Weeknight Meal

Here's a meal I've thrown together a few nights recently. It's so comforting that I've been making sure I have leftovers for lunch.

Quinoa is a new discovery for me; I never had it growing up and can name two occasions where I had it in a restaurant. I bought a box of organic quinoa at Trader Joe's and it's nearly gone at this point. I love the nutty flavor and light crunch, also the little curliques they make when cooked. It looks like little quail :-) Just like spaghetti squash, I love treating this non-grain like a grain(Quinoa is more closely related to spinach than rice).

No recipe, just throw things in a pot:

In one pot, cook the quinoa as instructed.

In another pot, saute some onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add thawed frozen black beans, corn, bell pepper, and peas and saute until heated. Add several shakes of cumin, chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Serve over the quinoa topped with some sharp cheddar cheese. Squeeze a bit of lemon on top if you have it.

15 minutes, start to finish.

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For lunch the next day, I added halved cherry tomatoes which softened when I reheated to eat.

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