Quinoa chili

This. was. a hit. My husband ate 2 bowls, and told me how much he liked it, and he is in fact my biggest critic. His mother to this day is a fantastic cook, and in his lifetime he has become a food snob at times. So the compliment is taken highly when one is given! 

The recipe is as follows: 

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, or more, to taste
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced

I have always really liked quinoa, its a great grain to use because it is the highest level of protein found in the grain world. Or pretty close ;) I really enjoy the red over the tan, I'm not sure why.

Quinoa can be made just like sticky rice, which is great. So I start by taking 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water, and put it all in my rice cooker and let it cook away. I can ignore it-- which is what I like.

Put that bad boy on cook, and focus on your veggies. 

So I get an onion and 3 cloves of garlic. I peel the outside remnants off and start to dice.

I then take a quart pot or a dutch oven and put about a tablespoon of avocado oil into the bottom and let the garlic and the onion simmer until almost translucent. It says 2-3 minutes in the original recipe, but I think you should just stir and watch until you get your result. 

From there, add your black and kidney beans, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and 15 oz of tomato sauce. stir and let sit.

I then had a can of full- peeled, and hollowed out chiles I bought for a 1.50 at the store and chopped myself. I'm sure you can buy them already chopped, but what the heck.

Add to your simmering beans and tomatoes, your spices and chopped green chiles 

Once your quinoa is done, there should be no remaining water in your rice cooker.

dump it all into the simmering mixture you've already put together.

Stir it all together and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes until thick. To speed it along put a lid on your pot.

So thick, and there will be so much food, plenty for left overs!

add a dollup of sour cream and a pinch of cheese. 

and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: You can add corn and avocado to this recipe, but since I cant eat corn and my husband doesnt like it, we omitted it. & our avocado wasnt ripe enough yet. This meal cost roughly $15.00 ***

Glutino Pizza

I haven't had a decent pizza in years. Sure theres all sorts of gluten free pizza that people really like, but I've been rather picky on it. So I saw this product at this store and attempted it, I was actually pretty pleased with it considering it was another box mix.

I followed directions pretty on par. For the oil I used avocado oil instead of what was listed. I've had less and less spasms in my right side since switching oils.

So, 1 1/2 C water

avocado oil, and the box mix

Let the flour and the yeast rise for about an hour in a warm area

This night, I decided to be nice enough to my husband and bake him a home made "regular" pizza just incase the gluten free one was terrible.

I turned my oven on, and let the metal get warm, then covered the pots and let them rise. 

I then got a baking sheet out, greased it, and spread the dough out with my fingertips by wetting them under the sink repeatedly until it was the desired thickness. It's so much easer to spread dough on a baking sheet when you're dealing with different type of dough texture.

I then made my sauce, in order to make this, I use

1 8 oz can of huntz sauce

garlic powder to your liking

avocado oil, about a tablespoon

and stir together.

I usually add parsley or any italian seasonings I see fit. & taste & adjust until you get the desired taste.

spread on your dough.

then bake the pizza for about 10 minutes at 350* for 10 minutes- you do this so your cheese doesnt burn.

add cheese, and your toppings of choice. and put back into the oven- until the dough is cooked all the way through, and the cheese is starting to brown.

Let cool, & enjoy :)!