Quinoa and Black Beans

Curt is always on the lookout for new, healthy foods.  He has been watching a fusion grain cooking show on BYUtv and learned about Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa).  It's a grain I would compare to brown rice, but much more nutritious.  He found it at Whole Foods.  

I was surprised how delicious this recipe was and my kids gobbled it up.  This recipe is great as a vegan meal or as a side dish.  It's a perfect replacement for beans and rice.  Next time, I'm going to serve it in a tortilla with chicken and salsa...yum!

 Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

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