Quinoa Veggie Burrito Bowl: An Easy Power Lunch

Most fast food places were never that appealing to me growing up mostly because there were few vegetarian options. If there was one place I did crave food from, it was Taco Bell. Almost anything there could be made minus the meat and still be somewhat of a meal. Over the years, I started to prefer the somewhat fresher approach of Qdoba and now Chipotle. I called it palate development but the husband called it food snobbery. It doesn't matter anymore because we've both changed our diet habits in search of healthier food. If we do choose to eat fast food, we usually opt for a Chipotle. We love their burrito bowl option because we can see and control exactly what and how much of each ingredient goes into it. Recently I've been making burrito bowls at home, but I decided to change it up a bit. I replaced the starchy rice with some protein packed quinoa. I used red quinoa for this recipe. It has a slightly earthier taste and doesn't get as mushy after cooking. Since this is more like a salad, the looser red quinoa works much better for texture. Quinoa does not have a very strong flavor on its own so I usually cook it in vegetable broth instead of water. You can actually make it have whatever flavors you want. In this case, I used water but added ground cumin into it before cooking and then tossed it with fresh cilantro. If I could, I would have eaten this burrito bowl topped with some avocado slices in place of the cheese. Sadly, I think I may have developed an avocado allergy. If you love them as much as I do, I think it would make an excellent addition.   So if you like burrito bowls, check out the recipe below. For more Mexican inspired flavor, you can also try this vegetarian corn soup recipe. For another healthy quinoa recipe, you might also want to try this Greek quinoa salad recipe. Quinoa Burrito Bowl Recipe Print This Recipe Ingredients 1 1/2 cups black beans, canned or cooked 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 1/4 teaspoon allspice 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 3/4 cup quinoa, red 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1/2 tablespoon canola oil 1 zucchini squash, chopped 1/2 cup corn, frozen 1 cup bell peppers, yellow or red, diced 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 cup baby spinach, chopped For the Salsa: 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup scallions, sliced 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped For the Garnish: colby jack cheese, optional avocado, optional Directions Rinse the beans (if canned) and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, all spice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Salt to taste and set aside. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve to remove the bitterness. Combine the quinoa, 1 1/2 cup water, salt, and remaining cumin to a pot and bring to a boil. Set the pot to the lowest heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let it stand covered for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, mix in the cilantro and set aside. Heat the oil over medium to low heat in a large skillet. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it burn. Add the bell peppers, zucchini and corn and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Mix in the chili powder, salt to taste. Cook for another minute and set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a large bowl and set aside. To assemble the burrito bowl, layer the quinoa, beans, vegetables, spinach and salsa in a large bowl or deep dish. Top with cheese and/or diced avocado if desired. via Food Fanatic http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/09/quinoa-veggie-burrito-bowl-an-easy-power-lunch/

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