This recipe, from what seems like a million years ago, was one of my very first plant-based dishes. My husband liked this one, so I made it often. And of course, it has my favorite – cilantro – so I could easily eat it every day!
When I was looking through my recipes for a fun one to post, I came across this one and realized it was its turn to be shared. I was trying to think about its origin and when I made it last. The origin was easy to narrow down because it was pre-daughter, so fourteen years ago.
Life measured in pieces.
Does everyone do that? Segment your life by big markers like marriage, childbirth, etc. My husband and I were married for seventeen years before we were lucky enough to become parents. Some of that by design and some by the struggles of becoming and staying pregnant – a story perhaps for another day.
But now, my life is segmented into, of course, the pre-child period, but also my husband and I have planned out our lives in these seventeen-year segments. I have asked for three sets of seventeen from him. During the first seventeen, he and I were chilling together. The second seventeen were, and continue to be, centered around our daughter. The third seventeen we are going to party again or at least that is the plan that we talk and dream about, lol.
Blessed, and grateful!
Hopefully, we will be that lucky! Every time my husband complains about his old age, I remind him how many years he still owes me. I have also begun to negotiate for more years. Of course, he was quite a meat eater and now I have transitioned him to plant-based foods so maybe after he finishes his years with me, he will find someone who cares less about the environment and will let him eat flank steak! I am totally kidding and way off track from sharing my little recipe!
So, this delicious quinoa bowl from the “first seventeen years” is a great side dish but it makes a perfect lunch, and a bit of a larger portion will work for dinner too.
Ingredients:
Zest and juice from one lime. You can use an extra lime for garnishing the individual servings.
2 tbsp vegan ghee, melted and cooled. I like this brand – Livlo Organic Vegan Ghee
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup of quinoa, prepared according to package instructions.
1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 oz) can sweet corn
1 ½ cups organic cherry tomatoes, washed and chopped.
½ red onion, sliced thinly
4 scallions, washed and chopped.
½ cup cilantro leaves, washed and chopped, more for garnish
1 avocado, thinly sliced.
Instructions:
Whisk together lime zest and juice, vegan ghee, olive oil, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl add cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, scallions, and cilantro. Mix all ingredients well. Add wet ingredients and stir until the dressing is absorbed. Serve in bowls and top with avocado slices and cilantro. Garnish with a lime wedge.
I hope you and your fam enjoy this recipe! If you like cilantro and lime flavors feel free to add a bit more. The dressing gets absorbed into the quinoa and it is one of the things that makes this dish so tasty!
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