Reason #64 to Cook Quinoa

You know how you go to somebody's house and whatever they're serving always tastes better than anything you cook at home?  

That happened to me the other day when my friend Jen served me this:

Quinoa stew with purple potatoes and corn

The funny thing about this is that Jen had just come back from a trip to British Columbia, where HER friend made this stew. So you see, it's true that food always tastes better at other people's houses.

But it's also true that there's something to this combination of ingredients, which is why Jen felt she had to get the recipe, and then I did.

Fortunately, when I made this stew again at home, it was just as good as I remembered it. Jen gets credit for taking what was apparently a 3-pot preparation and turning it into a 1-pot meal that can be cooked in under 30 minutes (Rachel, this post is for you). She also had the excellent insight to add grated hard cheese to the stew at the end, and to top each serving with a dollop of pesto. All good decisions, although you wouldn't have to take it that far to have a great meal.

Finally, because quinoa is a high-protein grain that hails from Peru, it pairs really nicely with other Peruvian staples like multi-colored potatoes and corn. I would stick with those vegetables as a base, but feel free to vary the other vegetables depending on your taste and the seasons. (I was thinking that parsnips would be really good, and once asparagus season hits, they will be a great addition in place of the green beans).

Quinoa Stew
3 Tbs. olive oil or butter
1 yellow onion, minced
1 sweet potato, cubed (preferably Garnet, a firm-fleshed variety)
2 purple potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 cups quinoa
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock, water, or a combination of the two
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cup green beans, diced
1 cup frozen corn
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Optional additions
3/4 cup grated cheese, such as sharp cheddar
1/2 cup pesto

Heat olive oil or butter in a medium stock pot. Add onion and sauté about 5 minutes, until golden. Add sweet potato and purple potatoes and sauté a few more minutes.

Rinse quinoa well under running water in a strainer. Add to pot along with 8 cups stock, water, or a combination of the two (if you use water, you will want to add some salt). Stir and place lid on pot.  

Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add yellow pepper, green beans, and corn. Stir and cook with the lid ajar for about 5 minutes. Season to taste. If you like, stir in grated sharp cheddar or another hard grating cheese and top each serving with a dollop of pesto. Serves 4-6.