Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

This recipe is from the Two Peas & Their Pod blog--I love it! And here is the direct link to this particular recipe: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/vegetarian-quinoa-chili/

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Yield: Serves 10-12           Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 45 minutes  Total Time: 55 minutes

This hearty chili is made with beans, vegetables, and quinoa. Meat lovers and vegetarians will love this chili!

ingredients:

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 (Jessie's note: we opted for one can of black beans and a can of chick peas/garbanzo beans)
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (Jessie's note: we did not add this tomato sauce)
2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (we used 3) (Jessie's note: we used a couple different types of chili powder)
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.

Spicy Chicken Stew

Ingredients
1 baking potatoe (peeled and cut)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 8oz. bottle of salsa (I used Hot)
1.5 t cumin
3 bay leaves
1 t chili powder
freshly ground pepper
5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2.5 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
*optional*
chopped cilantro or parsley
sour cream
avacado

Preparation
1. Place first 6 ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Stir in salsa and next ingredients through pepper.
3. Place chicken on top of begetables.
4. Add broth. cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
5. Remove chicken, shred with fork and return to slow cooker. Garnish as you wish.

Slow Cooker Texas Chili (Mneimneh's dish; January 2013)

Ingredients

3 onions
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 T. vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves
2 T. ground cumin
1 T. minced fresh oregano or 1 t. dried
2 - 15 oz. cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 28 oz. can tomato puree
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup Minute tapioca
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
2 T. brown sugar, plus extra as needed
2 bay leaves
1 - 5 pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 and 1/2" chunks
salt and pepper
3 scallions, sliced thin

Instructions

1. Microwave onions, chili powder, tomato paste, oil, garlic, cumin and oregano in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

2. Stir beans, tomato puree, broth, tapioca, soy sauce, chipotles, sugar, and bay leaves into slow cooker.  Season beef with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 hours on high.  

3. Let chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon.  Discard bay leaves.  Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.

Helpful hints

We made this pretty much exactly according to the recipe's instructions except for the following modifications:
- We bought 4 pounds of beef stew meat, rather than a 5 pound roast.  The stew meat is already in chunks, so requires far less butchering than a roast.
- We love the flavor of chipotle in adobo, and we don't mind spicy, so we added more than just 2 tablespoons...maybe closer to 1/4 cup.

Recipe source 

Slow Cooker Revolution by America's Test Kitchen (best slow cooker cookbook!!)