*Whew* we made it through the holidays gang! I am always to torn when they are gone. On one hand, the stress of decorating, gift buying, cooking, and entertaining is done. But then again the decorating, gift buying, cooking, and entertaining is done.
Now you can see why I drive Kevin crazy. One minute I want something, then I am like "Meh.....whatever". Last year I told him that we needed to take the Christmas tree down because the needles were starting to fall off (it was like January 10th or something crazy like that), then I sat on the sofa pouting for two hours after it was gone.
Ya, that's me!
Anywho, after the rich, decadent, sugar laden dishes and treats we have been noshing on for the last month or so, lightening up things seemed to be a great idea. Let's walk away from the table not feeling like we need to lay down and hibernate for 2 months shall we?
One of my new faves is quinoa, I know I am a little slow to jump on this band wagon right? I blame it on the family (which always seems to work for me). When I would mention quinoa I would get this wrinkled up nose face. You know that face like they just stepped in something really stinky? I was like, "Fine, don't be healthy then!". Just kidding, I begged and pleaded, and then finally just snuck it in masked with a ton of cheese. Once they ate it, and liked it, I sprang it on them that they had just had their first taste of quinoa and didn't all fall over dead.
Now that I have them all, pretty much, on board with the quinoa thing, I have started using it in place of rice, or pasta, in my casserole dishes. This time I decided that I not only wanted to lighten it up, I wanted to make it working Mom friendly too.
I have really been determined that I am going to make good use of my slow cooker this year. Even though I work from home, I love the fact that I can throw a bunch of ingredients into my slow cooker and then, besides making my house smell fabulous all day, dinner is ready when I am tired and just looking to relax.
Then to make it even more fun, I wanted to use my favorite flavors, Mexican. I could live on Mexican food if I had too, and trying to make some of my faves healthier can be a bit tricky. But by using the quinoa, black beans, and half of the cheese (trust me, you wont miss it), this dinner is not only guilt free, it tastes great!
BONUS - Have leftovers? Warm a flour tortilla in the microwave for a few seconds, and a tiny sprinkle of cheese, and a couple spoonfuls of this casserole. Wrap it into a burrito, and bake it in the oven at 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes. You can even make a little sauce of Cholula and fat-free Greek yogurt. OhhEmmmGeeee fab!
Trust me, would a woman that ate them for lunch 3 days in a row lie to you?
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can (15-ounce) diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (depending o the heat level you want)
- 1 cup water
- 1 can (10-ounces) enchilada sauce
- 2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Equipment Used
Slow Cooker
Large Cutting Board
Chef's Knife
Large Skillet
Measuring Cups
Wooden Spoon
Measuring Spoons
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the ground chicken until no pink remains. Place in the slow cooker.
- Add in the uncooked quinoa, the black beans, frozen corn, diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, and jalapeno, water, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or until the liquid is all absorbed into the mixture.
- Remove the lid and stir everything again. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir in the half the cheese and sprinkle the other half on top. Replace the lid and let the cheese melt. Top with the chopped green onions and cilantro.
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
(http://www.bobbiskozykitchen.com/)
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