.queen of quinoa.

I don't want to brag or anything, but I'm kind of the queen of quinoa. It's a self-bestowed title, but one that I take seriously nonetheless. If you're not familiar with this amazing mother grain, then you should quick get hip to the square, because it's amazing. It's easy to make, quick, loaded with nutrients, and is considered a complete protein. It is gluten free in case that's important to you, and best of all, it does not taste like cardboard.

Behold, a creation that I have made variations of many times this summer. It is fresh, light tasting, and quick to put together. The ingredients are all in season right now, so it should be a cinch to find really good quality ingredients at the grocery store or farmer's market. Plus, since it doesn't have any mayo or cheese in it (why yes, it IS vegan!) it would be perfect for a picnic or potluck. It would also make an awesome burrito filling, or we've even just used tortilla chips to scoop it up.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Makes 2 entree servings, or 4 small servings

1 c. quinoa (uncooked)

2 c. water

2 ears of fresh corn

1/4 c. diced red onion

1 large bell pepper (your favorite color)

1/2 c. grape tomatoes

1 small avocado

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 tbs. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne

2 tbs. lime juice

2 tbs. olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

From here, it's pretty straight forward. Rinse the quinoa, and add it to a saucepan with the water, plus a big pinch of salt. Simmer over medium heat until all the water is absorbed, and you can see "rings" around the edges (see here for a how to).  This takes 15 minutes or so, in which you can prep the other ingredients.

Slice the corn off the cob, and chop and slice the other ingredients. When the quinoa is done, take it off the heat to cool a bit. Ideally you would cool it to room temperature, but I'm not very patient usually and I just stir it every few seconds to let the heat escape. You could also put it in the freezer and/or spread it on a cookie sheet to speed up the cooling. 

Then, just mix it all up! Give it a taste, and add more lime juice of necessary. Salt and pepper to taste, and add a little more cilantro on top. Voila! Happiness in a bowl.

.shanti.

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