Black Bean Quinoa Chili with Butternut Squash

Meatless Sundays...not really an every-week occurance in our house. I was gifted a cookbook on cooking and baking with whole grains, and was inspired to add quinoa to the black bean chili. For most meals, I prefer easy, delicious, and nutritious.

Quinoa is a complete protein, which I love. Black beans add fibre and more amino acids (protein building blocks), and the veggies in this recipe are loaded with beta carotene, vitamin C, and a few B vitamins.

Black Bean Quinoa Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, diced

1/2 butternut squash, cubed

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 cup spinach, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups veggie stock (or other stock)

1/2 cup quinoa

1 bay leaf

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Method

- Heat the oil in a larger soup pot

- Sautee the onions and garlic

- Add the carrots, squash, red pepper and sautee until soft

- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and bay leaf

- Add the quinoa and stir

- Add the tomatoes, stock, beans, and thyme

- Add the spinach

- Let simmer until the quinoa is cooked and the squash is tender

Biscuits

Sadly, I don't have quantities on this. I use whatever gluten-free flour I have in the house (preferably a mixture): coconut, almond, gluten free flour blends, fava bean flour etc., and mix it with baking powder, grated cold or frozen butter, add thyme, garlic powder, and salt, and combine the mixture with almond milk or water until it forms a dough.

I bake the biscuits at 350C for about 20 minutes...they (almost) always taste delicious.