Quinoa Burrito Bowls

I've been trying to incorporate more meatless meals into my menu planning, and this is one of my family's favorites. It's simple and quick to prepare, so of course, I love it. And with quinoa as the base, I'm happy we're getting a complete protein even though there's no meat in the dish. Though I have been known to toss in some leftover grilled chicken or steak, just to use it up.

Here's what you need:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups liquid (I use chicken stock and water)

For the sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 TBSP milk
1-2 teas taco seasoning

For the seasoning (not the same as the taco seasoning in the sauce)
1 teas. each garlic powder, smoked paprika, curry powder, celery seed and sea salt

Toppings of your choice : chopped lettuce or cabbage, diced tomatoes, chopped avocado, black beans, corn, salsa, onions, shredded cheese, cilantro - anything you'd like on a taco or burrito

 Combine the quinoa and liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

While the quinoa is cooking, blend the sauce ingredients. You could do this earlier in the day if you wanted to.

In a small bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients.

When the quinoa is cooked, start building your burrito bowl. I really like that every family member can customize this to his/her own tastes.

Start with the quinoa in a large bowl or on a plate. Add several dollops of the sauce. Then layer on the toppings and sprinkle about 1/2 teas of the seasoning over all.

Using a fork, mix the burrito bowl together.

How yummy does that look?

Variations :
If you don't like quinoa, brown rice is a great substitute!

For unique flavor twists, use different flavors of salsa like peach mango or green salsa.

Mrs. Dash seasonings are great to use if you don't have the ingredients for the seasoning blend.