Sunday, March 16, 2008

Quinoa, anyone?

A few months ago I decided I wanted to try quinoa, a supergrain I'd heard a lot about but had yet to try. I picked some up at the grocery store and searched for my first recipe. It can be cooked plain and served as a side instead of rice or potato or pasta, but I wanted a recipe to incorporate it into. This is from a Parents Magazine, and it was delicious! The quinoa is full of protein, and this dish was so so filling. Enjoy!

Quinoa, Black Bean, and Corn Salad
Ingredients:

¾ cup quinoa
½ tsp salt
1 2/3 cups frozen corn
1 can (15 oz) black beans – rinsed, drained
¾ cup salsa
2 TBSP lime juice
2 TBSP cilantro - chopped

Directions:
  • Rinse quinoa under cold running water. In a medium saucepan, combine ¾ cup quinoa with 1 ½ cups water. Heat to boiling over high heat. Stir in salt, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed and white germ ring forms around quinoa. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine corn, beans, and salsa. Stir in quinoa, lime juice, and cilantro.
NOTE: I added cooked chicken cubes to this to make it a complete meal. I also served avocado with- full of good fat and my kids love it!

2 comments:

Heather said...

OOOOoooooh! That sounds fun and new! What is this exactly? I am picturing a rice like grain... is it more like whole wheat? Do you just substitute it for anything carb-ish?

Christina said...

Yes, it goes well as a carb side. It's a grain that is a little larger than couscous, and definitely more flavorful than couscous on its own. It's cooked similar to rice or couscous, and it will get a little ring on it when it's done, kind of like wheat germ. I found it at Macey's in the rice section.