Chipotle Crockpot Chili with Black Beans & Quinoa (pssst it's vegan!)

I promise I am not going to start every post with an apology for the lapse in time between posts. I know it's been a while, and life has gotten in the way (doesn't everyone's sometimes?) and I fully plan on catching you all up on both my life and some of the stuff I have been whipping up in my kitchen too. So here it goes!

I originally made this recipe because I realized that winter is coming to a close (yipee!) and I have yet to use my crock pot a single time during these chilly months. How terrible is that?? It's such a great tool for throwing things in and then just going about your day and coming back to bam! dinner made. 

Last week, the crud caught up with me. That sounds like such a mom-term, but I don't know what else to call it. I don't think it was the flu because I got my shot, and I don't think it was a rhinovirus either. Anyways, I could feel it coming on Sunday, but decided to go to back-to-back barre and yoga classes in hopes of sweating it out and clearing my sinuses/soul (that's what yoga is for, right?). Bad idea. I woke up Monday and I was miserable, so I moved from the bed to the couch and slept until 1pm. When I woke up, I decided to make this chili. It took me forever to chop everything and I felt so weak that I had to sit down when I was doing it all, which is terrible. Have you ever tried chopping veggies while sitting down? It doesn't work very well. But, I was determined to make dinner for when the boys got home from their exams and have one productive thing to show for my day. So, I filled the crockpot with delicious things, cranked it on high, and headed back to the couch for another couple hours.

Word to the wise: I would definitely soak your beans overnight. This was actually the first time I have used dried beans and they took WAY longer to soften than they should have. Or, you could do canned too (just drain and rinse first). I just like the raw form, but really should have soaked them beforehand. I also whipped up this corn bread, following the Quaker label on my corn meal package. It was so easy and really good. However, it is not vegan :( so if you're looking for a good vegan cornbread recipe, I would head over to the Post Punk Kitchen blog and follow her directions. She's a vegan genius. 

Anyways, this dinner was perfect for a sick cold night. It was spicy, hearty, and ready when I woke up again, which made me one happy camper. I honestly wouldn't suggest cooking anything when you're sick, but if you're anything like me, it totally sucks to have a day completely wasted, even if it's because you feel like total crap. So if you feel the need to cook when you're under the weather, just throw it in the crockpot! 

Chipotle Crockpot Chili with Black Beans & Quinoa 

Ingredients

2-3 Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce

1 Tbs dried Chipotle chilis

1 lb black beans (soaked overnight!)

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

1 red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 dried cinnamon stick

2 Tbs chili powder

2 tsp dried coriander

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed

7 cups water

4 small corn tortillas

olive oil, for brushing

salt & pepper

chives

lime wedges 

Directions

1. Add all ingredients through the water to the crockpot and stir to combine.

2. Turn the crockpot on low and cook for 6-8 hours, or cook on high for 4-5 hours (I try to do the low cook if possible!)

3. About 30 minutes prior to the chili being done, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Using kitchen scissors, cut the corn tortillas into wide strips and arrange them on a baking sheet.

5. Brush the tortilla strips with olive oil and salt fairly generously. Bake for 6-8 minutes on the top rack, flipping once while baking.

6. You can tell the chili is done when the beans are tender. 

Once everything is good, remove the cinnamon stick.

7. Serve the chili in bowls with chopped chives, tortilla strips, and a squeeze of lime. 

Recipe Adapted from Tasty Yummies