Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Golden Sunburst Tomatoes in a Tahitian Lime Olive Oil and Ginger Rice Vinaigrette

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a contestant for a recipe contest hosted by eRecipeCards and O Olive Oil. I was given O Tahitian Lime Olive Oil and O Ginger Rice Vinegar to create something fabulous and boy did I...if I don't say so myself! When I tasted the combination of the oil and vinegar together, I knew I had to make a salad using these products so that the fresh citrusy flavor of the lime would shine through. I also wanted to use my new found love for quinoa. If you remember a while back, I had made it as a hot side dish and it didn't go over very well with the family. Then, I made that Mediterranean Quinoa Salad and they loved it. 


I loved the all-around freshness of this salad with the sweet flavor of the golden tomatoes, the nuttiness of the quinoa, the zesty flavor of the cilantro and the citrus and fragrant flavors of the fresh crushed lime in the olive oil and the ginger rice vinegar. Not to mention it was healthy and filling! My family ate this as a side dish with grilled chicken for dinner, then ate it for lunch the next day on it's own. I hope you like it as much as we did! 

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Golden Sunburst Tomatoes in a Tahitian Lime Olive Oil and Ginger Rice Vinaigrette


1 1/2 c. Water
1 c. Quinoa
1-15oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed
1/4 c. Scallions, chopped
2 dz. Golden Sunburst Grape Tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half
Prepared Vinaigrette


Add water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add in the quinoa, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed then remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.  Add to a bowl along with the black beans, tomatoes, scallions, and prepared vinaigrette. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serves 8 (1/2 cup). 


Vinaigrette
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/4 c. O Ginger Rice Vinegar
1/2 c. O Tahitian Lime Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper


In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until emulsified. 

O Olive Oil, you have a new fan! I love this product (and I'm not just saying that because I received some complimentary to try!).  I love what they stand for as a company. They are concerned with what is happening in the marketplace and are proactive in finding ways to produce a better product. I love the freshness of their products, they're not acidic like others I've tried, and you really can taste the difference . The quality shines through and I can't wait to try the other varieties they produce. For a complete listing of all of the other fabulous selections at O Olive Oil, click HERE. 

And now it's time to VOTE! Go to eRecipeCards.com and click Add To Personal Recipe Box if you liked this recipe. The more votes I get, the better chance I have to win ('Like' votes count towards 1/3 of the decision making process)


Enjoy! 


*I was not compensated for this post other than to receive complimentary product. All opinions are my own. 

O Olive Oil Taste Test

I was recently selected as one of twenty-four home chefs by eRecipeCards.com and O Olive Oil to participate in their Rite of Spring Recipe Contest. To participate in the contest, I have been asked to write two posts. One, is a product review for the complimentary samples I graciously received from O Olive Oil, and for the other post, I must create a new recipe using these products. This post is for my product review. 


For the contest, I chose to receive a combination package of O Tahitian Lime Olive Oil and the O Ginger Rice Vinegar. I wasn't quite sure what I would make but figured, like every other recipe I create, I would experiment with whatever it was I had on-hand at the time I received the products. I was so excited when the products finally arrived. I had heard of them, but had never tasted them myself. The package came securely packed in bubble wrap, then wrapped in it's own O Olive Oil box to prevent breakage along with styrofoam peanuts to protect it even further. (By the way, you're never to old to play with packing materials. It entertained my 15 and 10 year old for hours!) When I saw this, I knew that quality was top on their priority list. When I opened the box, I was even more impressed with their product packaging. It was colorful, had a easy to read font, and I also loved the crisp, clean look of the bottles. 

O Olive Oil is the original maker of specialty organic citrus-crushed olive oils since 1995 and premium barrel-aged wine vinegars since 1997. They travel the world to source the finest extra virgin olive oils and their products are sold in gourmet, natural food,  specialty stores, as well as on-line in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe, and Latin America.  1n 1995 Greg Hinson, co- founder and president, combined his passion for citrus and healthy eating by crushing whole organic citrus with fresh California Mission olives to create an unparalleled new product category—the extra virgin citrus olive oil.  These oils are considered "pressed", and are neither infused nor flavored after pressing, as is common in the industry. This means that their oils have a deeper flavor than infused oils. 


In 1997, Hinson started hand crafting varietal wine vinegars, using the same simple natural process.  O Olive Oil is one of the few remaining vinegar makers in this country using the old world Orleans method of natural aging in wood barrels rather than mechanically force-aging the vinegars.  I was also interested to learn that in recent months, consumers have expressed their concerns about potential lead found in European vinegars, particularly balsamic vinegar, with the highest concentrations being found in Modena-style balsamic vinegars. In California, all retailers selling European balsamic vinegars are now required to post notice that these vinegars contain lead according to The California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 or Proposition 65.



In response, O has developed three new balsamic vinegars:

O California Balsamic: dark, rich, and dense  (Sonoma)
O California White Balsamic: a sparkling dance of sweet Muscat and Malvasia  (Napa)
O Port Balsamic: Sweet Port meets our own rich California balsamic  (Napa/Sonoma)

These vinegars are made in California in the traditional balsamic manner, oak-aged over time and under rigorous supervision. They hand craft them one batch at a time in order to certify their quality and healthful goodness. And most importantly, each of these vinegars has tested out at levels more than 30 times lower than even the rigorous safe levels established by California’s Proposition 65.  

And now, my taste test. I have one word...AMAZING! I wanted to get the full effect of the olive oil so I purchased a loaf of fresh ciabatta bread, broke off a piece, then dipped it into the oil. This O Tahitian Lime Olive Oil made with crushed Tahitian limes and fresh California olives was delicious all on it's own. It had a strong lime flavor, but not too overpowering, and it was smooth and thick just like an olive oil should be. Next, I added some of the O Ginger Rice Vinegar, which is hand harvested using fresh ginger root from Jamaica, Fiji and India and is steeped in the finest sweet California rice vinegar.  I dipped my bread in and the recipe I was going to make just came to me....stay tuned!

About eRecipeCards
eRecipeCards is the home for food lovers. Once you set up an account, you are automatically given an eRecipeBOX, a place to save recipes for fast easy retrieval, whether your a home cook or have a blog of you're own. They handle all of the storing, filing and organizing! And, if you contribute frequently,  you will also become a Blue Ribbon Contributor. 


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