Mexican Inspired Quinoa Bowls

Hey Guys!

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably trying to find ways to incorporate more healthy meals into your diet while still enjoying the flavors that you love.

Enter this healthy Mexican-inspired quinoa bowl. It’s loaded with healthy fibre, fats, and protein, so you can feel good about stuffing your face with this one!

I adapted this recipe from one my sister made that she found on Damn Delicious. I mostly did this to make it more of a pantry meal with less $ required for a good outcome. I added the beans and spinach to up the protein and iron. There’s no chopping required, isn’t that cool? Just a pot, a strainer, and a spoon. You’re welcome :).

Mexican Inspired Quinoa Bowls

Serves 4 for $10.73, or $2.68 per serving

1 Cup quinoa – $1.67

1 can of roasted tomatoes- $1.67

1 can of black beans- $0.98

1 cup of frozen corn- $0.42

1/4 of a 1kg bag of baby spinach- $2

1 container of guacamole- $3.99

Pantry Staples: salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne (all to taste)

Optional: Tex mex cheese and a lime wedge to garnish. I used bell peppers in this recipe but you couldn’t notice them much with the crushed tomatoes.

Start off by rinsing your quinoa and popping it in a pot with 1 cup of water, your roasted tomatoes and a teaspoon each of cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and a chili powder. Bring this up to boiling, then drop it down to a simmer and cover with the pot lid for about 20 minutes.

While your quinoa is cooking, line the bottom of a bowl with washed spinach and defrost your corn before splitting it up between your four servings. Open a can of black beans and rinse thoroughly in cold water, then split amongst your four servings with your defrosted corn and spinach.

After 20 minutes has elapsed for your quinoa, fluff it with a fork and confirm it’s cooked. Non-pro tip: the little squiggly hairs will break free of the “seed” of the quinoa when it’s done. If it’s cooked, taste test it and add salt and pepper (and cayenne if you like it spicy!) as needed. Split amongst the four bowls. This makes a LOT so you may have extra (lucky you!) that can be frozen depending on your hunger level.

Garnish your bowl with a healthy scoopful of guacamole. At this point your meal is vegan! If you want to garnish with tex mex cheese, it’s vegetarian. You do you (but I like cheese!). A spritz of lime juice freshens up the flavors a little extra, which is always nice.