This recipe incorporates quinoa into the main dish by mixing it together with black beans for a healthy vegetarian option that can be cooked up quickly. Cooking these two ingredients also provides an easy method to spoon onto your plate to serve up as a tasty entree.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup quinoa
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounces) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
*This recipe is cooked on a stovetop so you will want to make sure you have the appropriate tools for this. You'll need a large pot for cooking the quinoa and black beans. The recipe also calls for browning the quinoa in oil and that requires a skillet.
1. Rinse 1 cup of dry quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and then set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, add 1-2 cups of water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover completely. Put it on moderate heat for less than 10 minutes until the water evaporates well.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the quinoa and mix well with a spoon or fork so that each grain absorbs some water from the pan but is still dry. Continue to simmer on medium-low heat for another 20 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through.
4. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, turn off your stovetop and let it sit for about 10 minutes. When you're ready to serve, fluff the grains with a fork and serve in a bowl alongside black beans with your favorite toppings!
(*You can also fill your pan up with less water so that you don't have to make so many trips if you're only cooking enough for one or two people.)
