Spanish Style Quinoa

 My first experience with quinoa was not going to be my last! I was afraid it was going to be like cous cous - not a favorite of mine; However, it was a bit nutty and more like brown rice. I used a recipe from allrecipes.com for Spanish-Style Quinoa and served it up with some skillet enchiladas. Even my picky husband liked it!

Spanish Style Quinoa 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 cup uncooked quinoa 

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 1/2 cups water 

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 

Directions

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the quinoa, onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook and stir 5 to 10 minutes until the onion is tender, and the quinoa has lightly toasted.

Stir in the tomato sauce and water, then season with the chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir the quinoa occasionally as it cooks.