Warm Tomato Quinoa

A fellow gym mom gave me the idea of pairing tomato and quinoa to make a warm alternative to rice.  I tried the following in my slow cooker and loved it!  As always, the curry spices are optional.  I think this quinoa would taste great even without the added heat from the chilli powder.

1 cup quinoa
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp Chilli or Curry powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 or 2 tbsp salt (If you want this to be a stand-alone dish, use more salt.  If you intend this as a replacement for rice to accompany a flavorful side dish, use less salt.)

1 tsp black pepper (optional)
2 tbsp oil 
2 cups hot water

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for 1 hour and then on high for 1 hour until all quinoa granules are translucent and cooked through. Serve warm. Makes a great accompaniment to the chicken curry recipe I published earlier.