Quinoa Chili

I've always been a fan of quinoa, and have been looking for new ways to cook with this ancient grain-like substance. I recently came across a recipe for quinoa chili in my inbox from allrecipes.com. Thinking that quinoa would be a good addition to chili, I modified this recipe and fused it with one of my favorite chili recipes (modified from my friend Adrionne). It turned out wonderful - I liked the texture the quinoa added to the chili. This will be my new go-to chili recipe!

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Quinoa Chili
Serves 6-8

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped

1 can (540 mL) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (540 mL) chick peas, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 can (398 mL) "pork and beans"-style beans
1 can (341 mL) corn kernels, drained; or 1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 large bell pepper, chopped 
2 cans (156 mL) tomato paste
1 large can (1 L) crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes, to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse quinoa. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15-20 min.

2. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add ground beef and brown. Drain any excess oil.

3. Add beans, corn, tomato paste, tomatoes, bell pepper, brown sugar, and seasonings. Simmer about 20 minutes.

4. Add quinoa. Simmer about 5 minutes. Serve. Leftovers will freeze well!
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Quinoa chili - enjoy with garlic toast and red wine!