Shallots Web

Heat over medium-high heat in a saucepan:
2 cups of water or stock (chicken or vegetable)
If you are using water, add:
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 clove of garlic, whole
Once the liquid comes to a boil, add:
1 cup of white or red quinoa, rinsed in a fine strainer
Reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is al dente and begins to curlecue (you’ll see what I mean once you cook it). I find that if I cover quinoa while cooking, it ends up boiling over and making quite a mess of the stove. It may take a little longer to cook without a lid, but it saves the headache of clean up afterwards.

Once cooked, you can add a few handfuls of any of the following, or a combination thereof:
Frozen edamame
Frozen peas
Canned chickpeas
Canned black beans
Canned kidney beans
Cooked lentils
If using frozen items, you’ll want to keep the heat on medium to make sure they cook through. Otherwise, I just throw in the beans, cover the pan, and turn off the stove to keep the bean-oa warm while I get my other dinner items ready. At the end, before serving, feel free to throw in some fresh chopped herbs (cilantro, thyme, etc.) or even a pinch finely minced lemon zest. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust seasonings, and serve!