feather. During that
process, I have bookmarked scores of veg Quinoa recipes that I hope will help
me use this grain quickly. Its almost like the Couscous
Salad and Couscous
Tikkis I cooked, although I feel Quinoa lends itself to baked and stir
fried salads better while Couscous can be adapted better to Indian style cooking.

Before
we get to the dish of the day, quick 5 facts about Colombia (Source
- Wiki) :

 

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Map of Colombia

• Colombia occupies the
  northwestern end of South America,
  and is the only country there with coasts on both the Pacific(1350 km
  long), and the Atlantic (over 1600 km) oceans
• Colombia is ethnically diverse, the descendants of the
  original native inhabitants, Spanish colonists, Africans originally brought to the country
  as slaves, and 20th-century immigrants from Europe and the Middle East have produced a diverse cultural
  heritage
• More than 99.2% of Colombians speak the Spanish
  language, also called
  Castilian; 65 Amerindian languages, 2 Creole
  languages and the Romani
  language are also
  spoken in the country. English has official status in the San
  Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands

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Location Map

• Colombia's
  varied cuisine is influenced by its diverse fauna and flora as well as the
  cultural traditions of the ethnic groups. Colombian dishes and ingredients vary
  widely by region. Some of the most common ingredients are: cereals such as rice
  and maize; tubers such as potato and cassava; assorted legumes; meats, including beef, chicken, pork
  and goat; fish; and seafood. 
• Colombia occupies the northwestern end of South America,
  and is the only country there with coasts on both the Pacific(1350 km
  long), and the Atlantic (over 1600 km) oceans. 
• Colombian
  coffee is among those considered as the best coffee in the world.It is exported
  to United States, Germany, France, Japan, and Italy.Most coffee is grown in the Colombian coffee growing axis region.

When
I saw Erica's recipe here,
I really didn’t have to go further. I almost cooked the Vegan Lentil Loaf but
changed my mind (once more).

About
this dish : I Loved it for its simplicity and earthiness and fruit filled
sweetness that the mango brought in. I didn’t add pineapples per the original
recipe but luckily for me, it was the fad end of the mango season here in
Mumbai so I could lay my hands on a not-fully-ripe mango (which still retained
its slight tang). And I also added a few more salad veggies to make it
wholesome. 

Will I be making this often ? Yes, with probably a few roasted bell peppers and zucchini thrown in for good measure and slightly cranky up the spice meter.

This
is a salad that’s apparently served with grilled chicken or even with barbequed
dishes. For me, it’s a dish I can carry to potlucks or even when I want to
enjoy a light mealJ

***************************

Country –
Colombia

Dish– Quinoa
Salad with Mango and Avocado

 

Recipe
type – Salad

Difficulty
level – Easy

Spice Level-
Medium

Recipe
adapted from Here

Prep
 -20 mins
| Cook time : 10 mins | Serves : 2

Serving
Suggestions :At room
temperature, serve with Garlic bread or even toasties

 ***************************

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Ingredients:

To cook the Quinoa :

• Quinoa – 1 cup
• Olive Oil – 1 TBSP
• Water – 2 cups

Salad :

• Diced Fresh mango (with skin on) – ½ cup
• Bell peppers - ½ - juilenned
• Juilenned carrots – a handful
• Red Onions – 1 medium (Slit lengthwise)
• Avacoado – ½ (peeled and diced)
• Cucumber – ½ medium (diced)

Dressing:

• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 teaspoon lemon juice
• Olive oil – 1 TBSP 

Method:

Bring
the water to a rolling boil in a pot. Add a pinch of salt to it. Add olive oil.
Wash quinoa thoroughly. Add to the pot and cooked covered for 15-20 mins. Once
its cooked, turn off flame  and fluff up
the quinoa with a fork. Set aside.

In
a large bowl, mix the dressing ingredients. Add the salad ingredients , toss
once or twice. Check for salt or spice. Add Cooked Quinoa and toss again

Serve
immediately.

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See what else the Marathoners
are cooking for Alphabet C

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