Vegetarian Santa Fe Quinoa Salad (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

I tried out this recipe last week and made a few delicious modifications (that also fit into the ingredients I had on hand)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups water (or 1 cup vegetable broth and 1/2 cup water for more flavor)
• 1/2 cups gluten free picante sauce, mild or medium
• 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 3/4 cups home cooked black beans)
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, cooked, drained and cooled
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tomato, diced (or 1 cup cherry/grape tomatoes, halved)
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, finely diced (optional)
• toppings: leftover cooked chicken, guacamole, additional salsa (all optional)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, stir together water, picante sauce, quinoa, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Uncover pan and toss quinoa with a fork. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly.  While still warm, add the remaining ingredients to the quinoa mixture, tossing well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve slightly warm or let cool to room temperature.

(Note: I threw some lettuce and leftover, shredded chicken onto a plate before scooping some of this salad onto the top. It added some greens and extra protein and made for a great lunch!)

Freezing Directions:

To freeze, allow to cool completely, then package in individual lunch serving sizes. To serve:  Thaw and warm through. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Note:  the tomatoes will have a softer texture after freezing. You can also add them after thawing and before freezing.