Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

We don't necessarily always have a "Meatless Monday" on a regular basis at our house but like many other families, we will on occasion have a vegetarian meal as a healthy option and just to keep our diner menus varied. It also gives me the chance to experiment a little with recipes to serve when we have vegetarian guests for dinner.

In order to bump up the protein factor in this vegetarian chili, Spouse came up with the idea of adding cooked quinoa to the mix of flavors which gave it a little bit of a nutty flavor contribution to this delicious dish. The chili was even better the next day and we even served the leftovers as a sort of hot dip, along with tortilla chips when friends dropped over to visit; a very versatile chili indeed.

Serves 6

In a dutch oven or  large saucepan over medium heat add:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large carrot, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, diced small
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium sized red onion, diced small

Sauté until the onions soften, then add:

• 4 cups diced canned tomatoes
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1 tsp dry thyme
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt to season
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Simmer slowly for 20 minutes then add:

1 cup cooked quinoa (about 1/4 cup dry quinoa slowly simmered in 1/2 cup salted water)
2 cups cooked kidney beans (rinsed if you are using canned)

Simmer for only another 10 minutes or so before serving with a dollop of low fat sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Mexican Hot Chocolate {Vegan Option}

I LOVE Hot Chocolate, especially during this time of year.  When I was a little girl my grandma would make it for me every morning when I stayed with her.  It was such a special treat and created a long time love of the delicious, warming drink.  

My husband grew up drinking Mexican Hot Chocolate with the traditional Ibarra Mexican chocolate.  I was so thrilled when I found TAZA chocolates at our local natural foods co-op.  TAZA is organic, stone ground {like traditional Mexican chocolate} and made with healthier ingredients than the traditional version.  I had been wanting to make Mexican Hot Chocolate for my husband for a long time ... finally, with this Mexican style chocolate I could!  And to my surprise, I ended up loving it.  I thought it would be too spicy for me, but the heat it just perfect and the flavor is divine!  My husband said it was the best hot chocolate he had ever had, better than the authentic version he grew up with.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

  
Mexican Hot Chocolate

Equipment: Cutting Board, Knife or Standing Grater, Medium-Size Sauce Pan

{Affiliate links included help support this blog}

• 2 cups organic or raw whole milk {See Resources} or full fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 2.7 ounces of TAZA chocolate {I use 1 Cinnamon disc and 1 Guajillo Chili disc}
• 1-2 tablespoons honey {I use raw local creamed clover honey}
• 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest {optional}
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Chop or grate the TAZA chocolate discs. 

2. Add all ingredients to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat {low heat for raw milk} until all chocolate is melted - for about 5-7 minutes or until desired temperature.

3. Serve immediately. 

Yield: 2 servings

Vegan-Option: Use full fat coconut milk {this brand is bpa free, organic and non-gmo} and organic maple syrup grade B.

TAZA Chocolate: Other delicious flavors - Orange, Ginger and Vanilla discs, mix it up by using different chocolate discs.  If the chili heat is too much for you, omit and use just Cinnamon discs or Cinnamon and Orange discs.  Or if you want more spice, use all Guajillo Chili discs and increase the ground cinnamon to 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon.

Looking for another version that has no spice/heat? Check out my 

Honey-Sweetened Hot Chocolate recipe.

Amazon links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and Allergy-Free Wednesdays @ The Tasty Alternative.

Chicken with Black Bean Chipotle Chili and Rice

Chicken with Black Bean Chipotle Chili and Rice

This is one of my son's preferred comfort food meals. There are no worries about throwing out leftovers with this delicious dinner, the resident teenage appetites have even been known to warm this up for breakfast the next morning.

When serving both meat eaters and vegetarians for dinner, this is also a very useful dish because the chili is essentially vegetarian anyway and except for the last of the cooking time it does not come into contact with the roasted chicken pieces. It's therefore very easy to separate as many servings of the chili as necessary before pouring the remainder over the chicken for the meat eaters. Recipes like this make it so simple to navigate such different dietary restrictions... and deliciously so too.

Chicken with Black Bean Chipotle Chili and Rice

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Simply roasted chicken pieces simmered in spicy black bean chipotle chili and served over plain rice. A great comfort food meal.

Prep time: Approximately 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

• One whole, 3 lb chicken, cut in individual pieces
• salt and pepper to season
• Aprox. 1 tbsp chili powder to season the chicken
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 large can black beans, rinsed
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp molasses or 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp gground chipotle powder (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season the chicken pieces with sat and pepper and sprinkle with chili powder.
3. Roast for 45 minutes on a baking sheet. Don't crowd the pieces too closely, there should be space between them.
4. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the garlic and red onion and cook until the onions soften.
6. Add all of the remaining ingredients and simmer slowly for about 45 minutes.
7. Transfer the roasted chicken pieces to a large casserole dish or roasting pan. Pour the cooked chili over the chicken, cover and return to the oven for 20-30 minutes.
8. Serve over plain steamed rice.

Chili Lime Cumin Grilled Chicken

You can't have too many simple marinades for grilled chicken and this one is quick, easy and very tasty. A quick dip in this marinade for 15-20 minutes and another 10 or so on the grill and this is dinner in about a half hour. We serve ours with a great pasta salad or a garden salad for a quick summer workday meal off the grill.

I almost always plan to grill an extra chicken breast when using this recipe so that I can make one of my favorite chicken salad sandwiches the next day for lunch. I mix it with some homemade lime chive mayonnaise and chopped red pepper and serve it on lightly toasted whole wheat bread for a very satisfying mid-day meal.

Serves 4

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Marinade

Mix together in a large Ziploc bag

1/4 cup lime juice

zest of one lime, finely minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

Add the chicken breasts to the bag, seal it and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Grill until completely cooked on a medium hot grill. Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Honey Chili Barbeque Chicken

Honey Chili Barbeque Chicken

If you have never made your own barbeque sauce before, you should definitely give it a shot. I make several kinds of barbeque sauce and am always experimenting with making them a little more or less spicy, tangy or sweet. With a good tomato base you can develop your own signature sauces by varying the three key elements.

There is endless variety in the herbs and spices you can add to create fragrant or spicy versions. Smoked spices like chipotle powder and smoked paprika can add an additional smoky hint. Use different vinegars in varying amounts to play with the tangy side of your sauce; I've used everything from rice wine vinegar to balsamic in my sauces. Finally, for the sweet side there are also many options; honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar are some possibilities all of which will add a unique flavor component to a good barbeque sauce. 

Honey Chili Barbeque Sauce

Today's sauce takes its taste inspiration from a pot of chili con carne, using chili powder and cumin as the base spices for a very fragrant spicy sauce. One of my favorite ways to use a homemade barbeque sauce is to add honey to the finished sauce to create an awesome barbeque glaze for chicken or pork. Simply add honey in about a 4:1 or 3:1 ratio of sauce to honey to create a sweet sticky barbeque glaze that is especially awesome on some well grilled chicken wings. Several coats of the glaze in the final minutes of cooking time will make for some of the best you will sample this grilling season.

• 1 large red onion, diced
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Saute all together in a medium sized saucepan until the onions have softened. Add:

• 8 large very ripe diced tomatoes with the skins removed ( or a 28-32 ounce can crushed tomatoes)

Saute together until the tomatoes begin  break down and get mushy (or until the sauce is reduced by 1/4 if using canned tomatoes), then add:

• 1 1/4 c ups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup malt vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 4 tbsp chili powder (more or less to taste)
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Simmer all together over low heat for about a half hour or until the sauce reaches the consistency of a good barbeque sauce. I like mine a little thicker than most because it is easier to brush on whatever is being grilled.
Store in airtight mason jars in the fridge.

To make Honey Chili Barbeque Chicken, take one cup of this sauce and blend in 1/3 cup good quality honey. Grill your chicken pieces until almost completely cooked, then start brushing on the glaze, turning the chicken pieces often and continuing to brush multiple layers of the glaze onto them.

Chili Lime Coconut Tilapia

Chili Lime Coconut Tilapia

Spouse made this very delicious fish dish for dinner last night and I absolutely loved it. Tilapia is a great fish to bake because it holds together so well and stays moist at high cooking temperatures.

This dish was inspired by my Coconut Shrimp recipe but instead of frying, I wanted to keep this lighter by baking the fish and ramping up the taste with a very light drizzle of  a very flavorful honey glaze infused with ginger, lime and spicy crushed chili paste.

Light , healthy and very, very delicious, this is a great workday meal that can be on the table in a half hour. We served ours with a simple salad and warm couscous prima vera.

• 2 lbs de-boned tilapia fillets
• Salt and pepper to season
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cups unsweetened dried coconut

Season the tilapia fillets with salt and pepper then dip them in the flour. Next, dip them in an egg wash made from whisking together the eggs and water. From the egg wash, drop the fillets back into the flour, back again into the egg wash and finally into the dried coconut.

Place the fillets onto a parchment lined baking sheet and lightly spray canola oil over the top of the prepared fillets. Don’t crowd the fillets together on the pan. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with Ginger Chili Lime Drizzle.

Ginger Chili Lime Drizzle

• ½  cup honey
• zest and juice of one lime
• 1 tsp red chili paste or ½ tsp chili flakes
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• ¼ tsp salt

Simmer together very gently for 5 minutes. Lightly drizzle over the baked fish fillets.

Pulled Pork Chili with Cheddar Green Onion Cornbread

Pulled Pork Chili with Cheddar Green Onion Cornbread

Here's a terrific way to stretch a big batch of pulled pork into another delicious meal, simply by adding it to a simple chili recipe. We shared this dish with a few friends who loved it and have already made it for themselves since.

Serves 10-12

In a large pot saute together for a few minutes:

4 cloves minced garlic
1 large red onion diced

3 tbsp olive oil

When onions are softened add:

6 oz beer
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can tomato sauce
2 large tomatoes diced
1 large roasted red pepper, peeled and diced small
½ to 1 whole jalapeño pepper finely minced (optional)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
5 tbsp chilli powder (more or less to taste)
3 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp ground cumin
6 tbsp molasses
1 can kidney beans (or 1 1/2 cups of your favorite cooked beans)

Simmer together slowly for bout a half hour then add:

6 cups Chili Pulled Pork - find that recipe HERE

Simmer slowly for an additional 10 minutes and serve.

Cheddar and Onion Cornbread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an flour a standard size loaf pan.

Sift together:

1 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 rounded tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together
2 eggs
3/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups milk

Fold in the dry ingredients, then fold in:

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, diced 1/4 inch

1 green onion, chopped ( chopped Jalopeno is good too!)

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If baking in greased muffin tins bake for only about 13-15 minutes. I like silicone baking cups for cornbread too; they bake well without drying out and are so easy to remove from the pans.

Chili Pulled Pork with Cornbread

Here's a terrific recipe for a slow cooked weekend meal; tender pulled pork with the familiar flavor of a very good bowl of chili. Perfect with some plain rice or even french fries but don't forget the cornbread!

Begin by dry rubbing a 5 to 6 pound pork shoulder roast with a mixture of

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dry thyme
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 ½ tbsp kosher salt

Heat 4 tbsp oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and brown the roast on all sides. Set aside.

In a large covered roasting pan add and combine well:

3 medium sized onion chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

3-4 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp dry oregano

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme ( or one tsp dry thyme)

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups plain tomato sauce

3 cups chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup molasses

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1 bottle beer

2 tbsp chopped jalapeno peppers (optional or to taste)

Add the browned roast to the roasting pan with the other ingredients. Cover with aluminum foil then the lid of the roasting pan. Roast in a 300 degree oven for several hours ( approximately 3-4) until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.

Remove the braising liquid to a saucepan, skim all the excess fat and reduce the liquid until it slightly thickens. At this point you can puree the sauce with an immersion blender or in a food processor to smooth it out and incorporate the cooked onions and tomatoes. Serve over the pulled pork.

Corn Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an flour a standard size loaf pan.

Sift together:

1 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 rounded tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together
2 eggs
3/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups milk

Fold in the dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If baking in greased muffin tins bake for only about 13-15 minutes. I like silicone baking cups for cornbread too; they bake well without drying out and are so easy to remove from the pans.

Beef Bean and Bacon Stew

Beef Bean and Bacon Stew

Another winter warm-up recipe to take the chill out of your bones. This one is a smoky flavored close cousin to chilli but with out the heat if you so choose. I like it just as it is but we sometimes serve it on a bed of brown or basmati rice; very tasty and very healthy too.

• 2 to 3 pounds of blade, chuck or round roast, cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 pound thick cut smoked bacon

In a large heavy bottomed frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp and remove from pan. Drain off the bacon fat and add

• 3 tbsp olive oil

Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Over medium heat, brown all of the beef pieces in small batches being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Add the browned beef to a covered roasting pan. De-glaze the pan with 1 cup orange juice and add the liquid to the roasting pan along with the beef. Also add

• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic

Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and then the cover to provide a good seal. Roast in a 300 degree F oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours before adding:

• 32 ounce can diced tomatoes (or use 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes and 1 cup tomato juice)
• 1 1/2 cups cup beef stock (low salt version)
• 16 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
• 4 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 tbsp molasses

Increase the temperature to 350 degrees F and return the roasting pan to the oven without the aluminum foil and continue to cook for an additional 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the beef pieces are tender and the sauce is thickened. In the last half hour of cooking time add

• 1 1/2 cups sweet corn (fresh or frozen)

Serve on its own or over rice or pasta.