Quinoa Burrito Bowls

$4.82 total / $1.20 per serving

I found this recipe through Pinterest and thought it sounded wonderful. While reading through the post for the original recipe, I noticed the author has a couple different blogs. One of her blogs is called The History Kitchen. Turns out, the author is a culinary anthropologist  and studies where our food comes from and why we eat what we do - very interesting stuff!

Nutritional Highlight: Quinoa. It has a high concentration of flavonoids, anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, antioxidants, and other nutrients! Quinoa is also one of a few complete protein sources found in plant foods. So if you are a vegan or vegetarian, quinoa should be a staple in your cooking. 

Quinoa Burrito Bowls    (Serves 4)

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
1/2 cup packed Fresh Cilantro
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, diced
2 cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Sliced Jalapeños, diced
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Coriander
1 Avocado

Rinse the quinoa using a strainer. Place quinoa in a small saucepan. Toast over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender, put in the cilantro, garlic and water. Blend until smooth. Add the pureed cilantro mixture and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Then add 2 Tbsp lime juice and fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the onions until translucent. Add in the spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the beans, jalapeños and 2 Tbsp lime juice. Let the beans simmer for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid has been reduced.

Slice up the avocado and get ready to plate! First goes the quinoa, then layered with the beans. I added 1 Tbsp of sour cream and a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese. If you have lettuce or pico de gallo, those would be great additions as well.

Recipe adapted from The Shiksa.

Nutritional Analysis:

Per Serving: 523 calories, 14.5g fat, 77.6g carbohydrates, 24.1g protein and over 15% daily value of Vitamin C, Copper, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Riboflavin, Thiamin and Zinc.