Quinoa Taco Salad

I actually only discovered Quinoa a few years ago, and it is a wonderful versatile grain, very nutritious, high in fiber and a good source of iron. It can be used as a side, but i prefer to use it in a salad mixed with lots of veggies. It has a sort of nutty crunchy aspect to it that makes it a lot more interesting than couscous or rice, and it holds a vinaigrette well, without getting soggy.

Quinoa is quite easy to cook, easier in my opinion than rice. You simply boil water, add the Quinoa, boil again, reduce to medium and cover for 12 minutes. That said read the instructions on your package first! There are different kinds of Quinoa, the white/whole wheat, red and black. The black is pretty dramatic as a side as the colour is unexpected. This time i was just going to use plain quinoa, but i didn't have enough, so i mixed a little red in it too. I think it was visually nice.

I decided to make a sort of Tex-Mex Quinoa salad which was pretty simple considering i tend to have these ingredients in my pantry/fridge at all times. I began by sauteing the red onion until soft and translucent, once it was done i added cumin, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. Then i added garlic and cooked it for a little until it was also tender. I then added the canned, drained black beans, chopped tomatoes, red pepper and jalapeno. I stirred that until it was incorporated and added the cooked Quinoa and the juice of a lime.

I served this one a mix of chopped spinach and cilantro and topped it with shredded cheddar/mozzarella mix for a little extra protein and because i love cheese. This actually made quite a bit so i will probably get not only a dinner out of it, but also a couple lunches, which is okay with me.

Above:

Quinoa Taco Salad
Chopped ingredients
Ingredients
Cooked Quinoa
Raw Quinoa