One Pan Southwestern Quinoa

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 jalapeno minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish style paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste, use less if you're using regular table salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels I used frozen and did not thaw
1 avocado seeded, peeled and diced
juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and jalapeno and lightly saute for a minute. Stir in spices, salt and pepper and allow to cook for another minute, watching your heat so that the garlic doesn't burn.
Stir in vegetable broth, tomatoes, quinoa, beans, and corn. Bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. The seeds will look like they've popped open, revealing a tiny white curly tail (the germ of the seed.)
Fluff the quinoa with a fork then stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro. Top with additional avocado, lime juice, cilantro, sour cream and/or shredded cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

*I removed the seeds and ribs of my jalapeno, but leave them in if you want more heat.

*Read the label when buying fire roasted tomatoes. Some have added chilis and therefore can be very spicy, too spicy for my kids. Mine did not have any extra spice. Again, get the spicy ones if you like more heat.

*You can also add some cayenne pepper when you add the spices. I think I'll do that next time. For us, 1/8 teaspoon will give just the slightest hint without being too spicy for my kids. If you like the heat, add more, maybe a 1/2 teaspoon to one teaspoon. If you're not sure, always start with less.

*Any kind of corn is fine, fresh off the cob, frozen or canned. Drain it if it's canned. Mine was frozen and I added it without thawing.

*Make sure you rinse your quinoa. It has a protective outer coating that can be bitter, so rinse thoroughly before cooking.

*We loved this so much that I made a double batch last time so I could have leftovers. The leftovers weren't as good as I thought they would be, until I realized that the mixture really just needed more moisture to bring it back. If you do have leftovers, just add more liquid when reheating it. I just added more vegetable broth and all was good again. I probably added 1/4 to a 1/2 cup, but you'll have to eye it based on how much you have. Start with less. You can always add more.

Adapted from Damn Delicious