quinoa and black beans

March 3, 2011
IMG_7781
This week I made a vow not to buy an groceries. I have so many other things in my pantry and fridge that it was starting to get ridiculous how much I'd buy on top of the things I already had. This past summer, my sister gave me some quinoa and the first time I tried to make it, it was awful. Maybe the heat was too high or I didn't cook it long enough, but at that point I decided that quinoa and I were not meant to be friends.

Enter this week's resolution. In an effort to try to use what I have rather than wasting it, I gave quinoa another chance. Much like the time I made pancakes for one, I searched for quinoa for one, and this amazing recipe showed up (even though it says it serves 10!). The quinoa comes out at the perfect consistency! I can't wait to make this again.

tilapia and black bean quinoa
quinoa and black beans
adapted from allrecipes

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped and peeled
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium pot, heat olive oil and brown garlic. Add quinoa and toast for 30 seconds, stirring. Add broth and spices, bringing everything to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add beans, parsley and lemon juice.* Serve as a main course or side dish (I had mine with paprika-seasoned tilapia).

*This recipe is really flexible. I didn't use an onion as the original recipe called for because I didn't have any with me, but you can probably add lots of other vegetables and spices. It's so delicious!

6 comments:

  1. i had a bad experience with quinoa, too. i just didn't care for it and haven't tried it since. and i wanted to like it so much!

    but i'm defnitely open to trying it again, given the right recipe...this one looks pretty good!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh man, it's hard to imagine you didn't like quinoa to start. It's texture profile is right for your palette.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've never tried that! It looks good though. I'm kind of at the point too where I should not need to go grocery shopping - just get creative :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. girl. you have the best recipes. can't wait to try this one too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yum! you should definitely be a cook because you cook good, and your food looks AMAZING!

    ReplyDelete