QUINOA, CORN AND BLACK BEANS

My niece Brittany is such an inspiration to me. She is vegan and has such a healthy diet. Mostly vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. We are training to walk 60 miles in three days to raise money for breast cancer research. Last night we had a good walk and then we made dinner together.

I found this great sounding recipe so we gave it a shot. We loved it. It's easy to make and very heart healthy. I made a quesadilla for Ron in case he wasn't satisfied with our vegan meal. He loved having the quesadilla but said that the quinoa had such a rich, nutty taste that he would have been happy with a totally vegan meal.

This Mexican style quinoa dish is so versatile. It would be great in tacos or burritos. Spice it up as much as you want.

One thing about the vegan lifestyle.....wine is OK! So we started with a glass of Sangria. We toasted to a healthy life style.

Brittany brought a delicious sangria mix from Williams Sonoma. One of the best mixes I have ever had. We added a nice Kunin red wine and some lime and orange slices.

                                                 
                                                 QUINOA, CORN AND BLACK BEANS

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 TBSP. lime juice (extra for the final taste test)
1 cup frozen corn (I used Trader Joe's frozen grilled corn)
2 (15oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed (Whole foods 365 brand does not have salt added)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can chopped chilies or 1 fresh jalapeno, chopped
1 ripe avocado, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion starts to soften.

Add the quinoa and vegetable broth to the pan. Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. If using fresh jalapenos add them now. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in lime juice, frozen corn and canned chilies if using them. Simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is warm.

Add black beans and cilantro. Serve hot or cold, garnished with chopped avocado. Serve with salsa if desired.

Enjoy!

Thanks B for keeping me healthy.