Quinoa Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup Quinoa
• 1 whole Red Onion, Chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ cups Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• ½ cups Yellow Bell Pepper, Chopped
• ½ cups Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
• 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
• ½ teaspoons Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder, Or More Depending On Heat Preference
• 1 dash Cayenne Pepper
• 15 ounces, weight Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
• ¾ cups Diced Tomatoes, Fresh Or Canned
• 2 whole Limes, Divided
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces, weight Baby Spinach
• 1 cup Cilantro
• ⅓ cups Cheddar Or Feta Cheese
• 1 whole Avocado, diced

Preparation Instructions

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, swirl a bit of olive oil in a saute pan. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until translucent and tender. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne and peppers and saute for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in the black beans, tomatoes, and the juice of 1 lime. Stir in the quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill.

Roughly cut baby spinach into strips like you would shred iceberg lettuce for tacos. Remove about 1 cup of cilantro leaves from the bunch, rinse and pat dry, and toss with the spinach. Divide spinach and cilantro mixture evenly among 4 salad plates. Top each plate with a scoop of the quinoa salad. Top each salad with your choice of cheese and diced avocado. Cut the remaining lime into slices to garnish the plates.