Hey loves, it has been cold here the last few days. This weather cause for some warm and cozy food.  Chili is one of the first things to come to my mind when I think of warm, cozy, & comfort food.

So, here I am back again with a recipe.  I love me some chili and it pairs well with the weather we are having right now.

Since I am still working on ways to incorporate quinoa into some of my meals creatively, I decided to give it a go in this chili. I got inspired by two dishes I created during the summer.

One is a vegan pasta dish and the other is chili with spiralized sweet potatoes. Let’s get to the recipe, shall we?

Related post:  Yummy Vegan Pasta with a Twist (No Mock Meat or Regular Pasta)

Ingredients

2 cups beans of your choice ( I used black beans this time)
1 can Rotel
1/2 chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 chopped orange bell pepper
1/4 chopped onion
chopped garlic clove to taste
chili powder to taste
smoked paprika to taste
nutritional yeast to taste
black peppercorn grinder to taste
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup quinoa
2 medium-size sweet potatoes
1 avocado
cilantro to taste and garnish
1 lime to squeeze and garnish

Now on to the steps

First, I clean all veggies and chopped the ones that need it. I soak my beans for a while and rinsed them a few times. I rinsed the quinoa a few times also.

Next, I cooked the beans for about 1 hour and 45 minutes on the stove. I added seasonings towards the end.

Afterward, I drained and rinsed them again. I make the chili. I combined the black beans, chopped veggies (bell peppers & onion), chopped garlic clove, Rotel, chili powder, smoked paprika, & black peppercorn.

I let the chili cooked for about 30 to 35 minutes give or take in a pot on the stove.  If you like more liquid, you can add a little vegetable broth to your liking to get the consistency you’re looking for.

Tip: I always let my beans (dry or canned) soak for a while and rinse them a few times before cooking. It cuts down on them becoming gassy.
You can also use canned beans to cut down on time.

During the last hour of cooking of the beans, I put the sweet potatoes in the oven at around 415. I let them bake for about 50 minutes give or take until they are soft to my liking.

You can use your choice of beans. I like to switch it up. I use black beans this time. Next, I cooked the quinoa in vegetable broth.

After the quinoa is done, I drained it. Next, I combined the chili & quinoa. In the next step, I prepared the stuffed baked sweet potato.

I stuffed the sweet potato with the chili & quinoa mixture. I added 1/2 avocado on top. I garnished with cilantro & lime. I also squeezed 1/2 lime on top. Lastly, I sprinkled nutritional yeast (for B12) on top (not shown).

This is enough for two servings. You can save some for later.

Viola, yummy & hearty dish for a warm and cozy day.

This was a hit with my family. Of course, I adjusted measurements when made it for them.

As always, feel free to adjust ingredients to your liking. I look at recipes as a starting point or inspiration. You can omit and add whatever you like. We all have different taste buds.

What are some of your favorites fall dishes?

Until next time