Quinoa With Latin Flavors - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth or (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
1/4 cup pepitas, toasted (see Note)
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup scallion, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat and add quinoa, stirring to toast, until it crackles and becomes a bit brownish and aromatic. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water. Drain.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring often, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add chiles and garlic. Cook stirring for 30 seconds.
Add the quinoa and broth to the onion mixture. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Add toasted pepitas, cilantro, scallions, lime juice and salt to the quinoa. Fluff with a fork and stir gently to mix.
NOTE: Pepitas are hulled pumpkin seeds. They are somewhat green and may be found in health-food stores or Latin markets. If you can't find pepitas, I suppose shelled raw sunflower kernels would be a good substitute in this recipe.
NOTE: To toast nuts, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Put nuts in the dry pan and stir or toss/flip constantly, until nuts just begin to darken a bit and become aromatic. It's easy to go from brown to burnt really quickly, so keep an eye on them. When done, remove from the heat quickly and put into a different dish that is cool.