In middle school, I made gallo pinto for a school project and it was sooo good! If you don't know what gallo pinto is, it's basically a Costa Rican dish made of rice, beans, and some vegetables and spices all pan-fried (kind of like a Latin version of fried rice). I really wanted to make my own version, so I came up with this Quinoa Gallo Pinto!
I decided that quinoa would make a good alternative to rice, because it is more nutritional and has extra protein. This is a great dish that allows vegans and vegetarians to get lots of protein in! It turned out super yummy and I served it a few different ways. In the picture, I simply served it on top of some arugula, which was really good! However, my favorite way to eat it was in a burrito! I put some arugula, lime juice, extra cilantro, and sour cream and then added the quinoa and it made a super filling and delicious lunch. I also served it with a plum and some Kiwi Berries (basically mini kiwis!) on the side for anybody wondering!!
Quinoa Recipe
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 medium onion
- 1 can black beans
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup prediced tomatoes
- handful cilantro
- salt to taste
Steps:
1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions, swapping water for veggie stock.
2. In the meantime, dice the onion, drain/rinse the beans, and chop the cilantro.
3. Once quinoa is finished, transfer it to a bowl and clean out the pot.
4. In that same pot, heat oil over medium heat and add the onions.
5. Add chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder and stir to combine.
6. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Add a tiny splash of water to de-glaze the pan, then add the tomatoes and cook for about one minute.
8. Add the quinoa and black beans and stir to combine everything.
9. Cook for a couple more minutes so that the flavors all come together.
10. Add salt and cilantro to taste.
*Tip: Using prediced tomatoes makes prep much easier, but you could certainly use about 1 medium tomato that you dice yourself if preferred, as it is cheaper that way.
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