If you love Mexican food, my Very-Mexi Bowl is a sure-fire winner! It contains my favourite combination of ingredients, and really hits the spot if you’re craving a warm, yet light meal.

I originally got this recipe from the chefs at UCOOK.

A FAMILY DINNER

I find myself making this dish for friends and family over and over again. Why? Because it’s healthy, simple to make and delicious – thanks to the perfect flavour combinations. There’s just nothing better than a crunchy, savoury dish with a little bit of creaminess on the side, right?

My Very-Mexi bowl is packed with toasted pumpkin seeds for the crunch factor; quinoa, which also adds up the protein count on a vegetarian meal; guacamole, because what’s a Mexican meal without it? Plus, a touch of sour cream for creaminess (you can use full- fat yoghurt instead) and loads of fresh herbs and veggies like corn, kidney beans, chilli, lime and coriander. Yummy!

A FEW VARIATIONS…

  • For a protein punch, add grilled or fried tofu, halloumi or chicken strips for the non-vegetarians.
  • If you’re not a fan of sour cream, you can substitute it for a dollop of full-fat yoghurt or low-fat cottage cheese.
  • I always substitute the regular stock suggested in the recipe with a Knorr Vegetable Stock Pot. It just adds so much flavour to any vegetarian dish – and works well with this dish because it compliments the other ingredients beautifully.

This is delicious when fresh – but will keep in the fridge for up to a week if you’d like healthy leftovers for lunch.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 500ml quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 mealies, kernels sliced off
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 300ml prepared vegetable stock using 1 KNORR Vegetable Stock Pot
  • 3 limes / 1 large lemon juiced
  • 100ml sour cream or double cream Greek yoghurt
  • 1 cup coriander, chopped, rinsed and lightly packed
  • 1 small avo, sliced

Method:

  1. Boil the kettle and prep the ingredients as listed. Dilute the KNORR Vegetable Stock Pot with 300ml boiled water from the kettle.
  2. Ready a pot that has a lid. Add enough water to well submerge the quinoa and bring to the boil. When boiling, add the quinoa, pop the lid on and simmer until the quinoa is cooked, about 13-15 minutes. Check the water doesn’t dry up and add more if it’s looking low. Taste to test that it’s cooked, then drain with a sieve and set aside.
  3. In a pan over medium heat, dry fry the pumpkin seeds in a pot until they start to pop and turn golden, about 3-5 minutes. Shift them around every now and again for even colouring. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
  4. Return that pan over low-medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, corn kernels, cumin and chilli stirring occasionally. Then add the tomatoes, beans and stock. Simmer until the stock has reduced about two thirds/8-10 minutes.
  5. Add the drained quinoa, half the coriander, some fresh lime juice and a further drizzle of olive oil, and heat through. Season to taste.
  6. Dish up. Top your creation with dollops of sour cream, and sprinkle over the remaining coriander and toasted pumpkin seeds. Add some additional lime and chilli if you like.
December 07, 2018 — Lisa Raleigh
Tags: Nutrition