Retired teacher keen on quinoa

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Mary Selzer with her
quinoa dish. (Photos: Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune)

As a child, Mary Selzer was certain she would become a teacher when she grew up.
Now retired after teaching science for 30 years at Eastwood Schools, Selzer still finds time to teach
others, whether its the children at Bible school in Luckey or her own daughters at home in the kitchen.

"No two days are ever the same. Things change all the time," Selzer said. "It’s wonderful
watching kids grasp the concept, pick up that aha moment."
Selzer learned how to cook from her mother and through 4-H in LaGrange County, Indiana, where she grew
up.
"I did a lot of baking, making pies and bread. Bread is my favorite thing to make," she said.
"I make wheat, zucchini and flat breads."
Her daughters, Maggie Selzer, a junior at Bowling Green State University, and Sarah Selzer, an incoming
freshman, are following their mother’s footsteps in 4-H, cooking and working on sewing projects.
But one popular recipe of Mary Selzer’s was shared with her by a friend, making her the student for a
change.
The recipe for a quinoa and black bean salad was given to Selzer by Theresea Barbalas, who attended
Purdue University with her husband, John Selzer.
Barbalas and Selzer were members of the Purdue Film Society as undergraduates.
They and other friends from the society get together every year and last time, Barbalas shared her recipe
with Mary Selzer.
The salad is perfect for vegetarians like Maggie Selzer and those who like dishes that are easy to make,
she said.
It also works as a dip and can be customized to suit one’s tastes.
"It’s very flexible because if you like garlic, you can add extra garlic. If you don’t want it as
spicy, you don’t have to put in as much of the hot stuff," she said.
Selzer’s salad feeds several, so she often makes it for potlucks and has gotten many requests for its
recipe, she said.
"It’s good for summer because it’s cold, but it’s also a whole meal in itself," Selzer said.
"The black beans have protein, there are lots of fresh vegetables and quinoa is a grain. All you
need is a glass of milk."

Quinoa and black bean salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or parsley)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable juice (V-8 or tomato juice)
1/2 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 thinly sliced scallions
1 carrot, chopped
Several radishes, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (and any other crunchy, pretty vegetables of your choice! Turnip, asparagus,
peas…)
Rinse quinoa and place in saucepan along with water and bay leaf. Bring
to a good simmer, turn to low, cover and cook until done (10-15 minutes.
All water will be absorbed and grain will be fluffy.
Re-cover, take off heat and let sit a few minutes, then fluff with a
fork and let cool). Combine beans and quinoa in a large bowl.
Add all chopped vegetables and toss well. Combine ingredients for
dressing (salt through vegetable juice), whisk well and pour over salad.
Mix well. Tastes need to “meld,” so put salad in the refrigerator for a
few hours or overnight before serving.
Spices can be adjusted to taste. I usually use a lot of cumin and garlic and more hot sauce.

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