Hey everyone,

I’m doing a guest blog post! Isn’t that exciting? It’s taken me a while to end up here, but alas, I’m here. The reason for the entry is because of this:

Ever since we bought the slow cooker, our lives have been changed. My work schedule allows for me to have a lot of time off during the week days. So, during the day I usually try to find new things to occupy my time. Lately it’s been by experimenting with the Crock-Pot.

Molly has always had an aversion to chili. She loves everything in it, but when it’s all combined into one messy mess, she tends to politely decline (Editor’s note: he gives me more credit than I deserve. I really hated chili and expressed my feelings quite dramatically). After some good ol’ fashioned research I found this recipe that was able to convert Molly to a chili fan!

Thanks to two peas and their pods for the recipe.

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (we used 3)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, etc.

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Note-garnish the chili with green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream/Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, if desired. This chili freezes well.

I made a few modifications (I always do).

Instead of making it on the stove top, I opted for the easier Crock-Pot. There was no sautéeing involved, just chop up the veggies and throw them in, that’s it. I put it on for approximately 8 hours, low setting. I would advise cooking the quinoa separately and adding it to the chili at the last 30 minutes of the cooking cycle.

However, I didn’t add the quinoa because I was called into work. So … this can also work as a quinoa-less chili.

And for all the meat eaters out there (myself included), keep the recipe the same, except just throw in some cooked hamburger in lieu of the quinoa.

We garnished with grated cheese and plain Greek yogurt.

- Dan

I’m also linking up to What I Ate Wednesday on Peas and Crayons – because I ate this chili several times already this week!