Mexican-style black beans with red peppers, kale, and quinoa
Serves: 3 Time: 30 minutes
To serve more, increase the amounts of beans and quinoa. I like to cook quinoa in a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 1 3/4 cups water for the best texture. As with any whole grain, but especially with quinoa, rinse and drain it before cooking.
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2-3 cups chopped kale (I used lacinato kale in the above photo)
1 (14-oz) can organic black beans, with liquid (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans with 1/4 cup cooking liquid)
1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
salt
pepitas (pumpkin seeds), optional
In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Add the veggie stock powder, a pinch of salt, and the quinoa. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno pepper and a pinch of salt and saute for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic, cumin, and thyme and saute for one minute. Add the kale with another pinch of salt and saute for five minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan if it gets dry. The kale should wilt down and soften up.
Add the beans with their liquid into the pan and cook for five minutes to heat the beans through. Turn the fire off and squeeze half of the lime into the pan. Add the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Serve the bean mixture with the quinoa and garnish with additional cilantro, lime wedges, and pepitas (optional – not pictured).
(Source: bistrokatie.com)
