Baked Fiesta Salad bowls

Fiesta salads add a great variety to your everyday meals. They make wonderful light and complete salads for vegetarians; top it off with your favorites veggies, kidney or black beans, and cheese, guac, or salsa, it's as easy as that!

This recipe has a lot of versatility, you could use any colorful veggies of choice. It is loaded with fiber, packed with proteins from the beans, seeds and Mexican cheese, and good fats from the avocados and olive oil.

Make it colorful by adding a rainbow of veggies, re-create it every time you make it! This meal is adaptable to many variations, tastes great, and always a crowdpleaser! Black beans, seeds and cheese makes it protein rich. It's one of the under 30 minutes for my household! :)

RECIPE:

Gluten-free: use tortillas "labeled gluten-free"

Nut-free

Egg-free

Vegan: use vegan cheese

Soy-free

LOW-carb

KETO-friendly: Use 'Carb-balance', 'Xtreme Wellness' or other low-carb versions; replace black beans with Mexican-cheese, sour cream, guacamole instead

Prep time: 10 minute

Bake time (flour tortillas): under 10-12 min

Cook time: 10 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• mold for tortillas required or use oven-proof bowls

• 2 large-sized, whole grain or low-carb variety

• 2 cups veggies (diced zucchini, bell peppers or quick-cooking veggies of choice)

• olive/avocado oil, 2 Tbsp

• baby spinach, 1 cup

• cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup, cut in halves

• English cucumber, diced, 1/2

• avocado, diced, around 1 large

• black or kidney beans, drained/water removed if cooked at home, 1 cup

• taco seasoning, 1 Tbsp

• paprika powder, 1 tsp

• jalapenos, to taste

• lime juice, 1 Tbsp

• sunflower or pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp

• salt, to taste

• salsa, sour cream, or guacamole (to serve with)

• Mexican cheese, 2 tbsp (optional)

Bake tortillas in a mold; cook veggies on the stovetop; chop up some cucumber and spinach

Instructions:

1. pierce a few holes on a flour tortilla with a fork to avoid puffing during baking.

2. lightly spray the tortillas with oil on both sides, slide the tortillas into tortilla shell mold makers and bake at 350F for 10-12 min or so till crisp (going over 12 min could burn them easily). Let it cool for 5 min.

3. fiesta veggies: cook onions, bell peppers, and zucchini in olive oil for 3-5 minutes.

4. fresh veggies and beans: chop up spinach, cucumbers, avocados, and beans

5. toss the fresh and fiesta veggies gently with the taco seasoning, salt, lime juice, paprika, jalapenos.

6. pour the mixture in the fiesta bowls

7. garnish with cheese, green chilies and cilantro (optional)

Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole, enjoy!

Season with taco seasoning, seeds, lime juice, jalapenos, and cilantro

Add taco seasoning to the sauteed onions and peppers

Pro-tips:

• A toaster oven would work well also, depending on the mold size

• While tortillas are toasting, prep the veggies to save time

• It's recommended to toast the tortillas fresh (no more than 2-3 hours before eating). If pre-roasted, they lose the crunchiness and crispiness

• Add enough seasonings and garnishes to make it more flavorful

• Add the filling inside the bowls, right before serving, to avoid making it soggy

#glutenfree #hearthealthy #spicymeal #healthyliving #lowcarb #highfiber #diabetesfriendly #lowcarbdiet #lowcarblifestyle #makelifeeasy #RDapproved #lowfat #savoryandspicy #ketovegetarian #ketolife #ketorecipes #ketofriendly #mexicanbowl #healthyburritobowl #ketomeal #ketoweightloss #lowcarbdesi #desiketo #ketoroti #diabetesmeatfreeketo #egglessketo

Enjoy cooking this healthy spicy fiesta salad!