Taco Seasoned Quinoa Zucchini Black Bean Corn Salad

I had some quinoa and zucchini to use and found this recipe on closetcooking website. I actually had all the ingredients on hand and this is a keeper - simple, quick and yummy - my kind of recipe!            I had a homemade flour tortilla on hand, so I made a taco with the filling and garnished with chopped tomato and avocado.

Serves 2 hungry people as a main dish, or 4 -6 normal side dish servings


1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cup water ( the recipe calls for 2 cups, but I feel this ratio makes quinoa mushy)
1 batch taco seasoning ( see recipe below)
1 ear corn, grilled, and kernels cut off the cob ( or 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed)
1 zucchini, grated with a box grater ( 1 small zucchini)
1 cup black beans
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cotija, or feta cheese, crumbled

Put rinsed quinoa in a medium sauce pan with taco seasoning and water. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl mix the cooked quinoa, corn, zucchini, black beans, jalapeno, green onions and cilantro.

Mix the olive oil and lime juice a little salt and pepper to taste. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve garnished with the cheese.

One batch Taco Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt ( I only used 1/2 tsp)
1 teaspoon pepper

Mix spices together in a small bowl.

Quinoa Salad w/ Black Bean, Orange & Cilantro Dressing

This is a very refreshing quick salad - very good too! Sometimes the simplest of ingredients is all it takes to make a great dish. I cut up some left over grilled chicken breasts I had and stirred it in...and it was delish! reminded me a bit of a chinese chicken salad- kinda sorta. Probably because of the oranges and chicken. I found this recipe from a blog called staceysnacks. (not to be confused with the pita chips) you need zest from an orange, so zest the orange first before peeling and segmenting.

serves 4-6 as a side dish

for the salad:

1 cup uncooked quinoa (any color), rinsed and drained before cooking
2 cups water
2 large oranges, peeled and "supremed", cut into segments
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced


Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. 

Place quinoa, black beans, onion, and orange segments in a large bowl and stir gently to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.

for the dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons orange juice

zest from an orange

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a small bowl add all dressing ingredients and whisk to mix.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Very easy and tasty! Good for a week night dinner. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips and avocado slices

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well, drained
2 cups chicken broth, or 2 cups water ( I use a little less than 2 cups) with a little chicken bouillon

1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finley chopped
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sweet corn ( I used frozen, run under cool water to thaw, drain, pat dry)
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped, or use grape tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing
Mix in a small bowl:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 large lime
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin


Place chicken broth in a medium sized pot over medium heat; add the quinoa, bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on for 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. 

Meanwhile; get all your other ingredients ready: chop, mince, drain. Add into a large bowl. When quinoa is done add quinoa to the large bowl, pour over the dressing and mix to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Pull out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving..best if served at room temperature. 

Beef, Potato and Quinoa Soup

Quinoa is a complete protein. It is a good source of fiber, phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron - good right?! I adapted this recipe out of two others I found on the internet - Laylita's recipes and also one at Skinny Taste. This is a keeper. 


2 tsp olive oil
6-7 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 lb beef, cubed into bite sized pieces
4 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 tsp beef bouillon, or better than bouillon paste
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked quinoa
6 Tbl fresh chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté scallions, garlic and tomato in a large pot in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika, cubed beef, and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Stir to mix. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add beef broth, water and bouillon, carrot, red bell pepper a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat about 1 and a 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender. Add the potatoes and cooked quinoa. Cook an additional 25 minutes with the lid off, or until the potatoes are tender. Add remaining chopped cilantro. Top with avocado if you have it.

Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad

I found this recipe on the Cooking Quinoa.net website - its a keeper!

 6 servings

4 cups cooked quinoa
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin slices

3 Tbl red wine vinegar
2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup thin sliced fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
(sprinkle with goat cheese OR feta - optional - but why wouldn't ya!)

Heat an indoor grill pan over medium high heat. Brush both sides of the vegetables with olive oil ( I just put them in a big bowl and tossed them with a little olive oil - I'm lazy) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender, flipping once. Remove from heat and when cool enough to handle cut the vegetables into 1/2 inch pieces. Stir in quiona. Meanwhile make dressing by combining vinegar, olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper and sea salt. Toss vegetables/quinoa mixture and dressing. Stir in cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil and chives and serve. Sprinkle with goat cheese, or feta if using.