Mexican veggie quinoa
If I can go back in time, I would have traveled more in my 20s and early 30s. My parents weren’t really fond of me traveling (they were always worried), and because of their apprehensions, I limited myself from traveling to all the places I wanted to go to. When I have kids, I will encourage them to travel because traveling really opens your eyes to the world, especially solo traveling. I love immersing myself in the culture whenever I travel. The flavors in this Mexican quinoa takes me back to my trips to Austin, where I had the best Mexican food.
I’ve been to Austin three times and every single time, I had amazing food. There are so many vegetarian friendly restaurants and food trucks. I recall one food truck specifically and their delicious tacos. It was called Rockin Vegan Tacos and I couldn’t believe the tacos were vegan. They were packed with flavor and I definitely did not miss the cheese or dairy.
I draw inspiration from the places that I have traveled to and the flavors from those places. This Mexican quinoa was definitely inspired by my travels to Texas, which has a huge Mexican influence. It is also a very healthy meal as it is gluten free and vegan as well. It super simple to make. Try it out and let me know what you think.
Mexican quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup finely diced veggies
- 3/4 cup black beans
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chipotle chili seasoning
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
- homemade or store bought salsa
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Warm up olive oil in a non-stick pan
- Once oil heats up, add veggies, beans, and quinoa.
- Add in all the spices.
- Cook for a few minutes until veggies are soft. Make sure to stir.
- Turn off heat. Squeeze in lemon juice. Fold in chopped cilantro (if you like it)
- Top it with homemade salsa or guacamole.
- Say a prayer of gratitude and enjoy!