Quinoa and Black Bean Chili {Pantry Basics Series}

I really can’t believe the weather lately! It was sunny and mild again today and we have had very little snow. It has been so nice to be able to get outside with the kids lately.

Today is the first post in the Pantry Basics series. Every Tuesday I am going to highlight an ingredient that I like to keep on hand so I can quickly whip up a healthy meal. Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite ingredients, quinoa.  Pronounced “keen-wah”  my husband can never pronounce that one right!

According to Wikipedia, quinoa is closely related to spinach.  Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids.  Quinoa also is a good source of calcium and has more protein than any of the other grains, providing almost 6 grams of protein in 1 cup cooked.  (Info taken from quinoa tips)

I love quinoa because it is pretty quick cooking unlike some grains that require a little more foresight.

To cook quinoa use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. So if you want to cook a cup of quinoa use 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.  1 cup of dry quinoa will give you about 4 cups cooked quinoa.  Here’s what it will look like when it is cooked.

You can also cook up extra quinoa and freeze it to have on hand for an even quicker meal!

You can add quinoa to your vegetarian chili to pump up the protein content and give a great texture.

Here are some other quinoa recipes you might like

Roasted Quinoa and Potatoes

White Bean and Sage Tart with Quinoa Crust

Quinoa Pancakes and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from Not Rachael Ray

Black Quinoa Salad with Mango, Avocado, and Tomatoes from Two Peas and Their Pod

This post shared at Tempt My Tummy.