This is my take on the cilantro-lime quinoa bowl from everyone’s favorite Mexican-inspired coastal fast food chain. It turned out pretty good. You can season the tilapia or buy the pre-seasoned ones at the market. If you have an Aldi grocery nearby, they have a fresh tilapia seasoned with a Southwest rub, which is perfect for this recipe.
Prep Time::35 mins
Cook Time::25 mins
Total Time:: 1 hr
Servings::2
Yield::2 large bowls
Ingredients
Blackened Tilapia:
1 ½ tablespoons paprika
½ tablespoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tilapia fillets
Cilantro-Lime Quinoa:
1 cup water
½ cup quinoa
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 large lime, zested and juiced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salad Bowl:
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce, or to taste
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, or to taste
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons roasted pepitas, or to taste
2 wedges lime
Directions
Combine paprika, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, and garlic powder in a bowl. Rub about 1 tablespoon of the mixture on each side of both tilapia fillets, making sure to use up all the seasoning. Let fillets sit while preparing the quinoa, about 15 minutes.
Combine water, quinoa, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until quinoa absorbs all the liquid, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lime zest, juice, and cilantro. Season with salt.
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook tilapia fillets until fish flakes easily with a fork, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Arrange romaine lettuce and spinach over 2 bowls. Divide tilapia, cooked quinoa, black beans, and tomato over the bowls. Top with avocado and pepitas. Serve each portion with a lime wedge.