One Pot Mexican Quinoa

This One Pot Mexican Quinoa was totally meant to be.  Let me explain.

1. Over the weekend, I randomly found an unopened bag of quinoa in the depths of my pantry.  I haven’t cooked with quinoa in months, so this was huge!

2. I went a little crazy during my last grocery run and bought a ton of vegetables that we probably could have done without.

3. Vishnu’s schedule is all kinds of crazy right now.  So far this week, he’s worked two 11a-11p shifts and one 7p-7a shift.  And he has one more night shift to go.  It’s a little hard to plan and make meals during weeks like this.  I tend to want to make a big batch of something and just eat it throughout the week/weekend.

The combination of these three things plus a little creativity on my part amounted to a delicious Mexican Quinoa dish that was reminiscent of enchiladas.  YUM!

This dish has it all – it’s full of warm, slightly spicy flavor, several different textures, and a ton of healthy ingredients.  It’s the complete package!

AND if you play your cards right (AKA do a little bit of prep work beforehand) this dish will be ready in ~30 minutes.

Here’s how I made it!

One Pot Mexican Quinoa
Serves 4-6

1 cup quinoa, prepared according to package directions
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, partially seeded and minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium sweet potato, finely diced
12 ounce bottle of enchilada sauce (I’m partial to Trader Joe’s), divided
4.5 ounce can of diced green chilies
14.5 ounce can of black beans, rinsed
Juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Toppings – avocado, cheese, olives, sour cream, whatever you want!

1. Add the oil to a deep medium saucepan and place over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapenos to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add cherry tomatoes and red bell pepper and cook for additional 2 minutes.
4. Add the sweet potato, 1 cup of enchilada sauce, and green chilies to the pan.  Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
5. Add remaining enchilada sauce, black beans, lime juice, quinoa, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin powder, and chili powder.  Mix well, cover, cook for 8-10 additional minutes on low heat.
6. Serve warm with your favorite enchilada toppings sprinkled on top!

What’s your favorite Mexican dish?  It’s so hard for me to choose!  But if I had  to, I would pick enchiladas filled with veggies, beans, and lots of gooey cheese.  With a side of rice, beans, and guac of course!