I think quinoa is one of the greatest words in the English language. It can be used as a question “Would you like some keeen-wahh?”, a declaration “I bought keenwah!”, or statement of sorrow “We’re out of keenwah…” Quinoa is ridiculously adorable-it starts out as a tiny seed and puffs itself up into a little ring when you cook it. It’s a great source of protein and vitamins for a hungry vegan, and is as easy to cook as rice. Seriously, if you haven’t tried this stuff, you’re missing out. Get off this website and go buy some. Now.
A friend of mine mentioned quinoa recently, reminding me of a lonely box sitting in the bottom of my pantry. I scoured Allrecipes (read:searched for 23 seconds) for a recipe that would fit with what I had on hand. I found this recipe for quinoa and black beans that I altered slightly. It would be great as a side dish or wrapped up in tortilla, but it worked easily as well as an entree.
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup diced and roasted carrot (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
Directions:
1. In a large pan, heat oil over medium and saute onions and garlic until soft.
2. Mix quinoa into pan and add vegetable broth. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid is evaporated.
3. Stir in drained black beans, corn, and carrots. Continue to heat on low for 5 minutes. Toss in cilantro and green onions, stirring briefly to warm.
Avocados and Ales 
I’m always looking for creative ways to prepare quinoa. This I will have to try!
I’ve found that it’s still great cold the next day and seems to travel very well. Let me know how it goes!
This could be a really good burrito filling too. I also love Quinoa with just a little agave for breakfast instead of oatmeal.
That would be delicious! I’m not a fan of the texture of oatmeal, but I bet I would like that.
A delightful well flavoured recipe! Yum!