Mexican Quinoa with Lazy Guacamole

I love one pot wonder meals. Not only does it make life super simple, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside because usually these are soups or stews. Though the weather never dictates that this is an appropriate meal, I have decided to go with my inner clock and start making those wonderful fall dishes. I found this recipe for Mexican quinoa with lazy guacamole. I love guacamole so as soon as I read that I knew that I was going to try it. This is a simple, hearty dish that you can throw some ground beef or turkey into. Plus it makes quite a few servings, which means lots of leftovers (which I am definitely not going to complain about!) If you can put things into a pot, then you can make this recipe. I am not a huge fan of jalapenos, so I left them out of the recipe but feel free to add them in.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) no salt added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Olive oil

Guacamole Ingredients:
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
Lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Handful of fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper

To Make Guacamole:
In a small bowl, add the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper. Mash the ingredients together until you get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. You can also add in salsa, onions or jalapenos to the guacamole...this is the foundation of guacamole for you to customize.

To Make Quinoa:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. While that's heating, drain your black beans and make sure to rinse them. Add in the minced garlic and cook for a minute.

Add in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, salt and quinoa. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce to low and cover, letting it cook for 35 minutes. (*Note: the recipe said to cook for 25 minutes, but my quinoa wasn't done.) You will know when it's done when the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is opaque with the fiber ring on the outside.

Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. I love cilantro so I put an extra handful in. Top with the guacamole and dinner is served. You can also add cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or salsa to it as well. You can also throw in chicken, ground turkey or ground beef. This isn't the typical fall flavor combination, but when you live in Texas fall is much different.