Chipotle peppers... Take 2!

I wanted to make a healthy salad to go with a 'Southwestern' themed meal. I decided to throw in a chipotle pepper for an extra kick. Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are perfect as they have a rich smokiness to add another layer of flavor to the spice. They are actually smoked jalepeno peppers and the adobo sauce is a combination of pureed tomatoes, oil, vinegar, onion, garlic and spices.

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 lime
• large handful of fresh cilantro
• 1 chipotle pepper from can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce*

1) Halve cucumber lengthwise and scrape out seeds, slice into half-moons. Peel carrot, halve lengthwise, and slice. Halve onion and thinly slice. Toss cucumber, carrot, and onion together.
2) Juice and zest lime. Finely chop cilantro and chipotle chile smothered in adobo sauce. Combine cilantro, chile, and adobo sauce with lime juice and zest to make dressing.
3) Toss cucumber salad with dressing and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
* I love the brand La Morena

I definitely underestimated the power of the chipotle. The salad was delicious but a bit TOO spicy, especially when paired with a spicy fish dish. When the sweat was beading up on my nose, I decided that I had all that I could take and would throw the leftovers in the fridge.

Around lunchtime the next day, I took a little nibble and realized the flavors had married beautifully. I decided to throw in some quinoa and canned tuna to tone the salad down and make a healthy lunch.

I like to boil then steam quinoa as I think it gives it a nice fluffiness. Always make sure to rinse the quinoa first. A few run throughs in a fine sieve will do the trick. Boil 1 cup quinoa for 12 or so minutes and drain into a fine sieve. Steam over a pot of boiling water, covered, for about 4 minutes and this should give you a nice, fluffy, dry texture. Throw in some tuna, torn cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and.... Voila!

Perfect healthy lunch, snack, or side dish! Any other ideas on how I could have fixed this fiery salad?
Do you have any good cooking stories about turning a mishap around?