Southwestern Quinoa

I may be a bit late to the game, as I only discovered quinoa in the last several months, but I am a wholehearted convert. The stuff is wonderful - plus, it's one of the few plant-based protein sources that is a complete protein, and it's a good source of fiber to boot! It's like rice, but better, and it's another one of those versatile bases that serves as a canvas for culinary creativity. I came up with this combo recently, and I think it's my favorite. Add in a touch of chipotle powder and cumin, plus some roasted corn, peppers, and tomatoes, and extra fiber and protein from black beans, and you've got the makings of a fast, tasty, and healthy dish. This is great as a side dish with some cilantro and lime as a garnish, but I found that it's equally delicious piled on top of a freshly baked corn tostada (as illustrated below; I sprinkled a little cheese on it, but without that, it's 100% vegan). I suspect it'd also be good wrapped in a burrito with extra beans.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups corn, freshly shucked or frozen (thawed)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup quinoa, rinsed (otherwise it'll have a bitter taste!)

1 14 oz can low-sodium vegetable stock, or ~2 cups

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

2 medium sweet bell peppers, rinsed & roughly chopped

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed

fresh cilantro, for garnish

lime wedge, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add corn, and cook, with stirring, until corn starts to brown (about 10 min).

2. Add quinoa, and stir until quinoa starts to pop (about 2 min).

3. Pour in vegetable stock, then stir in garlic, chipotle powder, and cumin. Allow mixture to come to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa becomes tender (you'll see little "curlies" come off the quinoa when it's done - after about 15 min).

4. Meanwhile, drizzle a small baking pan (9x9") with olive oil, then add peppers and tomatoes and stir to coat. Roast in oven (or toaster oven, which is what I did) at 425 degrees F, stirring every 5 min or so, until vegetables start to brown (about 20 min).

5. Once quinoa is tender, stir in roasted vegetables and black beans, and stir on medium low heat for a couple of minutes, until beans have warmed.

6. Serve warm, topped with cilantro and spritzed with some lime juice as a garnish. 

Serves 4-6