Alrighty so I don't have any pictures for this recipe. Again. =( But, if I ever get batteries for the one camera, and find the very evasive cord to charge the other.....
My oven's thermometer is messed up, or something is wrong with the oven, as it turns off and starts beeping all these errors codes whenever I use it, or errr um... try to use it! =) Sad sigh... we've contacted the landlord but he hasn't gotten back to us about it, and it's been weeks! I've mostly been without it this whole summer which was okay since it was so hot. Who wants to use the oven when your house is already 80-plus degrees??? However, I've been running out of quick ideas for dinner, and yesterday morning as I was cleaning and getting ready for the day I kept racking my brain as to what I could do for a quick, not-much-prep dinner (Monday nights Seth gets home shortly before dinner time and I usually have Bible Study at 7, so I want it easy and ready exactly "on time") There was no thawed out meat from the freezer so I couldn't throw something together in the crock pot in the morning and by the time it was thawed out and I had a few minutes it was afternoon.... little late to start the crockpot now! ={
So 5:30pm came and I....
I just threw a soup-of-sorts together! I had no idea what I was "doing", or if it would turn out. I just literally threw stuff together: chopped, sauteed, cooked, and tasted and then served to Seth and the kids. =)
Guess what?! Everyone really liked it! =) And that's why I'm sharing it with you!
Hearty Beef n Quinoa Soup
1 lb ground beef, crumbled, salted, and cooked
1 cup quinoa
8+ cups water (or broth, if you don't have the next ingredient)
1-2 heaping T. beef "Better Than Bullion" base
2-4 large fresh tomatoes, rough chopped
1-2 mild jalapenos, finely diced
garlic cloves, finely diced
1/2-1 whole onion, chopped
lots of salt and pepper, to taste
Opt. chili powder and/or cayenne powder
1.Rinse the quinoa, add to a pot with at least 8 cups of water (this is what I did, but next time I would add 2 more cups of water, will explain why leaving this up to you at the end!)
2. Add the beef bullion/base. Bring the quinoa to a boil, turn to a medium heat, and allow to cook at a rolling simmer for about 15 minutes, or essentially while making and adding the rest! =)
3. Thoroughly cook ground beef, set aside.
4. In the same skillet, saute the chopped and diced garlic cloves, jalapenos, and onion. Throw into the simmering pot of quinoa, along with the roughly chopped tomatoes.
5. Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you desire (example: I used a combination of regular salt and Johnny's Seasoning Salt; and since I was feeding the kids out of the same pot as us this time, I didn't use chili powder or cayenne, but I definitely would if I was serving to spicy-loving people! =)
6. Add the cooked hamburger towards the end, when the quinoa is mostly cooked and "fluffy", and let it all simmer on very low so the flavors blend and while you set the table and call the family "to dinner"! =)
7. Serve with love and a smile!
Now for the "note": I like my soup with a bit more broth than this turned out having. The quinoa continues to soak up the broth as it simmers and as it sits while setting the table and eating dinner. So, if you're like me and want an actual soup definitely add those extra cups of water/broth!!! However, if you're like my husband who likes a thick, almost stew-like "soup" then leave the water amount at about 8 cups! =)
(By the way, my package of quinoa (bought from Costco) says to cook 1 cup in 2 cups of water, so I did that plus added 5-6 cups more of water, if you're curious how I came up with the numbers. lol)
Hope you enjoy! And if it's still too warm where you live right now and soup just doesn't sound appetizing then save this one for a cold wintery evening! And since you probably won't have fresh tomatoes at that time of year... just substitute for some canned diced tomatoes! =)
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