Quinoa Picadillo

Rinse and dry the chile, tomatoes, lime, and collard greens. Trim, peel, and chop the onion and garlic cloves. Trim, seed, and dice the chile. Chop the tomatoes. Zest the lime using the small side of a box grater or a microplane; halve one and cut the other into wedges.

Husk the corn. To cut the kernels from the cob, stand the corn ear up on a cutting board and cut down the rows, turning as you work. Put 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the tomato paste and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until they’re fragrant, about a minute.

Add the cumin, oregano, chili powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and cook until they’re fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onions and up to half of the chiles, depending on your affinity for heat, and cook until the onions are translucent, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes and continue cooking for another minute. Add 3/4 cups water, the corn, vegetable powder, quinoa, and black beans and their liquid and bring it to a boil. Chop the olives and add them to the pan. Adjust the heat so it bubbles steadily, cover, and cook until the quinoa grains have burst and all of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Strip the collard leaves from the stems, roll them together tightly, and cut them crosswise into thin ribbons. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in another large skillet over medium high-heat. When it’s hot, add some or all of the remaining chiles and cook until they’re fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the collard greens, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re bright green, 1 or 2 minutes.

Juice the lime half into the picadillo, add the zest, and stir; taste and adjust the seasoning. Put a bed of collard greens on the bottom of two shallow bowls and top with some of the picadillo; pass the lime wedges at the table.