Quinoa and Black Beans

Tonight is a beer brewing night (a red ale and cappuccino stout!), which I figured counted enough toward  yeast work that I could skip bread making for today. Instead, I’ll share a lovely gluten-free recipe I have grown quite fond of and made for a friend of mine yesterday:

Quinoa and Black Beans

Recipe adapted from Jade Sexton (colleague of mine at Olmsted County Journal)

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin 

Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup fresh cilantro (optional) 

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and sauté until lightly browned. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Tasty tasty. Everyone I make this for just raves about it, and, I’ve learned, quinoa is a special dish to prepare in 2013, as declared by the UN. My favorite college student, and Izzy’s favorite babysitter, digs it—shout out to Kristen in Walla Walla—and I hope you do too!