Ontario Garden Chili with Quinoa, Gluten Free

Next to jazz music, there is nothing that lifts the spirit and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili." Harry James

Hiya followers! If you live anywhere close to Georgetown, Ontario, make sure to check out my website and sign up to one of my cooking demonstrations! You can either come out to The Carter Farm Market located in Norval, Ontario, or I will come out to your house for a private demo!

www.sarahsculinaryadventure.com

 

 

Well, I wasn't exaggerating last week when I said I had a plethora of tomatoes and this week I found I had even more, along with a tonne of other local veggies! Fortunately I managed to blanch and freeze all of my excess tomatoes, leaving my freezer stacked for winter. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all this wonderful produce and I happily except any homegrown goods that are offered to me, but combined with the spoils of my own garden, I've got a lot! All I need to do now is to figure out how to use them all up! A great way to do this is to poke around the pantry, fridge and freezer to see what other ingredients you have on hand, then get creative! My own search turned up a tin of beans, some quinoa and spices. This could only mean one thing: chili! So, I got out a big pot and got started!

 

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Ontario Garden Chili with Quinoa, Gluten Free

(serves 6 to 8)

 

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed, any colour (I used red and white)

1 cup cold water

Pinch of Sea Salt

 

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cups garden vegetables, chopped into bite size pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp + 1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped + 1/2 cup water

or

1 x 796 ml tin tomatoes, whole and chopped or diced

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 x 540 ml tin beans, drained and rinsed (I used red kidney)

 

Place the quinoa, water and a pinch of salt into a small pot. Turn the heat onto high and allow the quinoa to come up to the boil. Turn down to low, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 15 to 20mins until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Set aside.

Pour the oil into a large pot and heat on medium high. Add in the onions and the 4 cups of chopped veggies with a pinch of salt and pepper, stir. Continue to stir for about 4 to 5 mins, until the onions are soft. Next, toss in the garlic, spices and tomato paste, stir for another minute. Add in the tomatoes, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer, partially covered with a lid. Stir occasionally and cook the chili for about 20 mins, until the veggies are tender. Stir in the beans and quinoa and cook for about 5 mins more, until they are heated through. Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate to serve the next day. Enjoy!

This chili turned out delish and how quick and easy is it to make?! The veggies I used were a combo of peppers, zucchini, celery, carrots and sweet potatoes. All locally grown and amazing. Yum! Now, if you want a bit of heat, you could add in a chopped jalapeno or a chipotle pepper. You can also serve your chili with a variety of garnishes, on the side, I like plain yogurt, grated sharp cheese and finely chopped scallions. Delicious!

 

Now followers, tomorrow I will back with a special blog! My sweetie Kev and I were recently invited to fab farm to check out a plentiful garden and a greenhouse full of orchids! I don't want to give away too much, so I will cut myself off now and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow! Bye for now!