Vegetarian Quinoa Chili (Crockpot)

This spicy, flavorful, and meatless meal is still full of protein with the additions of quinoa and black beans.

I made this Vegetarian Quinoa Chili for a Friday at the beginning of Lent (yes, that's how behind I am in posting recipes). I thought my husband would turn-up his nose at this meatless meal with quinoa, but he surprisingly liked it. I absolutely loved it.

This recipes makes a ton of chili. If you don't want to be eating chili for weeks, I recommend freezing at least half of the batch. I found my favorite way to freeze soup on Pinterest. Dividing the soup into muffin tins, then place the muffin tin in the freezer. Once the soup is frozen, I remove the pucks of soup and place them in a labeled freezer storage bag. When I'm in the need for a quick meal, all I have to do is place a few pucks into a bowl and reheat in the microwave.

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili (Crockpot)
Adapted from Sweet Treats & More

Ingredients:
·1 cup quinoa, rinsed
·1 – 28oz can crushed tomatoes
·1 – 14oz can Rotel
·2 – 16oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
·1 – 16oz can frozen corn
·2½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
·1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
·½ cup chopped onion
·1 tsp each – minced garlic, cumin, crushed red pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper
·½ batch Homemade Taco Seasoning

Directions:
Place all ingredients into a 6 quart crockpot and cook for 5-7 hours on low. Keep warm until ready to serve. Garnish with shredded cheese.

Meat variation: Add 2 chicken breasts to crockpot. After 5-7 hours, remove chicken and shred it. Return to crockpot, stir, and serve.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

These Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies are delectable. It's a good thing the recipe only makes 6 sandwich cookies, as Mike and I devoured the whole batch within a day; they are that good.

It's been a month since I last posted a new recipe; I'm sorry. Mike and I are settling into our new home, new jobs, and our new routines. We love it and are spending as much free time as we can with the family and friends we've missed so much over the past 3 years of living 9 hours away from home.

Trying new recipes is still on my priority list, but blogging has definitely shifted towards the bottom. I'm taking photos of the new recipes we try, and then waiting until a slow day - like the cold and snowy one we have to today (yuck!) - to catch up on blogging. I'm working on 7 posts today, so I can promise one new recipe a week for the next 7 weeks.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
·¾ cup rolled oats
·¼ tsp baking soda
·1/8 tsp salt
·2 TBS brown sugar
·1 TBS plus 2 tsp white sugar
·2 TBS peanut butter
·2 TBS milk
Filling Ingredients:
·2 TBS powdered sugar
·4 TBS smooth peanut butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375˚. Blend together the first 5 cookies ingredients in a food processor or blender. Mix with peanut butter and milk, form into cookie shapes – flattening slightly into circles – and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies finish baking on the stovetop.

For the filling, whisk together powdered sugar and peanut butter until light and airy, about 3 minutes. When cookies have cooled, turn 6 upside down. Divide filling equally between each cookie by placing a dollop of filling into the center of each upside down cookie. Place second cookie on top of filling and press together until filling just comes to the edges.

Makes 6 sandwich cookies.