Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans

I have another delicious quinoa recipe to share with you (!).  I don't know about you but I can never have too many quinoa salad recipes.  They are delicious hot, cold, or at room temperature. They are healthy, filling and make fantastic leftovers on top of a big green salad.

Prepared quinoa salads are a perfect side dish to take on a picnic or bring to a barbecue because they can be prepared ahead of time, and I actually think they taste better after sitting in the fridge for a day or so.  And they are a healthy alternative to the usual fare found at most barbecues and potlucks, like heavy mayo-laden potato and pasta salads, potato chips and creamy, cheesy dips.  I'm not saying you shouldn't try those other tasty foods, but just fill up on the quinoa salad first, so you're not so tempted to go back for seconds on the mac and cheese.

At this point, you may be asking yourself:  is this turning into a vegetarian food blog?  The majority of my recipes I've posted the last few months have been vegetable or grain-based dishes and meat has been making fewer appearances on our dinner table too, lately (although we are still eating plenty of sustainable fish).  Well, the answer is:  no, we're not vegetarians and I'm not making this a vegetarian blog.  It's just that we have adopted a more plant-centric diet and so naturally, that comes through on this blog, since it's a record of our successful home-made meals.

There are many reasons for eating fewer processed foods and less meat, especially the conventionally-raised sort.  I have been meaning to talk specifically about my food philosophies and how they came to be on the blog for some time now, but I haven't had the chance to really compose my thoughts into a concise manifesto just yet.  I will, I promise I will, because I think it's so important - in fact, it is coming to be one of the defining themes of my life.  But for now, I will leave it with just this:  in my opinion, the American obesity epidemic (and prevalence of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease) and much of the pollution of our environment can be traced to the same root cause:  the large amount of animal products and processed foods in American diets.

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook, which I absolutely love.  It's full of simple and flavorful dishes that emphasize the use of a wide variety of vegetables and whole grains and uses animal products in smaller quantities.  I really agree with Bittman's food philosophy that he describes in the book:  eat more plants and fewer processed foods and animal products, for this will not only shrink our waistlines but improve our health and that of our environment.

This Mark Bittman recipe for quinoa that I'm sharing today used one of my favorite flavor combinations:  chipotles and black beans.  (If it looks familiar it's because I've combined these flavors in patties, tacos and soup!)  Chipotles are smoked jalapenos, so they're spicy.  They come packed in adobo sauce, in a small can that can be found in the Hispanic foods aisle of the grocery store.  Since most recipes only call for 1-2 chiles, I save the rest of the can, the chiles and the sauce, in a freezer-safe ziploc bag in the freezer, then break and thaw pieces as needed.

We ate the Chipotle Quinoa as a side dish with a filet of MSC-Certified Sockeye Salmon and salad but in a larger portion, it would be a hearty entree as well, and tastes delicious on top of a bed of mixed greens too.

This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.  For gluten-free, make sure to use certified gluten-free vegetable stock, a gluten-free beer (there are a few out there!), or water.   Also, make sure to check the label on your chipotles in adobo for hidden gluten (La Costena brand is gluten-free).

Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans
serves 4-6
adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1-2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, with some of their adobo sauce (I used less than 1 chile because I'm a wimp - these are spicy!  Just go by your palate, depending on how spicy you like it)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or use 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup corn (I used frozen)
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or beer or water)
lime wedges and 1-2 thinly sliced green onions, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the onion and cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Then, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring another 2 minutes.  Add the chipotles and adobo sauce (start with a little, and add more if you're braver than me), oregano and continue stirring for one more minute.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the quinoa and continue to cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes.  Add the beans, corn, stock and some salt and pepper (start with about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of each, you can add more just before serving it, if necessary) and bring to a boil.  Stir, cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot after 15 minutes and test the quinoa for doneness (if the quinoa is still crunchy, make sure there is enough liquid to keep the bottom of the pot moist, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or so).  Once cooked, taste and adjust the salt and pepper, as necessary.

Serve warm, room temperature or chilled, topped with the green onion and lime wedges on the side.