Southwest Quinoa Salad

I know it's been a while since my last post and I apologize.  I've just been in a funk that has kept my motivation in the kitchen on the back burner, but with the first day of April came a new surge of curiosity.

This recipe I found on SkinnyTaste today and decided that a meatless Monday was the way to go. I changed up the recipe a bit to fit my tastes, but there are plenty of variations that would work.  There is nothing better than fresh ingredients, so get creative.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 a cup of Dried Quinoa

1 cup of Water

1 15oz can of Black Beans, drained (I use seasoned black beans)

1/4 cup of Red Onion, chopped

1/2 cup of chopped Cilantro

1 cup of Mango, diced

1 can of chopped Tomatoes, drained (not pictured)

1 small Jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 cup of Corn

2 Tbsp of Lime Juice

1 1/2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1/2 tsp of Cumin

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp of Chili Powder

Directions:

Combine quinoa and water in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.  When the water is boiling, turn down heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Combine the beans, corn, tomatoes, mango, jalapeno, onion and cilantro in a bowl.

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin and chili powder.

Toss the two mixtures together.

Serve, either hot or cold.  I personally like it better warm, it brings out the flavors a bit more.  To do that, put mixture back in the pan and heat on medium for about 2-3 minutes or until heated through.