Quinoa Chili

There is nothing negative I can say about quinoa. It's delicious, packed with protein and again, delicious. So, when I came across a recipe for quinoa chili from Damn Delicious (fabulous blog title) we jumped on it! It has a bit of a kick so it was perfect for our Sunday night dinner...since Sunday night was such nasty weather. This warmed us right up and was still yummy at lunch the next day! Enjoy!

Quinoa Chili

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 onion (diced)
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with green chiles)
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chiles (unless you have the diced tomatoes with green chiles)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt & pepper to taste
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 ounce) can corn kernels (drained and rinsed)
Juice of 1 lime
Sour Cream, Green Onions, and Shredded Cheese for garnish

Directions:

To properly kick off your cooking experience, start by pouring yourself a drink. Of course, cooking dinner doesn't require an alcoholic beverage...but...let's be honest, it doesn't hurt. Chris poured himself a little Holiday Cheer...

Now, you can seriously start by cooking your quinoa, per packaging instructions. Once done, just place to the side. While that is getting ready, mince your garlic and dice your onion.

Heat your olive oil in a dutch oven/large pot over medium high heat. Toss in your garlic and onion and saute until the onions are translucent.

Next, add your quinoa, diced tomatoes, green chiles,  tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar, cayenne pepper, and coriander.

Add 1-2 cups of water, making sure all your ingredients are covered. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce your heat to low and let the party simmer until thickened (approximately 30 minutes).  Next, add your beans, corn, and lime juice.

Stir and let all the ingredients heat thoroughly then prep for serving! We scooped into bowls and added a little sour cream, shredded cheese, and green onions for garnish. 

Chris and I loved this dish! It has a ton of great colors, it has a nice kick, and it was perfect for a funky winter night. But...the true test is little Miss Lillian Mae and her verdict was...

"Eh". She mainly ate the cheese and sour cream on top. She was not pleased when we mixed it all together! Oh well, we'll try again another day! :)