Mexican Style Quinoa Salad

Quinoa absorbs flavor, is great for our body, and can be used in so many ways. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. We ate the entire bowl in one night!

INGREDIENTS:

4½ Teaspoons Mexican in a Minute or Smokin' Chipotle**
1 Cup Quinoa, organic if possible
1 Can Black Beans
2 Tomatoes, diced. About 1.5 cups
2 Ears of Corn, grilled, corn removed. About 1.5 cup
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
½ Red onion, diced
¼ cup cilantro, diced
1 Lime, juiced
5 Tablespoons Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Here is everything you need. You can always use canned corn, but grilled corn adds more flavor and sweetness since it's fresh.

Add 1 cup quinoa and 1 teaspoon of Mexican in a Minute to a pot and put over medium-high heat. Toast them for a few minutes and then add 2 cups of water. I like to cook the quinoa al dente. Cook for about 14 minutes, and then remove it from the heat. Let it sit covered for another 15 minutes or so. The quinoa fluffs up perfectly. Let it cool.

Pour the black beans into pot. Add 1 teaspoon of Mexican in a Minute. Place pot on stove over low heat and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Don't cook too long or the beans will get mushy. After the beans have cooked, strain the liquid then chill them in your fridge until you are ready to mix all ingredients.

Peel a few of the outer husks of the corn before grilling; it helps the corn char a bit more. Grill for about 15 minutes, turning them frequently. Remove the husk, and then cut the corn off. If you don't a grill handy, roast the corn at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly browned. The crispy edges have so much flavor so it's okay if they get a little charred.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Remove the seeds like pictured above. Dice them about 1/8".

Do the same with the jalapeño. If you like more heat, leave the seeds in. Dice about 1/8".

Again, see above for a quick way to de-seed the bell pepper. Just pull the seed bunch out with your hands. Take your knife and trim the white part out of the inside if the pepper. Dice 1/8".

Dice your onion too. Also 1/8". Keeping all the veggies small makes the dish more consistent. I've had quinoa at a lot of restaurants and always wish the veggies were smaller so the quinoa stands out.

Roughly chop the cilantro.

Mix all ingredients together. Add the lime juice, olive oil, and 2 ½ teaspoons of Mexican in a Minute. Place in fridge for at least an hour before serving so the seasoning releases its flavors.

**This recipe is also great using Smokin' Chipotle.