Southwest-style Quinoa

Southwest-style Quinoa

 

I love cooking the occasional big meal.  But realistically, I only have the time to make a big production dinner maybe once a week.  And since it is just my honey and me right now, those huge meals tend to keep us eating the leftovers for days.  While I love leftovers, sometimes I just want something simple and new.

I am currently in school, working part time as a nanny, and I am training for my first triathlon.  Like most people, when I come home I don’t have energy for, nor want a big meal.  That why I love delicious, quick, and healthy dinners during the week.  This recipe fits the bill.  It’s quick, light and has a nice kick of heat.

Quinoa is a grain, similar to rice or couscous, from South America.  It is very high in protein, so you don’t need to add any meat or tofu to this dish.  It is vegetarian friendly.  Quinoa can be bitter if it hasn’t been rinsed.  I used a pre-rinsed variety, but if that’s not available to you be sure to rinse it in a sieve for at least 1 minute. 

Most of these ingredients are pantry staples making this dish very convenient.  It’s also a very flexible recipe.  Living in South Texas, I love spicy food so I am using the hot version of Rotel.  If spicy is not your thing, there are also mild and medium varieties.  I like to use Mexicorn (that’s what it’s really called, I swear!).  If you can’t find that, you can always use plain canned corn.  I recommend cheddar, queso blanco, or a Mexican blend of cheese, but if you prefer something else, try it!  Playing with recipes to suit your own tastes is half the fun of cooking!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup black beans, rinsed

1 can Rotel (I prefer the hot version, but there are mild alternatives)

1 can of Mexicorn, drained

1 avocado, peeled and cut into thin slices

½ cup grated cheese (I use a sharp cheddar or Mexican blend)

 

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and vegetable broth to a boil over high heat.

Rinse the black beans.  Drain the Mexicorn.

Reduce to a simmer and add the black beans, Mexicorn and Rotel. Cover and cook for 17 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

 

Place serving into bowl and garnish with grated cheese and slice of avocado.

 

Check out my step-by-step how-to video!

 

Please enjoy!

Kahlua Brownies

Kahlua Brownies

 

I’m not really sure if I should admit this or not, but Kahlua Brownies have been one of my favorite desserts for as long as I remember.  My mom used to make these all the time while I was growing up.  If I remember correctly, I believe she used some version of this recipe to win a few bake-offs back in the day. 

It is a rich and dense layered brownie.  There is the fudgy brownie layer, the Kahlua frosting layer, and then melted and cooled chocolate on top.  Adding to the scandal, as a very small child I used to take off the top layer, scrape off and eat the Kahlua frosting, and left everything else.  Surely, this was a sign of trouble to come.  And I could never understand why my mom would never make these for me to bring to school as much as I begged.

These brownies are still my favorite (as a whole, not just the frosting anymore).  After dating my boyfriend for over 3 years, I made them as a surprise for Valentine’s Day last month.  The response was mixed.  He adored the brownie, but I do believe he was a little hurt it took me 3 years to revise this family classic recipe for him. 

Remember, these are incredibly rich and fudgy so they are best cut into very small portions.

 

Brownie layer:

2 one-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

½ cup vegetable shortening

2 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar (packed, free from lumps)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup Kahlua liquor

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

 

Kahlua buttercream:

2 tablespoons soft butter

2 cups sifted powdered sugar
 

1 tablespoon Kahlua

1 tablespoon cream

 

Chocolate topping:

2 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate

1 one-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

 

Prepare brownie layer:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour a 9 by 9 inch square baking pan.

Melt chocolate with shortening in a heavy saucepan or in a double-broiler.  Beat eggs with both the granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla until blended.  Add the cooled chocolate mixture, and then add the Kahlua liquor.  Add flour and salt, mix until the batter is smooth.  Pour into the prepared pan. 

Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes until pick inserted comes out clean (be careful not to over bake). Cool.

Prepare Kahlua Frosting:

Beat the soften butter, the sifted powdered sugar, a tablespoon of Kahlua liquor and cream until smooth.  Spread over cooled brownies and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. 

Prepare the chocolate topping:

Place the unsweetened and sweetened chocolate with the vegetable oil a double broiler.  Melt while stirring continuously.  Allow the mixture to cool completely.  Pour over the refrigerated brownies and place back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

Cut into very small squares.  Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!