Mexican Quinoa With Pepita-cilantro Sauce

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well (see comments in introduction)
• 1/2 cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaf
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced on diagonal
• 1 lime, quartered (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in a small pot, bring water to boil over high heat. add quinoa. return to boil. reduce heat to lowest setting; cover. simmer 15 minutes. water should be absorbed. fluff with a fork. let stand, covered, 5 minutes to finish steaming. transfer to a bowl. (i usually cook my quinoa, after toasting, in the microwave with the 1 1/2 cups of boiling water from the kettle, covered, for 12 minutes on medium-low -- about the same time it takes to cook basmati rice in my microwave).
• 2 meanwhile in a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast pepitas, shaking pan often, until they begin to pop and are fragrant and just starting to brown, 3-5 minutes.
• 3 transfer to food processor or blender. add cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, salt and cumin. process, scraping sides frequently, until well-minced. with machine running, gradually add oil, then lime juice, processing until as smooth as possible, and scraping down sides as needed.
• 4 stir pepita mixture, bell pepper and onions into quinoa. stir well.
• 5 serve warm. pass lime wedges separately, if desired.