Mexican Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

When I made this super simple salad, I knew I would like it… I knew my sister would like it… and even maybe my dad too but I really didn’t expect my mom or brother to even taste it (they both hate cilantro! I know, tragic) but surprisingly enough, everybody loved this salad. It’s completely different than anything I usually make and everybody wanted second helpings! I strongly recommend it if you like all sorts of Mexican flavours in your dishes. Another great thing about this salad is it can be made ahead of time, and stays delicious for a few days.

Ingredients:

I box of Quinoa (225 g)

1 Can of Corn

1 Can of Black beans (rinsed)

¼ Cup of Green Onions (sliced)

1 Yellow Pepper (chopped)

½ Cup of Cilantro (chopped)

6 Tbsp of Lime Juice

2 Tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar

1/3 Cup of Vegetable Oil

1 Tsp of Cumin

1 Tsp of Salt

1 Tsp of Red Pepper Flakes

A dash of Hot Sauce

1. Cook the quinoa according to instructions on the box (225 grams of Quinoa in 2 ½ cups of boiling salted water, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed).

2. In a large bowl, stir in quinoa, black beans, yellow pepper, corn, green onions, green onion, and the cilantro.

3. In a small glass or bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt, cumin and red pepper flakes until combined.

4. Stir dressing into the quinoa bowl and serve at room temperature. (If the quinoa is still a bit warm, the salad is delicious). Sprinkle with hot sauce and enjoy.

Bon Appétit!

Tres Leche Cake

This is a recipe I tried and had NEVER heard of in my life. I like cake, I like whipped cream, I like strawberries so I think it's an obvious winner! I couldn't take any pictures of a "piece" of the cake because I didn't let it set long enough to hold much of a shape. It was delicious, and wonderfully fattening none the less! ;)


Ingredients

1 box of Vanilla Cake Mix (and all the ingredients on the back of whichever box you're using)
1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup of Heavy Cream
1 can of Evaporated Milk
1 container of whipped cream (or just another cup of heavy cream to whip)
2 cups of sliced strawberries or ANY other delicious summer fruits like raspberries

1. Make the cake in a rectangular 8x11 dish.
2. Once the cake is baked, poke the cake thoroughly with a fork.
3. Mix the three "leches" together in a bowl, and slowly pour evenly onto the cake. Place the cake into the fridge and let the milk mixture get absorbed completely into the cake. Let set AT LEAST 4 hours!
4. Once the cake has set 4 hours, or more, in the fridge, coat completely with whipped cream and decorate it with fresh fruit.


Bon Appetit!

Fish Tacos w/ Mango & Avocado Salsa

I am embarrassed by the lack of posts I’ve made to my blog recently. I have a handful of meals I’ve made, waiting to be blogged about, but I’ve been so busy. I moved to Montreal, and have therefore, lost all access to my parents’ beautiful camera. Here is one of the last meal I was able to photograph with the Canon Rebel XTi… FISH TACOS with Mango and Avocado Salsa! They were simply delicious and coming from me, that means a lot, since I’ve been avoiding fish like the plague for the last 10 years!



Ingredients:

White Fish Fillets (since I have no experience with fish, I got frozen beer battered fish fillets)
1 Ripe Avocado, cut in dice sized pieces
1 Ripe Mango, chopped
a heaping handful of cilantro
¼ Cup of chopped Red Onions
1 Roma tomato
1 Tbsp. Lime Juice
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Jalapeño pepper, chopped (as little or as much as you want… ½ tsp. is my choice)
A package of smaller flour tortillas
Red Cabbage, thinly sliced
Sour Cream
Tex Mex Cheese


1. Combine the avocado, mango, tomato and onion chunks in a bowl with cilantro, toss with limejuice and oil until evenly coated. Mix in Jalapeño pepper, and seasoning, let sit at least 45 minutes in the fridge.

2. Bake the white fish fillets as per the box instructions.

3. When the fish is ready, place on a cutting board and slice into long thin pieces. Serve immediately.

4. My favourite way of eating tacos, is first smearing sour cream, adding the fish and cabbage, topping with salsa and a heaping amount of tex mex. It’s soo delicious, most definitely one of my favourite meals to date!



Bon Appétit!

P.S. I really don’t have any real talent when it comes to cooking, I just really love cheese, cilantro and/or avocado. Anything with either ingredient is bound to be good, even if it sounds or looks disgusting.