Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

There must be something in the water, a full moon, something.  My students have gone absolutely nuts this week and I have had a headache for 3 days straight!  See, my problem in creating engaging blog posts is I can't really discuss the biggest part of my life.  I cant tell you about my students, what they do in class, my successes (and failures) because of confidentiality.   However, if there are any other teachers out there I'd like to know if your students have lost their minds too :)  I don't know what it can be.  Halloween was last week and we made it through the day after with little incident.  Daylight savings was this last weekend but they got an extra hour of sleep so it shouldn't be that.  Maybe its the weather.  However Monday it was 60 degrees.  I don't know.... at least we have Thursday off.  Thank goodness!

I made this recipe on Sunday.  I wanted to continue to use items that I have stocked up in my cabinets and get a little more room (and save some money while doing so).  I saw black beans and began trynig to build from there.  When I saw this recipe, it fit well with my current stock of items.  All I had to buy was tortillas, cilantro, and a pepper.

To make this dish, I first decided to toast the quinoa.  From somone who has eaten a lot of quinoa before discovering toasted quinoa, take the extra time and do it.  It gives you a nutty flavor and stronger texture. To toast quinoa, first rinse it in a fine mesh strainer.  Then shake to remove as much water as possible.  Heat 1 Tbs in a pot over medium heat.  Add the quinoa and stir until light brown.  This takes around 10 minutes.

If you want to use one pot, then pour the quinoa into a bowl while you cook the vegetables.  Otherwise, you can start the vegetables in another pot.  Put 1 Tbs of vegetable oil in a pot and heat over medium heat.  Add onion and pepper.  Saute until vegetables begins to soften, around 5 min.

Combine vegetable mix with quinoa, cumin, and Sazon in a pot.  Stir for 30 seconds.  Combine tomatoes with water to make a total of 1 1/2 cups of liquid.  Then add liquid to pot.  Bring to a boil, cover, then let simmer for around 14 minutes until quinoa is tender.

Add black beans and cilantro.  Cook uncovered until liquid is fully absorbed, around 3 minutes.  Take off of heat and mix in the lime juice.  You can serve it on its own or wrap in warm corn tortillas.

Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup of quinoa
2 tsp of ground cumin
2 packages of Sazon con culantro y achiote
7 oz can of salsa mexicana (I used Embasa)
Water
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
Juice from 1/2 of a lime
Corn tortillas optional

Rinse quinoa for 1 minutes in a fine mesh strainer and shake, removing as much water as possible.  Put 1 Tbs of oil into large skillet.  Add the quinoa and stir over medium heat until light brown.  This takes around 10 minutes.  If you want to use one pot, then pour the quinoa into a bowl while you cook the vegetables.  Otherwise, you can start the vegetables in another pot.  Put 1 Tbs of vegetable oil in a pot and heat over medium heat.  Add onion and pepper.  Saute until vegetables begins to soften, around 5 min.  Combine vegetable mix with quinoa, cumin, and Sazon in a pot.  Stir for 30 seconds.  Combine tomatoes with water to make a total of 1 1/2 cups of liquid.  Then add liquid to pot.  Bring to a boil, cover, then let simmer for around 14 minutes until quinoa is tender. bAdd black beans and cilantro.  Cook uncovered until liquid is fully absorbed, around 3 minutes.  Take off of heat and mix in the lime juice.  You can serve it on its own or wrap in warm corn tortillas.