Mexican Quinoa Bowl

Hello my friends! And hello September! Where did you come from?

You know when you love love love summer and you kind of never want to say goodbye? And you want to let it linger for just a little longer… yes, that’s how I feel right now.

Maybe I just won’t pack away some of my breezy summery shirts and I’ll blend them into my fall wardrobe somehow…. or maybe I’ll just carry on with some no-cook or little-to-cook summer recipes that taste amazing and actually take longer to eat than to cook. Ya, I think I might just do both. And can I still wear my sandals until the first frost??? Maybe not… but I’ll stick to making this delicious Mexican Rice Quinoa Bowl for a while longer – because it’s THAT good and THAT quick and easy to make!

MEXICAN RICE QUINOA BOWL

{vegan & gluten free}

Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup quinoa, red or white (both are fine, I used red in this recipe)
• 1 can black beans
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1-2 ripe avocados
• 1 lime or 1/2 lemon, juice of
• fresh cilantro
• olive oil
• sea salt & pepper to taste
• dash of cayenne pepper

Directions :

Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp of sea salt, stir and add brown rice. Stir, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the rinsed quinoa into this pot. Stir to combine, bring to a boil again, cover and reduce heat as before. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. (Check packaging for cooking time on the rice and quinoa to match the cooking times so they are both cooked at the end at the same time. Once cooked, strain and leave on a sieve to cool slightly.

The brown rice I use is not pre-cooked and requires longer to cook than my quinoa so the 5 minute cooking difference evens out the times and both grains are cooked at the end at the same time. This saves me from having to use two pots. (less to clean up). And I like the mix of the rice and quinoa together, actually I do this very frequently. I don’t like the flavour of quinoa alone in this recipe but I do like the extra healthy spin on this rice bowl – why not!  It’s also more economical to mix it up with rice – if you want to make some delicious meals that impress but are also budget friendly. Quinoa vs Rice is more expensive but well worth the money ;)

Back to the recipe:

Rinse and drain the black beans. Dice up tomatoes and avocado. Chop as little or as much cilantro you like (my husband does not like it one bit so it gets omitted in his dish completely). Pile up all your ingredients onto a bowl of rice/quinoa, drizzle with olive oil and squeeze lemon or lime on top. Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and a bit of cayenne pepper and you’re done! Enjoy.

 

This is one of my favourite meals. It’s easy, inexpensive, delicious and fresh-tasting. It’s still packed with protein and loaded with vitamins from all the ingredients pulled together. It’s super healthy – there isn’t one single ingredient that’s not-good for you. And it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan.

This is a great vegan and gluten-free recipe that really doesn’t feel like you’re missing anything.

It’s a great transitioning meal for someone who wants to include more healthier meatless, dairy-free & wheat-free meals into their meal plans.

My 5 year old loves it too. Great for a quick Back-to-School recipe when the days become busier between driving around with after school activities & homework.

What are your favourite meals right now?