Many moons ago, I ran a food blog on Livejournal called Cooking for 2. As you can imagine from its oh-so-subtle title, the blog featured a wide variety of meals and desserts that served two people.

I prefer such recipes because I only cook for two people and I hate to waste food. My single friends enjoyed the blog because they could use the recipes I shared to whip up a quick dish for dinner and have another serving left over for lunch the next day. And empty-nesters liked the site because it helped teach them how to downsize meals they used to make for a larger family.

Most of the recipes I posted were adapted from the many cookbooks and food magazines that I keep around the house. But others were my own creations, usually designed by hunger, curiosity, taste and the foods I could find in my larder.

Here is one of my favorite sides. Enjoy!

Southwestern Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c corn, frozen or canned
1 c quinoa
1 1/4 c low-sodium chicken stock

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot , jalapeño pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the chipotle powder and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the corn and the quinoa. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa smells toasty and turns golden.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil (this should not take long).

Cover and turn off the heat. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with fork and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 2.

(Photo by Jacqueline Gabardy. Used with permission under CC BY-NC 2.0 license.)