Hey friends!!! Sorry I’m not getting my Meatless Monday recipe out on Monday, but I took a little internet break this weekend that ended up extending into Labor Day. But I figure since it’s a holiday there aren’t a lot of people hanging out around their computers reading blogs anyway!
This is one of my favorite recipes right now! Sometimes I’ll make up a big batch of this Spanish Quinoa at the beginning of the week and just scoop it out and munch on it all week. I’ll use it on a taco salad, or a burrito, or even just eat it plain! And for all my protein obsessed pals, we all know that quinoa is packed with protein! And adding it to a big salad with some romaine lettuce, black beans, corn and diced avocado makes for one mega nutritious meal! If you’re not sure what quinoa is, check out my quinoa post to learn the ins-and-outs!
Spanish Quinoa (6-8 Servings)
(Print this Recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 Cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
Directions:
Add rinsed quinoa, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth or water to a medium sized saucepan. Bring up to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. OR I like to just put it all in my cheapie rice cooker and turn it on and let it do its thing!
Meanwhile, sauté together the onion and the bell pepper with a little cooking spray or veggie broth.
Add garlic and chili powder to the sautéed vegetables and let cook until the garlic is fragrant.
Stir sautéed vegetables and the fire roasted tomatoes into the cooked quinoa.
Serve as a side dish or pile on top of a nice big salad!
maybe a salad like THIS!
Step 1: pile some romaine lettuce in a big bowl
Step 2: crumble up a handful of tortilla chips onto the lettuce
Step 3: add 1/2 cup of the Spanish Quinoa and 1/2 cup of black beans
Step 4: top the whole thing with your toppings of choice- a little cheese, some salsa, chopped avocado, and a small dollop of sour cream for example.
Step 5: devour and send me a thank you note!
Hope you all had an amazing labor day. Make sure to say a prayer for all the people suffering devastating losses here in TX right now because of all the wildfires we are having. We’re in an extremely serious drought and it’s very scary around here. My heart is breaking for all of these families that are losing everything. Let’s pray for some rain around here too!
And I just bookmarked this page… I’ve never made quinoa on my own, but I think it is something I’ll have to try after I invest in a rice cooker. Thanks for the recipe!
You can cook it on the stove too- I just prefer to do it in my rice cooker because you just turn it on and let it do it’s thing!
It’s really funny that you posted this. Last week we had tacos for dinner, and I had planned to make Spanish rice on the side. Target didn’t have brown rice when I went shopping, and I forgot to grab it when I went to the store for a few other items Target didn’t have in stock. I ended up totally scrapping the Spanish rice as a result. I never even crossed my mind to use quinoa!
Lesson learned.
I sub quinoa for brown rice in recipes all the time- it’s a pretty good exchange texture wise, and of course it’s a nutrient powerhouse!
Yum! I mixed tomato puree, garlic and italian seasoning into my quinoa tonight – will definitely become a new go-to recipe! Although I’ve never met a quinoa dish I haven’t liked 🙂
That sounds good!!
I’m really not a quinoa fan (I don’t like the taste), but I may have to try this… and the beans you ate today. OH THE BEANS.
I think quinoa tastes better when you cook it in other liquids besides water. I almost always cook it in veg broth with seasonings. Or a salsa/water combo is good too!
I always cook it in chicken broth… Should try spices though.