Quinoa and Black Beans

Tonight for dinner I had what has become somewhat a staple in my new lifestyle... Quinoa and Black Beans. If you haven't yet tried Quinoa, I highly recommend it. It cooks up like rice, but has much more protein than rice. It is a grain, and I find it quite yummy and is often a great substitute for recipes that call for rice. You can find Quinoa at places like Whole Foods in their bulk aisle or Trader Joes if you have one near you... one opened in Nashville today - YAY! I have attached a picture although it probably doesn't do it justice!

Quinoa and Black Beans

1 tsp. canola oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped - garlic press is the way to go here
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups beef broth (You could use chicken, but I find it better with beef broth)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained--It is much cheaper and fairly easy to make your own and cuts down on the sodium
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
**Variations, add a jalapeno (seeded and chopped), a green bell pepper seeded and chopped to the first step and some cooked leftover chicken at the end with the corn.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until slightly browned.
Rinse quinoa with cold water (Use a Fine Sieve). Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth.
Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add corn and cook an additional 5 min. or until corn is heated through. Stir in black beans and cilantro.

I serve it with a little fat free sour cream or fat free Greek yogurt and some more cilantro...

I found out tonight that it freezes well also.