This my friends is my happy accident. I had a fresh batch of quinoa and just a little bit of leftover succotash; I put them together, and WOW. That was good. So good I set out to make it intentionally, all in one pot. You see, succotash is essentially boiled corn and shell beans (in fact, the word “succotash” comes from a Narragansett word for boiled corn.) To cook quinoa, you have to boil it. So, why not make them all together? Cook the onions, quinoa, corn, lima beans, and tomatoes in a little bacon fat and/or butter, add stock and water. Twenty minutes later you are feasting on a marriage of two ancient food traditions and continents—succotash from North America, and quinoa from South. By the way, I say this dish serves 3 to 4. And it should, but I keep eating entire batches. So make it once, and if you like it, you might want to double the recipe the next time. We are using less liquid than is typical of quinoa recipes because the vegetables (especially the tomatoes) release liquid as they cook. If you want to take this up a notch, sprinkle with chipotle tabasco to serve! When the bacon is lightly browned, remove it from the pot and place it on paper towels. Keep the fat in the pan. Chop the bacon and set aside. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for another 5 minutes.
