rants & recipes

Arecent conversation with a co-worker lead to my realizing I have only one - one?! - quinoa recipe posted here. We have quinoa fairly often, usually just as the grain portion of our meals, but I haven't tried out many explicit quinoa recipes and that's a shame.

So, I decided to try this recipe for dinner tonight - the only thing this needed was more green-ness - I threw is some asparagus. Dark green leafy veggies would be good, too.

Ingredients:

• 2onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• about 10 sun-dried tomato halves, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 2 cans, or equivalent, of black beans
• 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Simmer quinoa in broth, with cumin, peppers and salt until done - about 15-20 minutes.
2. Sautee onions, tomatoes, garlic and carrots in some olive oil for about 5 minutes.
3. Add asparagus and cook until done.
4. Combine quinoa, vegetables, beans and corn. Heat until warmed through.

One thing I love about quinoa is how the seeds release their little "tails" when done.