Quinoa: the other other ancient grain

Finally! I've sold Michael on quinoa.  I never thought he would come around, but he's actually been looking forward to leftovers of this dish.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is a tasty ancient grain with a full complement of amino acids which makes it a complete protein (perfect for vegetarians), but there, I just did.

Pictured here, our simple evening meal of black bean and tomato quinoa from Serious Eats.  This particular recipe is built upon familiar Latin American flavors like lime, cilantro, black beans, and tomatoes--ideal when you consider that quinoa originated in South America.  If anyone finds themselves trying this recipe, there will be a point where you agonize over how to strain the water off the tiny grains after the initial boiling in salted water.  Don't panic.  Just drain MOST of the water off over the finest sieve you own, but don't dump it all out of the pan into the sieve.  Leave a little bit of water in, loosely fit the lid onto the pan and turn the heat as low as possible, allowing the quinoa to absorb the water (similar to rice) for another 10 minutes.  Follow the rest of the instructions as written after that point.  Quinoa is an extremely unfussy grain and it's such a hearty food that it makes an ideal one dish simple supper.