My excitement for this recipe just keeps on escalating. I went from wanting to make something that involved quinoa, to suddenly craving nachos, to thinking of a way that would tie them together. I haven’t had nachos in what feels like forever (The main reason for this being that ever since I watched Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary on climate change, ‘Before the Flood” I have decided to reduce the amount of beef in my diet) and with the not very summery weather we have been experiencing in Wellington, I wanted something cheesy and warming. This meal does not compromise any of the goodness I get out of nachos, but I felt better after eating it (and not as gross as I sometimes feel when I eat beef nachos). It heats up a treat in the microwave the next day too!
This recipe is also entirely possible to make vegetarian / vegan. Just drop the meat, chicken stock (replace with a vegetable stock instead) and if necessary, the cheese.
Collect
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 chilli
- 1 c quinoa
- 1 c chicken stock
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can tinned tomatoes
- 3/4 c corn kernels
- 1 t chilli flakes
- 1/2 t cumin
- salt and pepper
- 1 chicken breast, diced
- 1 T paprika
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 T fresh coriander
- corn chips
- cheese to serve (mozzarella)
Create
- Heat the olive oil in pan. Once warm, add the garlic and chilli and cook until aromatic.
- Add the quinoa and stock and gradually bring to the boil.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, chilli powder and cumin.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover, reduce and simmer until the quinoa is cooked – about 20 minutes.
- Separately, dice the chicken and cook in a pan with the paprika. Add to the quinoa mix.
- Add lime and garnish (extensively) with coriander.
- Layer a plate with corn chips and cover with the quinoa and chicken mix.
- Cover with cheese – and if you want, bake in the oven for about 7 minutes so that the cheese melts.