Quinoa and Black Beans

For those of you who don't know... (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkiːnoʊ.ə/ or /kwɨˈnoʊ.ə/, Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa), a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass.

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.^[4] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.^[4]


There you go folks... plus, it's delicious. You generally have to look for it near the "specialty" grains in a regular grocery store, but is much easier to come by in a health food store such as Whole Foods or Sunflower Market. It's my new thing. Since this recipe mixes well known foods (beans and corn) with the new food (quinoa), it's a good place to start in giving it a try. Really, it's like any other grain, in that it takes the flavor of whatever you've cooked it in. If you don't like cumin or cilantro... you won't like this recipe.

Ingredients

1 tsp. canola oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
I can low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels (optional)
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (or more)

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and sauté about five minutes.

Rinse quinoa with cold water for a few minutes. (Use a fine sieve).

Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir frozen corn into saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user BUN3KIN.