Meet my new favorite lunch.
Making this dish is a little more effort than I usually put in for lunch, but trust me when I say it’s worth it. It’s absolutely delicious. The combo of ingredients, the dressing, all of it together is one of the tastiest things I’ve ever had. My husband doesn’t like quinoa and doesn’t go out of his way to eat avocado, but said smelling this got him hungry when I was cooking this up. (No, he didn’t try it, but that’s okay because it meant more for me.)
Let’s talk cilantro. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it, but oh my goodness the cilantro lime vinaigrette is the star here. It stores well in the fridge so I’ll definitely be making it again to use on other salads. If you’re one of those people that has the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, you can always swap the dressing for something you like better.
If you’re looking at the title of the recipe and the photos and asking yourself “why is it on a plate when it’s called a baja grain bowl?” Well, I despise taking pictures of food in bowls because it almost always just ends up looking like some variation of cat food. I wanted to honor the name that the creator gave to the dish so I kept the “bowl” part. Maybe you didn’t notice, but I thought some of you might so the attorney in me wanted to issue a disclaimer. There is a method to my madness (sometimes).
Since I work from home, it’s totally acceptable to whip up a margarita to go with this baja grain bowl, right? 😉
Baja Grain Bowls Recipe
(Makes 2 servings)
Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (I highly recommend fresh squeezed because it tastes better.)
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Ingredients for Baja Grain Bowls:
- 1 cup of cooked rice
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa
- 1 can (14 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado, skin and pit removed, sliced
- 3/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 2/3 cup corn
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream
- (optional) extra lime juice
- (optional) additional salt and pepper to taste
Directions for Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:
- In a food processor (or really good blender), add all of the ingredients for the cilantro lime vinaigrette and blend until it’s smooth.
Directions for Baja Grain Bowls:
- To plate the 2 servings, add half of the following to each plate: rice, quinoa, black beans, sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, corn, feta cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro.
- Pour the cilantro lime vinaigrette on top and gently toss everything together. Top with Greek yogurt, and the optional lime juice, salt and pepper if you want.
Source: How Sweet Eats
