black bean quinoa bowl with peach salsa.

My quinoa obsession continues. Quinoa recipes are not difficult to come by, but I always like looking for something interesting that doesn't have some ridiculous ingredients that I don't always have on hand. When I came across this recipe, another creation from A Couple Cooks, I knew this was what I'd been looking for. The recipe is two-fold: one for the peach salsa, and one for the quinoa bowl itself. Let's start with the peach salsa.


the recipe
Peach salsa, serves about 4
4 ripe peaches
1/2 large red onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1 lime
Handful fresh cilantro
Kosher salt


1. Peel and core the peaches; cut them into small chunks. Finely dice the red onion. Remove the stem, seeds and ribs of the jalapeno pepper and finely dice half of it. Chop the cilantro.
2. Mix all ingredients together and add the juice of 1 lime. Add a bit of kosher salt to taste. If you can wait, let sit for a few minutes to let the flavors meld.


Quinoa bowl
2 cups quinoa
1 recipe peach salsa
2 cans black beans
6 to 8 green onions
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper


1. Rinse the 2 cups quinoa and drain completely. Place quinoa in a saucepan with 3 cups water and a few pinches of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 13 to 15 minutes, until the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and let sit covered to cool for about 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, and add some salt and pepper to taste.
2. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the peach salsa.
3. Drain and rinse the beans. Chop the green onions, mix the beans and onions with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Taste and add more seasonings if desired.
4. When the quinoa is finished, dish the quinoa into bowls, and top with the black bean mixture and peach salsa.


substitutions
For the peach salsa, I didn't add the jalapeno, just because I made a half recipe for everything and didn't see the point in adding a fourth of a jalapeno pepper. For the quinoa bowl, I used cayenne pepper instead of chili powder. Though I included the green onions the first time I made this, the second time I didn't, and I really didn't notice much of a difference in flavor.


great with
The combination of quinoa and black beans makes for a filling dish and therefore, stands well on its own. This is a great one-dish meal.


the review
Mmm, this is so good. I realize that peaches aren't going to be in season for too much longer, so make this while you can! I love the combination of flavors in here. The spicy of the red onions combined with the sweetness of the peaches is delicious. The lime juice is a nice, subtle flavor in there too. And quinoa...well, I can't seem to find enough good things to say about it. This is a delicious, healthy recipe. Whenever I bring leftovers of this with me to work to have for lunch, people are intrigued!

creamy quinoa primavera.

Have you ever had quinoa? If not, I'd like to introduce you. Quinoa is a delicious and healthy South American seed that makes an excellent replacement for cous cous and rice. It's very high in protein, which is excellent for vegetarians. It's also gluten-free. Some quinoa recipes were popping up as I was browsing blogs looking for new dishes to make, so I thought I'd give quinoa a try. I'm so glad I did. It's my new favorite food. This particular recipe is from a blog called Let's Dish.


the recipe
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups vegetable broth
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced or bite sized pieces assorted uncooked vegetables
3 tablespoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese


Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. Bring quinoa and broth to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. While quinoa is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter for about one minutes, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir cream cheese and basil into cooked quinoa. Toss vegetables with quinoa mixture and sprinkle with cheese.


substitutions
Didn't have any for this recipe. I will say though, that for the assorted vegetables, I've just been staying basic with some peas and broccoli, but you can use anything you want.


great with
This could make a great side for any meal. Sometimes I'll have it with a veggie burger or a Morningstar Farms chicken pattie. This is also filling enough to have as a single-bowl meal. I often bring some of this to work for my lunch.


the review
This recipe was my first quinoa experience and I must say, I thought it was really good. I like that this recipe has some vegetables right in it. Overall, it makes for a very healthy, filling meal. The cream cheese in this recipe is a nice touch also. It adds a really nice flavor and the meal itself is very smooth and creamy. If you haven't tried quinoa yet, I would definitely give it a shot.

mexican pizza.

So let me say first that I absolutely love Mexican food. Aside from the taste itself, Mexican food reminds me of college. At least every other Friday, my best friends and I would go to the Mexican restaurant in our college town, order margaritas and food and stay there for hours. It was heaven. Mexican food will always remind me of those times. And also, honestly, I just love the way it tastes. So I came across this recipe for Mexican pizza on A Couple Cooks and I knew I had to try it.


the recipe
Makes 2 10-inch pizzas
2 crusts pizza dough
1 can no-fat refried black beans (makes enough for around 4 pizzas)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 small red onion
1 tomato
1 jalapeno pepper
2 handfuls fresh cilantro
2 handfuls frozen corn
Mexican cheese blend
Kosher salt


1. Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the refried black beans with a bit of water to thin the consistency so that it is easily spreadable. Mix with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
3. Seed and dice the tomato. Finely chop the red onion. Chop the cilantro. Seed and dice the jalapeno.
4. When the toppings and oven are ready, shape the dough into a 10-inch round. Place the dough on a floured pizza peel or pull the pizza stone out of the oven and carefully place the dough on it.
5. Quickly assemble the pizza. Spread the bean mixture in a thin layer over the dough, sprinkle on as much cheese as you like, and add the red onion, tomato, jalapeno, corn, and cilantro. Sprinkle with kosher salt. If desired, brush a little olive oil on the crust to help it brown.
6. Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.


substitutions
I had a couple for this one. Instead of pizza dough, I used pita bread. It works perfectly for a single sized pizza. I didn't have refried black beans so I just pureed whole black beans in a food processor. Worked fine. I did not use the jalapeno but I added green onions because I wanted to use them up. Instead of an actual Mexican cheese blend, I just mixed some cheddar and mozzarella together.


great with
This is a filling pizza, I think, so it stands well on its own.


the review
This is so yum. Seriously, I can't wait to make this again. It's easy to make and the combination of flavors was awesome. I love how this uses black beans as the "sauce" and I think the inclusion of the red onions gave it the perfect little kick without being overwhelming. Make this pizza, especially if you have a weird nostalgia thing with Mexican food, like I do. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

roasted broccoli with garlic.

First of all, I've been super lazy about posting lazy. However, school started recently and for several weeks I was spending lots of time preparing for my students. I was preparing food also; I just wasn't posting it on here. However, I have lots of good recipes to share now.

Anyways, this is another delicious recipe from A Couple Cooks. I love a simple recipe like this one for roasted broccoli with garlic. It's not hard to make, it goes with almost anything, and it's delicious.

the recipe

Serves 4-6 as a side

3 heads broccoli

8 cloves garlic

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2. Wash and dry the broccoli. Cut each garlic clove into quarters. Cut the broccoli into large florets.

3. Arrange the broccoli and garlic on a baking sheet and toss with a bit of olive oil. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

4. Roast the broccoli for about 20 minutes, until the tips are just browned.

5. In a bowl, add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

substitutions

Just regular salt instead of kosher salt. I feel like I should maybe get some of this kosher salt. It keeps popping up in recipes.

great with

I believe I've had this as a side for veggie burgers, pizza and pasta, amongst other things. This will go with pretty much anything.

the review

When I was a little girl, maybe six years old, when asked I would say that my favorite food was garlic. I still love garlic, so needless to say I enjoyed this recipe very much. It's easy to make, it's delicious and of course it's good for you too. I have found that, in general, I do not need to roast the broccoli for 20 minutes, as the recipe suggests. Honestly, mine's closer to about 12 minutes probably. Anyways, this is a highly recommended recipe. Easy to make and very delicious.