First up, we have a Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili. This is one of the most flavorful and filling vegetarian meals that I've found. I love any recipe that doesn't require a lot of prep or 'watching' and this one definitely doesn't. Once you've thrown all your ingredients in the pot, you can get back to doing other things. Here's the link to the original recipe at the Ambitious Kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce
- salt, to taste
- 1 can (15.5 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 can black beans (15.5 oz), drained
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more to thin if desired
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes
The original recipe calls for carrots as well, but having made it both ways, I just prefer it without. I also don't peel the sweet potato (I hate peeling and it looks a little more 'rustic'). I usually start by getting my quinoa cooking and once that's going, I start chopping the onion and cutting the sweet potato. Here's the step-by-step instructions:
1. Heat the olive-oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and salt and cook until onions become translucent.
2. Add tomato sauce, followed by the black beans, vegetable stock, quinoa and all the spices. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium heat and then add the sweet potatoes.
3. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
I end up freezing about half the chili and have an awesome meal just waiting for a day that I don't feel like cooking. The hubby even likes this vegetarian recipe, which is not always the case ;)
Next up we have a healthy Chicken and Black Bean Casserole. This one comes from Six Sister's Stuff and is so delicious! I like to use leftovers from roasted chicken for this recipe. This is a great casserole to take to new mommy's as it's not pasta based and has lots of yummy veggies.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup brown rice
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced onion
- 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 2 cups pulled roasted chicken or 2 cooked skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- salt to taste
- ground cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, drained
- 1-2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, swiss or monterey jack are all great options!)
1. Start by combing the rice and broth in a pot and bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 mins, or until rice is tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a casserole dish.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onions until translucent. Add the zucchini, mushrooms and chicken. Season with spices and cook until zucchini is lightly browned and chicken is heated through.
4. In a large bowl, mix zucchini, chicken, mushrooms, cooked rice, black beans and chiles with half the cheese. Transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes uncovered. I liked to add a little sour cream and jalapenos for myself once it's served :) This is another dish that's great the next couple of days. I've made it without chicken and it's still really tasty!
Happy Cooking!
