Spicy Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes

Whenever I hear the word "superfood" I imagine a cucumber flying around in a superman cape sprinkling vitamin dust on little children's cereal.  MAYBE superfoods aren't actually as cool as that....but I'm gonna go on believing that they are.  

Take quinoa for example.  To start, it is hands down the trendiest food in town.  In the last six months or so it catapulted from a relatively obscure health food, to practically dominating food magazines, the foodie blogosphere, and restaurant menus across the city.  Why shouldn't it?  Just 3/4 of a cup contains a whopping 14g of complete protein, 6 g of fiber,  and copious amounts of B vitamins, iron, potassium, and tons of other nutrients.  

Ask not what quinoa can do for you, but rather what you can do with quinoa.

This recipe is (once again) something that started as a mash up of foods already sitting in my pantry, and ended up being awesome.  It's excessively easy (the actual amount of work probably takes a total of 10 minutes), and although I ate it as a main dish, it would be equally great as a side dish to add some color to your plate.  The cheese is optional, but in the words of Julia Child, "You can leave it out....but you'll regret it."

Spicy Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped

3-4 cloves Garlic, minced

3/4 C Quinoa

1 1/2 C Chicken broth

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Chili Pepper (less if you want less spicy)

1 can Black Beans

1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn

1/2 can Diced Tomatoes

Grated cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1) Saute onions and garlic in olive oil a saucepan until onions are translucent

2) Stir in quinoa followed by the chicken broth.  Add cumin, chili pepper, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until stock is taken up.

3) Stir in black beans, corn, and tomatoes and continue to cook until hot throughout

4) Garnish with cheddar cheese and serve

*FYI it's pronounced keen-wah, not qui-no-ah....even though that would make WAY MORE SENSE