Who said it had to be Tuesday to have Tacos??

Being vegetarian, if you want to have a Mexican meal, then you have to find some replacement for the meat. There are some good meat substitutes out there that you could buy, but this recipe isn’t your ordinary taco.

This quinoa bowl can be eaten a number of different ways…

• Make a tortilla bowl and serve it in that
• Put it over a bed of mixed greens
• Eat it how it is

Whichever way you choose, it will taste great!

The recipe itself is rather simple and is great for a quick weeknight dinner. In addition to this, there is a high level of variability in this dish. Besides the quinoa base, you can choose whichever topping you would like! Load it up, or leave it plain, the choice is yours.

Ingredients

• Quinoa
• Water
• 1 can Black Beans
• 1 can Corn
• 1 package of Taco Seasoning (choose whichever you like, I do Hot & Spicy)
• Optional:
  • Tortillas (for use as a bowl or to be crumbled on top)
  • Mixed greens (for a base)
  • Tomatoes
  • Salsa
  • Sour Cream
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Black Olives
  • Cucumber
  • Avocado
  • Anything you like to add to a normal taco!

Directions

1. Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions.
   • I buy my quinoa from BJ’s and I do 1 c quinoa in 1 1/2 c of water. When I do this, after adding in the corn and beans, there is about 4 servings worth. Increase or decrease the amount of quinoa, based on your preference.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, drain and rinse the black beans and corn.
3. When the quinoa is done cooking, stir in the entire packet of taco seasoning. Mix well.
4. Add the bean and corn mixture into the quinoa.
5. Begin layering your bowl, quinoa first and then all the toppings you would like.
   • If you are using a tortilla bowl as a base, begin baking the tortilla about 10 minutes before you start the quinoa to ensure that it gets super crispy throughout; you don’t want crispy edges and a soft bottom.
   • If you are using mixed greens as the base, layer that before you do the quinoa and toppings.
6. Grab a fork and enjoy!

If you have leftovers, I find that the best way to reheat them the next day is by adding a little bit of sour cream or salsa to it before I heat it in the microwave. I do this to add some moisture back into the dish and prevent the quinoa from getting crispy upon reheating.

I would love to hear any feedback on the recipe. Let me know if you decide to try it out yourself or if you have made something similar to it before!

Thanks for reading!

~Gabi