Recipe: Mexican Quinoa Bake

Mexican Quinoa Bake
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
Quinoa, 1 cup
Canola or Olive Oil, 4 tsp
Chicken or Vegetable Broth, 2 cups
Green Bell Pepper (1/2 pepper, chopped)
Zucchini (1 cup, cubed)
Black Beans, 15 oz can, drained & rinsed
Diced Tomatoes 28 oz can, drained
Frozen Corn, 1 cup
Dried Minced Onion, 1 Tbsp
Garlic Powder, 1/2 tsp
Ground Cumin, 1/2 tsp
Dried Oregano, 1 tsp
Chili Powder, 1 tsp
Lime Juice (1/2 lime, squeezed)
Salt, to taste
Shredded Cheese, 1 cup

Directions:
[1] Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
[2] Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cool water for about 2 minutes. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. The quinoa should begin to dry out and pop a bit. Add chicken or vegetable broth, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
[3] Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 3 more minutes.
[4] In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked quinoa, bell pepper/zucchini mixture, beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice, and salt to taste (about 1 tsp). Mix thoroughly and and transfer to 13x9 baking dish that has been prepared with cooking spray.
[5] Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese, and bake/broil 10 minutes more until melted and just beginning to brown.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 318 calories, 8.1g fat (4g saturated), 45.8g carbs (6.8g fiber, 7.5g sugar), 16g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $1.25

Original Recipe "Crispy Quinoa Bake" from Lindsay Moe at The Live-In Kitchen Blog:
http://www.theliveinkitchen.com/2012/12/11/crispy-quinoa-bake/

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)