Recipe: Quinoa and Black Beans

If you haven't cooked with quinoa before, this is a great recipe to try it out!  Quinoa is a small, very protein-rich grain, full of good vitamins and minerals.  It can be substituted for rice or couscous in many recipes, and has a slightly nutty flavor.  Before cooking, quinoa should be soaked for about 30 minutes to an hour to remove saponin, which can make it bitter and harder to digest.  (Some people prefer not to soak quinoa or to soak it for much longer periods, but I've found 30 minutes to an hour to be a good balance.)  You'll probably need a mesh strainer to drain the rinse water after, because the grains are so small.

Uncooked quinoa

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, soaked and drained
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2/3 cup cooked black beans (or 16 ounce can, rinsed and drained)
1 (16 ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
• Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
• Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and tomatoes. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

This recipe is good hot or cold, and leftovers make great lunches.  I hope you enjoy!