quinoa tacos

We are kind of obsessed with quinoa in our home. We've been eating it for years because it's what you call "a complete protein" which means it contains 9 essential amino acids and is packed with protein (like 8g per cooked cup). It's also super versatile because you can serve it hot or cold, sweet, savory or even spicy. Lucy (our picky eater) even loves it! So it really isn't any surprise that we like to use it all kinds of meals. One of our favorites is quinoa tacos.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cooked quinoa

Shredded cabbage or lettuce

Black beans

Shredded cheese

Chopped tomatoes or red peppers

Chopped cilantro

Corn tortillas

Your favorite hot sauce or salsa

Homemade taco seasoning:

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Garlic powder

1/4 Onion powder

1/4 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Smoked paprika

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Remember you can always customize the heat of your seasoning by adding more or less chili powder, cumin and pepper.

Cook the quinoa according to directions.

Stir the taco seasoning into the quinoa while it's warm. 

If you want the quinoa crispy (or to resemble the consistency of taco meat), spread it on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

If you prefer your quinoa to be soft and fluffy, simply add it to you tacos once you've added the spice.

NOTE: This zesty quinoa is yummy on top or nachos, in a burrito or tossed into a scramble!

Warm up the tortillas, grab your favorite toppings and built yourself a taco!

quinoa salad

If you haven't tried quinoa, NOW IS THE TIME! Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a seed that was considered a sacred food and a staple in the diets of the Incas. These days it is referred to as a supergrain because it loaded with twice the protein of regular cereal grains, lots of fiber, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fewer carbohydrates, and even a dose of healthy fats. One cup of quinoa has 24 grams of complete protein, which provides 48% of the daily recommended value- AMAZING!

Quinoa comes comes in a variety of colors- white, red, black and for the most part it all has a mild flavor that will complement just about anything. While there are all kinds of recipes and ways to cook with it, I like incorporating it into a salad because the different ingredients and variations are endless!

I started by adding 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water and boiled for about 15 minutes.

Next, I prepped all my ingredients.

I picked some of my favorite vegetables but you could add quinoa to just about anything!

spinach, red pepper, green olives,

feta cheese, sweet potato, red onion,

quinoa, parsley, baby portabella mushrooms

I diced up the red onion,

the red pepper,

and sautéed them in a little bit of olive oil, garlic and then added the mushrooms.

I washed and cut up the spinach.

Chopped up green olives.

I added the cooked quinoa

to the spinach, olives, the sautéed vegis.

I added a baked sweet potato chopped into squares

and sprinkled a handful of chopped parsley

and feta cheese.

I mixed everything together

and filled up a bowl for myself :)

Serve as a side dish or even as a main dish- makes for a great lunch!

I've even started using it as a filling for wraps.

Use a whole grain tortilla and fill with quinoa salad.

Roll up.

Cut in half and quickly consume!