Quinoa Enchilada Stew

We love Hispanic flavors in our American/Chinese/French household. We love exoticism in general, but Asian and Hispanic flavors in particular. Because of my long commute to and from work, I have very little time to cook, but I refuse for us to eat frozen or heavily processed foods. So, a good solution has been to cook ahead of time, and stews are perfect for that. They are just as good, if not better, the next day. This is one of my husband’s favorite home-cooked meals. Once again, it is easy to put together, inexpensive, and vegan.

As a main dish, this recipe will serve 4 (or maybe even 6) people.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa and water to cook it
• 2 14-oz cans black beans (try to go for BPA-free lining)
• 1 14-oz can corn kernels (try to go for BPA-free lining)
• 1 19-oz can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso, mild)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large zucchini (or two small ones)
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp chili powder (or less if that’s too much for  you)
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Cook your quinoa in a pot of water, following the instructions on the package. Don’t overcook it. If you want this dish to be on the “less soupy” side, undercook the quinoa a bit.
• While the quinoa is cooking, brown your onion in a large Dutch oven or pot with a large. You need something large here, this is a rather large dish.
• Add the bell peppers and zucchini, and sauté them as well.
• Add the chopped garlic, enchilada sauce, chopped cilantro, cumin and chili powder, stir, and turn down the heat to a simmer.
• Add the corn and rinsed black beans.
• Stir to combine, and add salt & pepper.
• Let it simmer until the pepper and zucchini are soft, then add the cooked quinoa, and combine. It’s ready!

You can serve it now, or keep it for the next day. If your quinoa is a bit uncooked, it will absorb some of the sauce and your dish will be thick. If your quinoa is fully cooked, your dish will be more “soupy.”

Serve this with corn chips, like we do, or fresh tortillas. We love to add some fresh avocado pieces and fresh tomatoes.

If you eat meat, pulled chicken or pork would be great with this.

If you want to add some cheese, pick a Mexican blend, for example. It’d be delicious.

Enjoy, and take care of yourself!