Santa Fe Quinoa Bake

Quinoa is a super food. Super good, super old (over 4,000 years old). In 1 cup of cooked quinoa there are 8g of protein and 5g of fiber. You always hear that you need a ton of protein and fiber. But what you don't hear is that the type of protein you are consuming matters greatly. That is why quinoa is so great. Quinoa is has all 9 essential amino acids, making it a highly beneficial, highly absorbable protein. Check out quinoa's additional great benefits here!

Because of the many benefits of quinoa I am always searching for new recipes. This recipe is very versitle, so feel free to add what you please to it (shrimp, hamburger, additional veggies, basically anything that tickles your taste buds). Additionally you can bake the mixture in a hallowed out green pepper, zucchini, or squash!

Tools You'll Need

Fine mesh strainer

Medium sauce pot with lid

Fork

Large skillet

9x13 Glass baking dish

Cheese grater

Ingredients

1 Cup quinoa, uncooked

1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 Cups vegetable stock

1 Cup onion, diced (about 1 medium)

1/2 Green pepper, chopped

1/2 Cup carrots, chopped

1 Cup cabbage, chopped

1-2 Jalapenos , finely chopped

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Cup zucchini, cubed (about 1 medium)

1 15 Ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 28 Ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 Cup frozen corn

1/2 Cup chorizo, either real meat, or vegan

1/4 Cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 Tsp ground cumin

1 Tsp oregano

1 Tsp chili powder

1/2 Lemon or lime, juiced

2 Cups shredded monterey jack cheese (I used Trader Joe's brand)

1 Avocado (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

You will want to prepare the quinoa first. Rinse the quinoa throughly in a fine mesh strainer under cool water. In a medium sauce pot, heat 2 tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add quinoa and stir for about a minute. The quinoa will pop a bit. Add vegetable stock to pot, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn heat down to low, cover pot, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat, keep covered for an additional 5 minutes.

Now, on to the veggies. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add your onion, green pepper, carrots, and cabbage. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add jalapenos, garlic, and zucchini, cook for another 5 minutes.

Fluff quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Add in vegetables, black beans, tomatoes, corn, chorizo, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and lemon/lime. Stir well. Place mixture into baking dish, spreading it evenly, and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, top with shredded cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

I garnish with an avocado because, well, avocados taste good with just about everything.

Adapted from The Live In Kitchen