Easy One-Pan Mexican Quinoa
Sometimes I feel like I’m eating the same thing over and over again, that I’m having the same conversation over and over again about what to make for dinner. It was during such a conversation a few weeks ago that I decided to look for a one pan quinoa dish.
Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is not the kind of food that anyone I know has often enough to respond “Oh, no! Not quinoa again!” It’s super tasty. I’m also in love with cumin, so when I stumbled upon One Pan Mexican Quinoa I knew I didn’t need to search any further.
I changed the original recipe just a bit. I added one chopped onion with the garlic and jalapeno, used an entire can of corn and red quinoa. Opinions differ as to whether you should rinse quinoa before you use it. I usually do, because it’s not super labor intensive. I used one and a half teaspoons of chili powder and cumin each, because I thought it needed a bit more flavor to it. I thought one jalapeno for the whole dish was pretty mild, so you can customize to your taste.
I served it with the avocado on the side and shredded cheese. The recipe says that it feeds four, but I served five grown ups and two children with it. I pulled out taco shells for the kids. Everyone was happy, even the grandma who can’t stand spicy foods, the picky five-year-old, and the six-year-old who normally demands meat. I felt like I won the lottery.
What are your favorite one pan meals? How do you stay or get out of the rut of eating the same thing over and over again?
About Shaina Charron
Shaina Charron has lived in Rochester for 25 years. She is the mother of one four and a half year old little boy. She spends her days trying to gratefully fill her roles as a mom, daughter, sister, friend, student, and employee. In January 2010 she left a full-time job of two years in order to spend more time with her child and return to college. She is currently earning her Liberal Arts Associates Degree and planning a transfer to a four year school where she can study social work.
Shaina enjoys spending time with her family and their beloved pets, crafting, reading (her favorites are the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling), eating and cooking (mostly vegetarian, though occasionally gluten free and vegan as well), spending time with friends, and being outside in nature.
As a mother, she’s found breastfeeding, bed-sharing and gentle discipline to be the best fit for her child. She dreams about the beach in Florida, living in a cabin in the woods, and taking a cross country trip without any sort of time or financial restraints. She is looking forward to sharing her adventures with you.