Southwest Quinoa!

Quinoa (Pronounced "ki-nwa") has become my new favourite super food!

Why is it super?

It is high in protein
It contains a balanced set of Amino Acids
It is high in Fiber
It is high in Iron
And its Gluten-free...so super easy to digest (great for runners like me!)

I have no idea why it took me so long to try this...it is absolutely delicious and really easy to prepare, sort of like rice.

I have made a couple different variations and this one was a crowd pleaser on the weekend. Enjoy!

Southwest Quinoa

Before you start, get some chicken broth boiling on your stove, you want it to be hot when you add it in. Follow the package directions for the amount of Liquid that you will need. For the brand I was using, I used 2 Cups Quinoa and 4 cups Chicken Broth.

 Chop 1 Large Onion, 2 Cloves of Garlic, 1 Red Pepper and 1 Orange Pepper into small bite size pieces. Set aside.

 Rinse 1 Can of Black Beans and 1 Can of Corn...set this aside as well.

 In a medium sized pot, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and heat to medium high. Add the onion and saute.

 Give the onions a couple of minutes to turn a little translucent and add the peppers. Keep on stirring for about 3 minutes.

 Turn the heat down to low and add the quinoa, Garlic, 1 tsp Cumin, 1 tsp Chili Powder, 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder, 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder and salt and pepper to taste. I didn't add any salt because I did not use low sodium chicken broth. Stir quickly so the quinoa does not burn but starts to toast a little bit and the spices start to become very fragrant.

 Very carefully add your chicken broth. If your broth is not hot you will just get a lot of steam and splattering. Hot broth is essential!

 Stir to combine everything and cover pot for about 15 minutes on a low simmer. After 15 minutes add the corn and beans. Continue to simmer until all the liquid is gone and the quinoa has become clear with a small white fiber visible.

 Transfer to a casserole dish and garnish with sliced green onions

An excellent side dish or perfectly fine on its own!