Easy Mexican Quinoa Recipe

Need an easy to fix and really tasty side dish--or main course? Give this a try. The star of this recipe is a grain called quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). You can find it in most any store these days. It's incredibly easy to cook--in fact, you can cook it the night before if you like and then add it to the mix for a quick-fix supper. Remember, time doesn't have to be the enemy...you CAN have good food on limited times schedules as well as limited budgets.

Grocery List: red or white quinoa, 2 green onions, 2 slightly firm avocados, a red or green bell pepper, cilantro leaves, 2 limes, olive oil, and dried spices--coriander and cumin. Salt and pepper. A jar of salsa--you can use gluten-free if needed for your diet.

 

To prepare: Add 1 c. quinoa to 2 c. water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Let simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed (15-20 minutes). (This can be fixed the evening before since the quinoa will work well chilled or at room temperature.) Stir in the 2 green onions (white and light green parts only, thinly sliced), the 2 avocados (peeled, pitted, and chopped), 1/4 to 1/2 of the red or green bell pepper (chopped), and 3 tablespoons of the cilantro (chopped). IN A SEPARATE BOWL--mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and black pepper to taste. MIX the oil mixture into the quinoa mixture along with 2 tablespoons salsa. Enjoy!  (borrowed from Better Nutrition, Sept 2013)