Day 19: Quinoa and Black Beans

Before I dive into the recipe. I'd like to enrich your lives with the wonderful knowledge of Quinoa. Quinoa is a complete protein containing all 8 essential amino acids. It's light and fluffy in texture but has that whole grain ability to fill you up.

How to cook: Use twice as much water as quinoa. Salt is optional.
Rinse quinoa until water runs clear. Drain and transfer to a medium pot. Add water (and salt) and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until all the water is absorbed (15-20 minutes). Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork.

Tips and Tricks:

• For extra flavor, try using vegetable, chicken or beef broth instead of water when cooking (omit the salt)
• Toast quinoa (after rinsing) in a skillet for 3-4 minutes before cooking to add more flavor (I'll have to try this one sometime)
• Add cooked quinoa to soups, stews, and casseroles.
• Add a little bit of honey and some fresh (or frozen) berries, such as blackberries for a great breakfast.
• Store cooked and cooled quinoa in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

1 cup of cooked quinoa makes about 4 servings. Cost per serving: 38 cents.

you can find lots of yummy quinoa recipes at Whole Foods website here:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/advanced-search.php
You can create an online recipe box and save all the recipes you'd like to go back to.

Now, for the recipe... I originally got this from Allrecipes.com, but I have added/lessened a few ingredients.

Quinoa and Black Beans

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
• 3/4-1 large onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Set aside the juice from can of tomatoes (about 1/2 c) and add to 1 c. Vegetable Broth. Rinse quinoa and add into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the tomatoes, black beans and cilantro. 

Serves 6

Nutritional Info:

Excellent Source of: Protein, Fiber, Iron, Thiamin, Niacin, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin C,

Good Source of: Vitamin B6, Copper, Zinc, Calcium

::Tip of the Day::
Make your own vegetable broth. (I read this tip and am in the process of doing it for the first time)

You can save veggie leavings - like onion and garlic peel, carrot ends, mushroom stems, and stems from fresh herbs and spices - in a container in the freezer. Once you have enough, just put them into a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and simmer for an hour, then strain out the scraps. What’s left is a wholesome, tasty veggie broth that’s just as good as (if not better than) store-bought; and cheaper too!