Quinoa with Garbanzo Beans and Tomatoes

I know I said I would never use ingredients that I couldn't pronounce, but since I recently learned how to pronounce Quinoa (Keen-wa) I'm using this recipe. I signed up for the Iron Chef Challenge with my health insurance company. They tell me a "secret" ingredient to use during the week and I have to give it a try. The first week of the challenge was Quinoa. Turns out Quinoa is hard to find here in town. But Fresh Value does have it and I'm pretty sure any Whole Foods type store would have it as well. It can be found near the rice, since it is also a grain. Quinoa is also Gluten free for anyone on special diets for Celiac problems. Quinoa is cooked just like rice. I did mine in my rice cooker and it turned out perfectly.

This can be made as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish. The lime juice gives this a really fresh taste.



Ingredients

* 1 cup quinoa
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 3/4 cups water
* 1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
* 1 tomato, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 4 teaspoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, and rinse under cold, running water until the water no longer foams. Bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. (Or do this step in a rice cooker.)
2. Once done, stir in the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro to serve.