What I Did With Quinoa

This is a protein-packed main dish. Especially good for Lap-Band® recipients. I can no longer eat rice and am always looking to increase my protein intake. This recipe is tweaked from another. I liked it so much, I decided to share it. Check it out. This is my first time writing a recipe. Hope I did it well. Happy eating!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 head garlic, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 0.25 cup sofrito (such as Goya®)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 0.5 cup sofrito (such as Goya®), or to taste

Steps

1. Soak quinoa in a bowl of water for 20 minutes; drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat; saute onion, red bell pepper, and garlic until soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Combine chicken broth, quinoa, 1/4 cup onion mixture, 1/4 cup sofrito, 1 teaspoon cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover saucepan with a lid, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir corn into quinoa mixture and cook until corn is warmed, about 5 minutes.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir chicken, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt, and pepper together until chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Mix quinoa mixture, remaining onion mixture, black beans, and 1/2 cup sofrito into chicken mixture; cook until heated through, 2 to 3 more minutes.