This recipe kind of happened by chance. I made the spiced quinoa the night before and noticed that it had sort of a Mexican dish kind of flavor that would taste really great in a taco. The next day when it was time to figure out what to eat, I realized that I had two ripe avocados and enough ingredients to make guacamole. Then this dish was born!
Spiced Quinoa
This quinoa recipe is from Kimberly Snyder’s book, The Beauty Detox Foods, with some slight alterations and it’s delicious. I’ve always struggled making quinoa and getting any sort of good flavor out of it, but this was my first success.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight and rinsed well (rinse through a fine mesh strainer, I didn’t do this and it was a huge mess, so I’ll be investing in one very shortly)
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1 Tbs. low-sodium tamari
- 3 Tbs. low-sodium vegetable broth
Directions:
- Bring water to a boil, add quinoa and reduce heat to low.
- Cover and cook for 12 minutes.
- Drain Quinoa using a fine mesh strainer (quinoa holds a lot of water, so you have to make sure to drain it thoroughly after it’s cooked, so your meal isn’t watered down).
- Cook for a few more minutes until the quinoa is soft and fluffy.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients with a fork.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste.
Guacamole
This guacamole is a huge hit when I make it for family and friends, and it’s packed full of nutrients.
Ingredients:
- 2 Large Avocados (or a few small ones)
- Juice from half a lime
- 1 tsp. honey (use a high quality honey to support the bees)
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup of chopped onions
- 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Directions:
- Cut the avocados in cubes and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Squeeze the juice from half a lime over the avocado, being careful not to include any seeds (the lime juice adds a nice citrus flavor, but also helps keep the avocados from browning).
- Start to mash up avocado cubes with a fork or potato masher. Keep the mixture chunky, since we have more ingredients to add.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Mash until the guacamole reaches your desired consistency, making sure to blend evenly.
- Adjust ingredients to taste.
Serve a large spoonful of quinoa on a plate, then adding a large spoonful of guacamole on top. It may look like a small serving, but it’s actually quite filling and nutrient-packed. You can always go back for seconds. 🙂 Enjoy!
Sometimes you might not have all of the ingredients to make this guacamole recipe, and that’s okay. Just mash up what you have in your kitchen and it does the trick. This was the case when I took the photo above. I didn’t have all of the ingredients, nor the time to spend chopping everything up so finely, but it was still delicious.
When it comes to making any recipe, work with what you already have in your kitchen and keep it simple.
Will you give this dish a try?
Tell me what you think in the comments below.
XO Devon