One-Pot Mexican Quinoa

Happy Monday, hope you had a good weekend! It was snowy and bitterly cold here, colder than I can remember it being in quite a while. I went out grocery shopping on Saturday morning, and my weather app said the wind chill made it feel like -13. Brrrr! On the plus side, it was a perfect weekend to hunker down with a new tv series and some (healthy!) comfort food. We started House of Cards on Netflix and have already almost finished the entire first season; it’s so crazy good! I can’t recommend it highly enough – season two starts next month so you still have time to get caught up on season one before then 🙂

As for that comfort food I was talking about, well you’re looking at it! Mexican quinoa might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think comfort food, but trust me, this is good stuff. Mexican food is something I always crave, but most of the dishes we like to make are anything but healthy (think cheese, lots and lots of cheese!). It’s awesome to be able to add this quinoa to the mix with our other favorites.

Best of all, this dish could not be easier to make. We’re talking about 5 minutes of prep time, if that, and only one pot to wash afterward. Garlic and jalapenos are sauteed briefly, then quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and corn are added. The quinoa needs about 30 minutes to absorb the liquid, then the dish is finished with parsley (or cilantro, if you’re a fan) and lime juice. You could serve this as a side dish, a vegetarian main course, or mix in some shredded chicken at the end to please the meat-eaters in your life. It’s colorful, filling, and healthy – a definite winner in our house!

One more thing – I wanted to give you a quick heads-up that the blog will be down from tomorrow night until Friday. In case there are any recipes you need or plan to make, you’ll want to be sure you have them saved or printed out by tomorrow night. There are BIG changes coming, and I’m beyond excited to share them with you guys!

One-Pot Mexican Quinoa
adapted from Annie’s Eats

{Note: You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth to make this a vegetarian dish.}

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Add the oil to a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic and jalapenos. Cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Stir in the quinoa, chicken broth, black beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parsley and lime juice (start with 2 teaspoons, then taste and decide if you want more). Season to taste with additional salt or pepper, if desired. Serve garnished with chopped scallions, cheese, sour cream, or your favorite toppings.