Quinoa Chili

This vegetarian dish is so packed with protein from the beans and quinoa, you won’t even notice it doesn’t have any meat! This recipe comes to us from Kids Cook Monday Ambassador Karen of Our Blessed Adventures.

Cooking Tip of the Week: Draining and rinsing canned beans removes as much as 40% of their salt content, so it’s always wise to complete this step before cooking. You can always add a pinch of salt back into the recipe if needed.

Food for Thought: Quinoa (keen-wah) is a grain native to central America that recently gained popularity in the United States. It’s a great source of nutrients like protein, iron, magnesium and B vitamins, which is one reason it’s so popular, but we love it for its nutty taste, too! Believe it or not, quinoa is actually related to spinach seeds, which grow similarly. No wonder it’s so good for us!

Family Dinner Conversation Starter: What does it mean to be a popular person? Is it important? What might be more important?

Ingredients:

• 3 (15.5 oz.) cans beans (black, red, white or a combination) drained and rinsed
• 1 (28 oz.) can of tomato sauce
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Shredded Cheddar cheese or dairy-free cheese, Greek or dairy-free yogurt and green onions, to serve (optional)

Directions:

Together:  Dice the onion and green pepper.

Adult:  Saute onion and green pepper in a large pot with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Kid:  Once the veggies are tender, carefully add the tomato sauce to the pot (with adult supervision).

Together:  Measure out and add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and sugar to the pot.

Together:  Drain and rinse all three cans of beans and add them to the pot.

Kid:  With supervision, add the two cans of tomatoes with all their juices to the pot (the juices will help cook the quinoa).

Kid:  With supervision, add the quinoa and stir to combine.

Together:  Cover the pot and let simmer for about 20 minutes. The quinoa will start out very visible, but once it cooks it becomes more transparent and the chili thickens up.

Kid:  Garnish with Greek yogurt, Cheddar and sliced green onions.