A friend from an online mom’s group shared the following recipe a few weeks ago; since I adore quinoa, I quickly added it to my meal plan and prepared it last Wednesday.
Oh. My. Word.
This may be one of my all-time favorite recipes.
Seriously, folks — it’s that good.
I ended up making it just a week bit spicy for the kidlets. . . my crazy preggo tastebuds got in the way of common sense and I kept adding and adding chipotles. I kinda like things hot these days.
(Hmmm — wonder what that says about the baby’s gender. . . )
Hubby was uber impressed with it and was happy the kidlets couldn’t eat it . . . more for him (and Mommy)!
You could easily make this a meatless meal by serving it with a simple salad. Since I live with a “meat guy,” I purchased some really nice, thick chicken breasts, and marinated them in a simple mixture of fresh lime juice, cracked black pepper, salt, and cilantro. Then, like the genius I am, I made the Hubby grill the meat.
Oh, YUM. It was a great accompaniment to the spicy quinoa . . . and speaking of accompaniments, if you can get fresh mango . . . USE IT as a topping. The sweetness of this fruit is the perfect compliment to the heat of the chipotles. I tossed my diced mango with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro . . . really, really really, really, really good.
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Recipe: Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 or more canned chipotle chiles, minced with some of their sauce
- 1 TB fresh, chopped oregano, or 1 tsp dried
- ¾ cup dry quinoa
- salt and pepper
- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained or about 2 cups of prepared black beans
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 ½ cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
- mango- diced (optional)
- cilantro, chopped (optional)
- lime wedges, (optional)
Instructions
- Coat large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring until the onion is soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add chipotles and oregano and continue stirring for about one minute.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the quinoa, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes.
- Add beans, corn, stock and bring to a boil. Stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and test quinoa. If the kernels are still crunchy, add a little more liquid and cook for another 5 minutes or so. (you can also judge by sight; when fully cooked, the germ of the grain is exposed while the rest of the grain turns opaque)
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Top with mango, cilantro or lime, if desired.
Quick Notes
*Chipotle chilies are found in the ethnic aisle, next to other canned peppers. They can be HOT! I used three chipotles and about 3 tsp of the sauce — it was VERY spicy. I blame my pregnant tastebuds for the extra heat. Start with one or two and see how the spice level is for you. . . it’s always easy to add more if you need it.
**Quinoa is found by the rice/cous-cous. It has a nice nutty flavor and is packed with protein- which helps make this a filling meal. Brown rice is a nice substitute.
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