The Monday after a weekend whirlwind trip to Nashville? Woof. But it was a productive one.
Work was productive, including a 2+ mile walk at lunch while pounding out 10% of the book I’m currently reading (thank you, Kindle for those percentages that can make a girl on a lunchtime mission feel so very accomplished!).
After work was a quick arm workout. Weights only? WHO AM I? Slaying those 2022 goals!
I fed the girls leftovers for dinner and they didn’t put up too big of a fuss over the matter. Shea did tell me that my raw veggie platter was best served as a centerpiece than a something to snack on. Lovely. My dietitian heart is just OVERJOYED with such remarks (though I did think it was rather humorous). 😉
I was able to see Shea’s Taekwondo session and learned that there’s a 5 hour tournament on Sunday afternoon she’s supposed to attend. Nothing like a big weekend curveball when you had a whole lot of nothing planned!
And we loved up our Harlie girl between her sessions of basking in the sunshine. Our dog isn’t doing well and we’re trying to make her heart happy with all the snuggles and extra people food treats a precious girl deserves in her remaining days on earth. Dogs, man. Always heart breakers.
While the weekend was a blast and Monday wasn’t too much of a butt-kickin’, the rest of the week is BUSY in the evenings. I’ve all but given up on dinnertime so long as soccer remains in session and dance recital practices are in full swing. We’ve got less than 2 weeks until things calm down a bit more and that is sounding glorious!
When I’m not making dinner, I’m certainly less apt to blog. However, the silver lining is that I’ve got quite a few recipes still in queue ready to be posted. At one point in the not-so-distant past I had my dinner game a bit more on point.
Helping out? Super simple dinners like this one, all made in the Instant Pot, and with ingredients and flavors my kids enjoy! What I love most about this recipe is you can top it with just about anything (let your crew choose!), or you can repurpose it into tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, salads and more! Love, love, love it!
Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
Basic ingredients yield big, vegetarian flavors and fun colors and textures! Made in the Instant Pot, this super simple recipe is healthy and loved by all!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to HIGH sauté mode. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno; sauté for 2-3 minutes or until softened.
- Add tomatoes, corn, beans, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, quinoa, and water; stir well.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 3 minutes.
- Release the pressure using a natural release (i.e. do nothing for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure).
- Remove lid and fluff quinoa. Serve topped with cilantro and avocado.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from Cook with Manali
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1/5 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 13.2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 631mgCarbohydrates: 52.0gFiber: 12.4gSugar: 7.0gProtein: 15.4g
Wanting more Instant Pot meals that are quick, easy, and best in the IP? Voila!
- Instant Pot Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Alfredo with Peas
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Insanely Easy Instant Pot Taco Pasta
- Mac and Cheese with Ham and Peas
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Weekly Menu: May 15th – 19th
- Sunday: Honey Garlic Shrimp Lo Mein
- Monday: leftovers with a veggie tray
- Tuesday: Chicken Fajitas
- Wednesday: Marinaded grilled chicken with Crispy Smashed Buffalo Potatoes
- Thursday: possibly out after soccer
Be well,
