Delicioso

anyone out there have this conversation, repeatedly:

"Hey, babe, what do you want for dinner?"
"I don't know. Whatever is fine."
"Really whatever I want is ok?"
"Well, as long as I like it too. But, whatever is fine."
"Got it. Thanks for your help."

help? yeah right. i think i stress over dinners too much. anyway, i will be sporadically putting my favorite recipes with some helpful hints. don't worry, this is not going to turn in to a recipe blog (there are way too many out there, and plus, this is more of a Sofia blog than anything).

have you ever tried quinoa (pronounced keen-u-wah)? it's kind of a replacement of rice...but a lot healthier. i made this recipe tonight....with quinoa. i found this recipe online (our best bites), the highlighted parts are how I tweaked it.

Mango Quinoa Salad
What you need:

2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled I'll teach how to make it below

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed I used about half a can bc jeff doesn't love beans

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced i used 5 bc Jeff doesn't like onions

1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup) I put more because Jeff is obsessed with cilantro

Dressing:

 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

1 lime 

Quinoa: Do the quinoa earlier in the day and then throw it in the fridge bc it's supposed to be chilled. Actually you can do all of it earlier in the day and throw it in the fridge.  I put 2/3 C of dry quinoa in a bowl and rinsed it in water for about 5 minutes. Then I drained it and threw it in a rice cooker, with a can of chicken broth and a bit more water. (if you don't have broth, you can do water, but put some salt in it- do about 2 C of water, or a bit more)- the original recipe has you make it on a stove, so you can do that too, but I'm lazy).

Salad: Throw all ingredients together in a bowl and then stick in the fridge (after you've poured on the dressing below)

Dressing:  throw the ingredients together and pour desired amount all over the salad

Add some kosher salt (regular salt works too) freshly cracked black pepper all over the salad. Put in the fridge.

I put this over grilled chicken and it was delish. Pictures?

Beware, this is very healthy. and very tasty. this was jeff and i's conversation:

Jackie: "you don't have to like this, but you do have to try it."

Jeff: "what am I? your child?"

Jackie: ("sometimes" i say in my head)

after dinner...

Jeff "I actually liked it."

Jackie (in my head): actually? what? like i'm a bad cook or something? please.