Thursday, April 21, 2011

Recipe Thursday - Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

It's Recipe Thursday and again I have for you a very yummy recipe using quinoa. My good friend Katie over at The Hills Country hosted a fabulous Seder dinner a couple of weeks ago and served this tasty dish along with brisket, asparagus, and broccoli. Katie is an amazing hostess and the meal was delicious. What's a Seder dinner you may ask? Check out Katie's post about the dinner - complete with pictures!

Again I found a dish I loved and had to try it out on the family, or as they lovingly call themselves "mom's guinea pigs!" :-) The first night I cooked this dish as a side dish to go along with our grilled chicken, asparagus and salad. My hubby loved it and said it was the best quinoa dish ever! That made me smile! Once again, sweet daughter isn't falling in love with the quinoa as quickly as we are but she's still eating her three bites.

The second time I cooked this dish was this past Monday and we decided to serve it as the main dish with just a side of peas and salad. I'm really trying to implement Meatless Mondays but am definitely getting push back from the family. However, this time it was my husband's idea to serve it as a main dish because it has so much protein from the beans and quinoa that additional meat is not necessary. Finally a little sliver of hope in my quest for Meatless Mondays.

Overall, served as a side dish or as a main dish, this is a great recipe to add to your meal planning. What is fun about this dish too is that you can really play around with the ingredients and spice it up with fresh jalapenos, diced tomatoes, and extra spices. Remember it's not about perfection in the kitchen, it's about the experience. Enjoy!


Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cups chopped white onions
  • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 cup quinoa,* rinsed, drained
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 11/2 cups water
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
  • Crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese (optional)
See the full recipe here


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