Sunday, July 7, 2013

Crockpot Quinoa Chili

Even on a hot day, Chili is good. Tastes & Treasures has a recipe for Chicken and White Bean Chili on page 181. Yummm.


We found this Chili recipe using quinoa. Unique flavors combine to create a delicious dish.

Crockpot Quinoa Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups water or bean cooking liquid
1 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 cup cooked black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 cup unsalted tomato sauce OR: 1/4 cup unsalted tomato paste + 3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 celery stalk, diced
1 Tbsp (2 - 3 cloves) minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp gr coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried basil leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaf
1/8 - 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp light molasses
1 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos, or soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
More Heat: Add more chile powder

Stovetop Directions:

Soak the quinoa 5 minutes
Rinse, then drain into a colander
If using canned beans, drain into a colander and rinse well
Peel & mince the garlic and jalapeño pepper
Dice the onion
Wash and trim the celery, slice lengthwise, then crosswise to dice
Seed and dice the red and green pepper
Heat the oil on medium-high in a dutch oven or large sauce pan
Fry the garlic, jalapeno, onion and celery until soft (about 5 minutes)
Add the peppers and fry 5 minutes
Add the spices and herbs, stir 2 minutes
Add the beans, water or bean liquid, molasses, tomato sauce, and quinoa
Bring to boil, cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked
Stir in Braggs or soy sauce, and pepper. Adjust seasonings
Serve garnished with cilantro
Optional: Add a dollop of dairy or non-dairy sour cream to each bowl

Crockpot Directions:
Sauté jalapeno, garlic, celery, and peppers in oil for 5 minutes on med-high
Add spices and herbs, stir 2 minutes
Combine with water, tomato sauce, salt, quinoa and beans in a 6 qt crockpot
Cover and cook on low for 5 - 6 hours
Add Braggs or soy sauce, molasses, pepper
Serve garnished with chopped clilantro and sour cream (optional)
Cooking Tips:
You can use any combination of beans you like in quinoa chili, although we thought it was perfect with a mixture of kidney beans and black beans. One or the other would be good too.

We used canned tomato sauce, but tomato paste and-or fresh tomatoes would also work. We like the Amore brand that comes in a tube - we got tired of throwing out almost-full cans of tomato paste.
This chili recipe only takes about 1/2 hour to cook on the stove, or 5 - 6 hours in a crockpot or slow cooker. If you need to be away longer, a digital timer is handy & inexpensive. Then your chili can be ready to eat when you are.
Serve with fresh cilantro as garnish. Add a dollop of dairy or non-dairy sour cream if you like.

6 Servings
Nutrition Data, 194g Serving: 227 cal, 39g carb, 4g fat, 183mg sodium, 8g fiber, 11 g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Vit C, Folate. Estimated Glycemic Load 17