What for Lunch Wednesday - Mexican Quinoa Salad

What's for lunch Wednesday is less about sharing new recipes, and more about keepin' it real. This is what I REALLY had for lunch today! Sometimes I slip and eat junk. Sometimes it's gourmet. This series is to not only inspire quick lunchtime ideas, but to show that we are not all perfect in eating the right thing at every single meal.

 Today's lunch is Monday's lunch leftovers. Don't you just love leftovers that still taste good a couple days later?! Less cooking, more time for other things (like a hectic trip to the library for storytime this morning).

I'll go ahead and share the recipe here now and then give it a post of it's own next time I make it, complete with more pictures.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Avocado Oil (or Coconut Oil)

1 cup Cooked Quinoa

1 cup Organic Corn

1 cup Organic Black Beans

1 Bell Pepper, Diced

1 small handful Cilantro, chopped

Salt

Pepper

Cumin

Chili Powder

Garlic Powder

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Optional

Shredded Cheese
Romaine or Spinach

Diced Tomato

Diced Avocado

Heat up the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add quinoa, corn, beans, and bell pepper.

Add spices to taste and stir. I am particularly partial to cumin, so I added about a tablespoon, but i'm sure that is too much for some people. I do maybe 1 tsp of the other spices, but only a pinch of the red pepper flakes.
Throw in cilantro and stir.
You are mostly just heating up the ingredients, so this whole process should only take maybe 5 minutes. (I cook my quinoa in large batches and keep in the fridge to use throughout the week.)
Add desired toppings. Today I only went for shredded cheese, but on Monday I had it over a bed of romaine and added cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and organic blue corn tortilla chips.

The beans give you some great protein to keep you satiated, as does the quinoa. Quinoa also contains magnesium, calcium, and an array of other nutrients as it is a complete protein. This meal will keep you full until dinnertime for sure!

Yum! Can you tell I've had a crazy morning? A quick lunch of high-protein leftovers was just what I needed! (As I typed that my toddler fell down our small stairs. Aye, aye, aye. Here I go!)