Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn & Cilantro

This is the recipe that I give to everyone who is new to quinoa.  If you've never made a dish with quinoa before or think you don't like how it tastes- I encourage you to give this a try.  It's super simple, healthy and tastes great!  Plus, it's easy to customize to your individual tastes.  It's simply perfection.

Black Bean, Corn & Cilantro Quinoa

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3-6 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cup veggie or chicken stock
1 1/4 cup frozen or fresh corn
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, reserve some liquid
1 can (15 oz) diced tomato
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
salt & pepper to taste
avocado

Step 1:

Rinse your Quinoa!

You MUST rinse your quinoa.  I've found that it's easiest to rinse in a measuring cup.  If you try to use even a small colander, your quinoa will simply spill out the bottom.  When you're done rinsing, set it aside for later.

Step 2:

Saute your onion and garlic in the olive oil.  I use all organic ingredients and encourage you to do the same, especially with your olive oil!

Add in your spices and saute for another couple minutes until your onion is translucent.

Step 3:

Stir in the remaining ingredients.  So now is the time to add your corn, tomatoes, black beans and quinoa.

It will look a little "soupy".  Not too worry, after
the quinoa cooks, it will thicken.

I like to use frozen organic corn because it's easy and yes, I don't defrost it.  Just take it out of the freezer & dump it in.  I also reserve some of the liquid that comes in the canned beans and pour it in.  Usually it's about 1/2 cup from both cans of beans.  And you guessed it, the juice from the canned tomatoes goes in too!

*Tip- now's the time to add additional spices if you like it hotter.  Increase the amount of chili powder, you can add a splash of Tabasco or even a jalapeno pepper.

Step 4:

Bring to a boil then turn down to low and allow to simmer for 30-60 minutes.  You don't want to overcook your quinoa but simmering for 60 minutes will really bring out the flavors.

Garnish with a little fresh cilantro, sour cream and cheese.  It's also great with sliced avocado and chopped green onions.  We like to eat it with tortilla chips on the side, SO good!

Makes 4 servings.







*Full disclosure- I found an original recipe for quinoa with black beans and corn and I've adjusted it a bit to suit my family's tastes and preferences.  I do not have the link to the original recipe, otherwise I would give full credit to whoever came up with this awesome base recipe.  So please know, that I am in no way attempting to take credit for coming up with this great recipe.  However, I did make changes, so this "new" recipe is directly from me.  Enjoy!