Healthy Quinoa Chili

     Quinoa Pasta (adapted from AllRecipes.com)

Quinoa is something I discovered only about a year ago. It's full of protein and amino acids, as well as dietary fiber and iron, making this wholesome little grain way healthier than rice. There are so many creative ways to incorporate quinoa into your meals, and chili is really just one of probably thousands. San Francisco nights are always cold, so making chili tonight just seemed like the right thing to do.

Note: For a vegetarian option of this meal, please see the tips at the bottom of this post!

Servings: about 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Quinoa, rinsed (make sure to rinse it to get rid of that soapy flavor it tends to have)
• 1 cup of Vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 pound Lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Olive oil
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 1/2 Jalepeno, minced
• 2 Cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 (28 ounce) can Crushed tomatoes (I use the other half to add in if it's too thick, and save the rest)
• 1/2 Red bell pepper
• 1/2 Green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup Frozen corn, thawed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

In a pot, bring both quinoa and broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all of the broth (about 15 minutes). Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Throw in the onions, jalepeno, and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).

Pour in crushed tomatoes, and add chili powder, italian seasoning, cumin, salt, pepper, and bell peppers. Stir occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until bell peppers are soft.

If the chili is getting too thick, pour in a little extra tomatoes, broth, or water.

Add the quinoa and ground beef to the mixture and stir for another 5 minutes.

Add chopped cilantro, stir, and enjoy!

Tips: Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top if you feel like making this comfort food just a little more comfortable. If you're wanting to create this as a vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth and don't add the ground beef.