Guest Blogger: Joanne with Quinoa with Chickpeas, Garden Vegetables and Lime

I'd like to welcome my dear friend Joanne, author of Three Languages: What Happens When You Combine English, Spanish and Portuguese, who provided this delicious recipe.  Joanne makes a great meal with items she already had at her house, showing that you don't need to shop for hours for a healthy, flavorful dish.  Take it away, Joanne!

"First off, I am thrilled to be guest posting on Peace Out, Mac and Cheese. I’ve been an avid reader of the blog since last fall, and have been inspired by Lauren’s new twists and creations of recipes. Not only are they tasty, they are easy to make, which is something necessary for me, ashamedly a current mac and cheese eater.  

With some spare time this summer I have made it my goal to eat different, healthier foods. I am guilty of eating pasta with marina sauce almost daily, and have realized that it is crucial to expand my gastronomical repertoire. In anticipation of this healthy lifestyle I bought some quinoa and chickpeas last week, and today, after a rigorous strength training session at the gym, decided I should make myself a protein packed lunch. I knew I had the chickpeas and quinoa, but didn’t have a specific meal in mind. After scouring Peace Out, Mac and Cheese’s chickpea recipes, I realized that unfortunately I did not have all of the essential ingredients, so, I turned to Google for some research.  

After a few minutes I stumbled upon the perfect summer chickpea and quinoa recipe on allrecipes.com. With a few adjustments, I made it my own and it turned out splendidly! The recipe only calls for tomatoes and chickpeas, but I added some yellow squash, and you could probably add any vegetable that you have in the fridge—red bell pepper, asparagus, spinach, etc. I also used Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend of couscous, orzo pasta, and red quinoa instead of just plain quinoa. No matter the alteration, this summer chickpea and quinoa dish is sure to please.  Enjoy, and don’t forget to check out my blog about life in Spain, Brazil, and the USA, threelanguages.wordpress.com. Happy eating! J"

Quinoa with Chickpeas, Garden Vegetables and Lime

1 1/4 cup of Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Quinoa Blend

1 tbsp butter

Dash of salt

1 3/4 cups of water

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed

1 tomato, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp lime juice

4 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 tsp fresh parsley

Bring 1/3/4 cups of water or chicken broth to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir in 1/1/4 cup of Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

Once done, stir in the chickpeas, yellow squash, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley to serve.