Side Mates Quinoa, Rice, Black Beans & Corn, 5.4 Ounce (Pack of 8)

This was very easy to make. It was a bit spicier than I thought it was going to be, but it's good.When my mom and I made this we didn't realize how much it would swell up, so we made two boxes and it ended up being so much! but that is okay because I boxed it up and took some to lunch the next day.One box is good for a size.

Not the fanciest thing in the world, but used as an INGREDIENT rather than a MEAL, these are solid and not too expensive for making some nice quinoa salad type ensembles.

Different but good!

Last Friday night, while waiting for the cable guy to arrive, I began preparing my famous Baked Lime and Cilantro Chicken. I cut up a pound of chicken breasts and allowed it to marinade in the refrigerator in a bowl containing the following: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup of Sangria wine, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of lime juice and a few sprinkles of cilantro. Three hours later, the cable guy finally left, even though he hadn't finished the job. Nevertheless, I poured the chicken into a Deep Covered Baker (DCB) from Pampered Chef ( The Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker for Oven and/or Microwave ) and baked it for thirty-five minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the chicken baked, I prepared Quinoa (Keen-wa) from Side Mates. From the box, it looked as though the Quinoa would be an excellent side dish for any Mexican food. The Quinoa tasted great with my Baked Lime and Cilantro Chicken. I ate leftovers the next afternoon and the chicken and Quinoa were even better the second time around. The actual, cooked Quinoa doesn't look quite as colorful as the Quinoa pictured on the box. There is only a tad bit of corn, black beans and red peppers. Mostly, the Quinoa consists of brown rice, which is fine with me. The box makes four servings and I still had enough to eat with some tacos I picked up from Taco Bell and some Old El Paso Refried Beans  ] that I ate as a dip with my Fritos Corn Chips, Scoops  ]. I highly recommend fixing the Quinoa from Side Mates as an easy, delicious side dish for any Mexican meal that you are preparing.Joseph B. Hoyos

I like quinoa, but really have never dressed it up like Side Mates has done. Mind you it's not one of my favorite Side Mates, but I do like it. I think quinoa is one of today's more popular grains for many reasons, including the protein content. At 6g per serving it's quite good, particularly since I'm always scrounging around for extra protein in my diet.Preparation is quick and easy, but I added extra corn I had on hand and some halved grape tomatoes for color. The taste was good, but not great ... probably because I don't eat a lot of black beans. I'm slowly making my way through a selection of Side Mates and probably my hands down favorite is the the Tuscan Medley Side Mate, followed by the Three Cheese Couscous, and then the Portabella Mushroom.Osem is Kosher so is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. This one does have 500mg of salt in it so that will be a consideration for some people. One other thing that I do like about it is the 6 grams of protein. I'm always looking for that added protein so liked to see that it has almost as much as some light protein bars I've tried.NUTRITION FACTS:(Dried mix followed by prepared if applicable)Serving Size 52g dry mix; about (1 cup) preparedServings Per Container: 3Calories: 180 200Fat Calories: 15 30Total Fat: 12g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 350mgTotal Carbs: 36g Dietary Fiber: 2g Sugars: 3gProtein: 6gINGREDIENTS:Quinoa, Enriched Long Grain Rice (Rice, Niacin, Iron [Ferric Orthophosphate], Thiamin [Thiamin Mononitrate], Folic Acid), Black Beans, Spices (Contains Celery), Onion, Red Rice, Corn, Salt, Tomatoes, Corn Starch, Sugar, Corn Syrup Powder, Ancho Chile, Garlic Powder, Green Bell Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Yeast Extracts, Vegetable Oils, Parsley.CONTAINS WHEAT, CELERY.SIDE MATES: Rings `N Cheese Quinoa with Rice, Black Beans, and Corn Pearl Couscous, the Original Traditional Couscous, Roasted Garlic and Broccoli Pilaf with Rice, Pasta, Garlic, and Herbs Pearl Couscous, Portabella Mushroom, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Traditional Couscous, Three Cheese Pearl Couscous, Roasted Garlic and Parsley

This is a fantastic Mexican style version of quinoa, the new (to me anyway) grain that people are eating now.From Wikipedia:"Quinoa (/ˈkiːnwɑː/ or /kɨˈnoʊ.ə/, Spanish: quinua, from Quechua: kinwa), a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the true grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beetroots, spinach and tumbleweeds.The nutrient composition is very good compared with common cereals. Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron."I'm jumping on the healthy eating bandwagon with both feet these days, so quinoa is something I will add to my diet on occasion. I never eat any type of grains now except for a rare serving of brown rice, so this will add some much needed variety to my diet. I even mixed some additional black beans into this and added a drop of hot sauce, and it was really good. And the next day, I had a few spoonfulls of it leftover cold with my salad and it was great. I will buy this again.