Quinoa and Black Beans

If you haven't tried quinoa yet, you might want to give it a try.  It is not only high in fiber, but also a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids.  Plus, it's easy for little ones to chew and a great way to boost the nutritional value of their meals.

I am still exploring ways to incorporate quinoa into our diet, but here's one successful meal that I've discovered.

Quinoa and Black Beans

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper



Cook 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in rice cooker.  (You can also do this on the stove, but the rice cooker works great and is super easy.)

Mix in black beans, diced tomatoes, and frozen corn with the cooked quinoa right in the rice cooker bowl.  Season with cumin, paprika, and pepper.  Return bowl to rice cooker and leave on "keep warm" setting for a few minutes to heat through.

Tips:
I keep this mild for my little ones, but you can spice it up more by adding more cumin and paprika. I have also made this with just black beans and salsa for a very quick meal. I typically serve this with prepared Wholly Guacamole and corn tortilla chips because my kids love to eat anything that allows dipping.