Tex Mex Quinoa Salad

I've always wanted to try quinoa and when I saw it at my grocery store, I knew I had to give it a whirl. I'm so glad that I did, because this salad turned out great! The boyfriend liked it so much that he immediately said "this one is a repeat". And he was serious - he wants to go out and buy more quinoa today and make this for a BBQ we're going to this weekend.

In honour of Cinco de Mayo yesterday, I decided to put a little Tex Mex twist on this salad and load it up with some of my favorite flavours - cilantro, lime, tomatoes and jalapeno.

 I'm so glad that it turned out great and I can't wait to eat the leftovers today for lunch! I have to admit that I stole a bite of it out of the fridge this morning and it tastes just as great cold as it did when I first made it, and the flavours were only enhanced the next day. This would be the perfect salad to take on a picnic too!

What you'll need:
1 cup Quinoa
1 clove Garlic, crushed
2 tsp Lime Zest
2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Sugar
1 15-ounce can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup Corn, frozen or fresh
1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 medium Tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 Green Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Jalapeno Pepper, diced

Wash quinoa if needed. In a medium pot, boil quinoa in two cups of water, along with crushed garlic and a pinch of salt until tender and fluffy, about 15-20 minutes or according to package. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, whisk together lime zest, lime juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Add quinoa to dressing and toss until fully combined.

Stir in black beans, corn, cheddar, tomatoes, cilanto and jalapeno. Taste seasoning and see if it needs any more salt or pepper.

 I served the salad alongside some chili seasoned chicken that I cooked up. It was a great and easy meal for Cinco de Mayo!

 I loved all the flavours and textures in the salad and enjoyed each and every bite.

I forgot to add the cheddar cheese in the mix (hey, it happens!), so I just added it on top and it was still great!

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