Spicy Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes

Spicy. Quinoa. Sweet potatoes. Then my eyes wander to the ingredients. Cilantro. Red onion. Ancho chile powder. Red jalapeno.

I want to marry this recipe. How lovely to spice up an ordinary chicken dinner with a side dish such as this. Or instead of bringing a store-bought cake to your next potluck, throw this together and wow your friends with how healthy you are (even if you did eat a slice of pie for breakfast, who needs to know?!).

I’ve made some changes to this recipe that originates from Food Network. How does one simplify an already simple recipe you ask? Well, maybe you are unaware of the genius that is my mind. Or possibly that I’m lazy. Or maybe, just maybe I forgot to read the recipe all the way through and I botched it. Or did I?

Happy healthy cooking friends!

P.S. Easily made vegetarian, simply exchange the chicken stock for vegetable.

P.P.S. Oh yes, it would be super simple to just use the regular chile powder that occupies your pantry. But oh how you would be missing out on that ancho goodness! Make that extra trip to your local spice shop and indulge! The smokiness my friends! You’re welcome.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups quinoa

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 small red jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (keep a few seeds in there if you want to add spice to your life)

2 small sweet potatoes, roasted to a slightly soft consistency, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

Put the quinoa in a bowl and cover with water; drain. Repeat twice; drain well. (This will help remove bitterness, um, I did a one rinse deal and it turned out fab.) Transfer the quinoa to a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly until the quinoa is dry, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape; reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and garlic and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the chile powder, coriander and cumin and cook, stirring, until the spices darken, about 1 minute. Add the jalapeno, sweet potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the sweet potato mixture to the quinoa, then add the cilantro and lime juice and toss; season with salt.

High Altitude Adjustment