Since becoming gluten free I've found myself in love with quinoa. I love it because you can add anything you want to it and it will absorb that flavor. That means it can be mexican tonight, Italian tomorrow and Greek the next day. Today I was in a huge hurry at work so I grabbed a few things out of the fridge and a pan and off I went. Quinoa looks like it might be hard to cook, it's not. It is idiot proof. I promise.
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup peach mango salsa
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
The basic directions for quinoa are; Bring quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce to low, fluff with a fork and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
For this recipe you will:
Bring quinoa, onions & peppers to a boil. Reduce heat to low & fluff with fork. Add salsa, beans & garlic powder & mix. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until the quinoa is kind of soft. That's all.
The only thing you have to worry about with quinoa is making sure it's cooked all the way. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes. Sometimes it takes 20. As long as there is some liquid (stock, salsa, etc) in the pan you can continue simmering it until you get the consistency you want. I topped mine with a little bit of hot sauce and it was delicious. In place of water you could use vegetable stock, or chicken stock if you eat meat. This should make two lunch size portions or three side dish portions and it's a complete protein and great fiber.
Enjoy!
