Southwestern Style Quinoa Salad

Southwestern Style Quinoa Salad.

This is one of my favorite things to eat. It is an amazing mixture that is so versatile. Once you have the basics down feel free to change it to include other regional flavor profiles. I have made Asian, Italian, Indian, and Thai versions before that all turned out wonderfully. Remember that this recipe is more of a guideline than a set in stone recipe.

You can add in more protein by putting cheese, grilled chicken, tofu, beef, or anything else you can think of into this dish.

Quinoa is a grain that is very good for you, it has a very high amount of protein in it, an it is gluten free for those of you that have problems with that. You can usually find it with the alternative flours in the gluten free section of your grocery store. If you cannot find it you can substitute brown rice or whole grain cous cous.


Ingredients:
1 c dry Quinoa
2 c water
2 veggie bullion cubes (optional)
1 can black beans
1 can corn (or 1.5 c frozen corn defrosted)
1/2 English Cucumber
1/2 green bell pepper
3 green onions
8-10 cherry tomatoes
1 avocado
1 c. fresh cilantro
1 tsp seasoning (I use Pampered Chef Southwestern)
1 Tbs lime juice

Put the quinoa, water, and bullion into a pan on the stove and bring to a boil, cook for 15-20 minutes. When done the quinoa should be slightly translucent and a little firm to the bite. Take off the stove and let cool completely.

While the Quinoa is cooking drain and rinse the beans and corn. Set aside. Chop the veggies into bite sized pieces.

Once the Quinoa is cooled mix everything together, make sure that the lime juice is mixed in well, it is what will keep the avocado from going brown.

The Sentemental

Yeah, I know it has been a little while since I actually wrote anything. And I really hope that there wasn't anyone sitting out there with a house that's 2/3 of the way organized while I wanted to write this one. I have a hard time telling people what to do with things that have meaning to them. Some are ok to keep, others you should probably let go of so that you have a new start. However that is a choice that you have to make on your own.

So this one will be short and sweet. Think about what you are keeping and why. If you are keeping it out of guilt or to remind yourself not to make the same mistake again, get rid of it. It is really is important to you, then display it in the way that it deserves. Keeping it hidden away means that you are not really cherishing it and you should be getting rid of it too.