Quinoa With Latin Flavors

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth or 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup pepitas, toasted (see note)
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup scallion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 heat a large dry skillet over medium heat and add quinoa, stirring to toast, until it crackles and becomes a bit brownish and aromatic. transfer to a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water. drain.
• 2 heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add onion and cook until softened, stirring often, about 2 or 3 minutes. add chiles and garlic. cook stirring for 30 seconds.
• 3 add the quinoa and broth to the onion mixture. bring to a simmer. reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• 4 add toasted pepitas, cilantro, scallions, lime juice and salt to the quinoa. fluff with a fork and stir gently to mix.
• 5 note: pepitas are hulled pumpkin seeds. they are somewhat green and may be found in health-food stores or latin markets. if you can't find pepitas, i suppose shelled raw sunflower kernels would be a good substitute in this recipe.
• 6 note: to toast nuts, heat a small skillet over medium heat. put nuts in the dry pan and stir or toss/flip constantly, until nuts just begin to darken a bit and become aromatic. it's easy to go from brown to burnt really quickly, so keep an eye on them. when done, remove from the heat quickly and put into a different dish that is cool.