Quinoa with Black Beans

Yum! This was my first time trying this recipe and it was soooo good I have to share! I'm obsessed with quinoa and I'm always trying to find new ways to eat it.  So, after some searching, I found lots of mexican quinoa dishes and decide to concoct one of my own :) Shane even said "I think this is the best meal you've ever made" -- which maybe isn't saying much for my cooking, but still made my day!






Ingredients:

Chopped fresh ingredient that go on last

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped or pressed
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• a couple of dashes of salt and pepper (or more to taste)
• 1 can (15oz) sweet corn, drained
• 1 can (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• a few squeezes of fresh lime juice
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped

Boiling veggie broth and quinoa mixture

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute for a few minutes until lightly browned.
2. Add the rinsed quinoa into the saucepan and pour in the vegetable broth. Add all spices and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir corn into the saucepan, and continue to cook on low for about 2 minutes until heated through. Then, add the black beans and cook for another minute.  Try not to stir too much to avoid making the black beans mushy.  
4. Dish out the quinoa mixture into individual bowls and squeeze a little fresh lime juice on each serving.  
5. Top with cilantro, tomato and avocado.  

Final hot mixture

Final product -- delicious!

Enjoy! :)