Crappy picture, delicious meal

This picture is a sad portrayal of last night's dinner, which was pretty tasty, I must say. I like to try and figure out what C and I are having for dinner ahead of time, usually while I'm at work, so I can do my shopping at TJ's right after I leave. Yesterday afternoon found me running very low on culinary ideas, and I walked into my little grocery store with vague notions of getting some kind of frozen meal I could prepare quickly.

I kind of wandered aimlessly around in there, exhibiting a behavior I abhor in other grocery shoppers. Shopping for food is a very strategic thing--you have to plan it out like a military operation. Get in, get out, and try not to get stuck behind the woman with the doublewide stroller. I'm probably the most intolerant grocery shopper I know.

ANYDANGWAY, surrounding myself with food eventually did the trick, and an idea began to form in my skullchest. I grabbed a couple cans of Cuban-style black beans, a box of quinoa, two big, sweet red peppers, and a package of pomegranate seeds. Trendy ingredients in hand, I headed back to HQ. Here's what transpired, for those interested.

Pomegranate Quinoa with Vegetables

Quinoa

Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tbl. honey
- hot chili oil
- 1 small package fresh pomegranate seeds
- salt and pepper to taste

Place quinoa and water in a pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and allow to simmer until almost all water is absorbed. Stir in red pepper flakes, honey, salt, pepper, and a dash of chili oil. Turn off the heat and allow quinoa to cool slightly, then stir in pomegranate seeds.


Vegetables

Ingredients
- 2 large, sweet red peppers, diced large
- 1 can cuban-style black beans (TJ's)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. cumin
- lemon juice
- 1/2 bag frozen, fire roasted corn (TJ's)
- bit of mozzerella, grated


On low heat, heat a little olive oil in a deep skillet and saute the garlic for a minute or so. Add the onions and continue cooking until slightly translucent. Add cumin and coat onions and garlic mixture with it, then add the peppers and turn heat up slightly. Cook for a few minutes more before adding the black beans, then the corn. Once corn is totally non-frozen anymore, add a dash of lemon juice to the skillet and one more gentle stir. Over the top, sprinkle a bare handful of mozzerella cheese. Once the cheese has melted, turn off the heat.


To serve, put a large spoonful of quinoa on your plate and form it into a flat disc. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the quinoa disc and enjoy!


Notes

I lovedLovedLOVED the pomegranate seeds in the quinoa, but the flavoring of the quinoa could have been a little better for me. I think next time I'll try turmeric or curry powder to get a bit more fragrance, in addition to the spice. Still, a very tasty first attempt.