A friend gave me a bag of Quinoa. So my mission was to find a tasty recipe that I could cook in the instant pot, because as you probably know by now, I am not big on boiling water on the stovetop to cook dishes such as rice, pasta, etc. The instant pot uses a bit of power, but it does not heat up the cabin like the stovetop. Keeping the cabin cool in the Caribbean is a priority!
This is a simple dish that only cooks in the instant pot for 1 minute, after the pot becomes pressurized (which takes about 10 minutes). So if you find yourself with some quinoa, try this spicy Mexican Quinoa as a side dish or add some shredded chicken for a one pot meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked, rinsed with cold water and drained
- 1 cup bell pepper, diced (either red or green or both)
- 1 cup yellow squash or zucchini, diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can corn, drained
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes (or 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes and 1 diced jalapeno)
Instructions
- Set the instant pot on Sauté Mode to heat up a bit. Add garlic and red onion, and stir for 1 minute.
- Add quinoa, bell pepper, squash, carrot, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, broth, jalapeno (if using) and stir.
- Add can of tomatoes on top. Do NOT Stir.
- Secure the lid and Pressure cook on High for 1 minute. Just 1 minute!
- Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for about 15 minutes. Remove the lid as float valve should have dropped.
- Stir to mix and serve. Top lightly with grated cheese, if desired.
Adapted from:
Mexican-Spiced Vegetable Quinoa – Jessica Gavin
Use the above link if you want to cook this dish on the stovetop.
We are now in count down mode. If the weather holds, we hope to be sailing again in then next few days to some of our favorite places, and if all goes to plan, some new places. So don’t forget to sign up using the form below to receive email notification of new blog posts (if you haven’t already). Also feel free to leave links to your favorite Quinoa recipes in the comment box below.
