Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili

The weather may be heating up, but I can't give up my soups and chilis just yet! I just love the convenience of throwing a bunch of ingredients into a single pot for a quick, tasty, and nutrition-packed meal.

Last night, I combined veggies with some black beans, quinoa, and spices. Of course, I also added in my all time favorite chili ingredient: roasted chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  It turned into one heck of a delicious vegan meal!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili
Total time: 35 minutes
Hands on time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans (or roughly 1.5 cups fresh cooked)
• 1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1.5 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cups dry quinoa, rinsed
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

Saute garlic, onion, sweet potato, carrots, and bell pepper in olive oil until onions are soft (about 5 minutes).

Add spices and remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables and quinoa are cooked.

Top with garnishes of your choice - avocado, cheese (we used Daiya non-dairy), green onions, etc.

I love how thick and filling this soup turned out.  Even through the cold weather is on its way out, this recipe is here to stay!

Water-to-Grain Cooking Ratios {A Cute Chart for You}

Since I pretty much prepare some type of grain on a daily basis, you would think I'd have all the cooking methods committed to memory by now. 

Instead, I am always second guessing myself on how much water to use, how long to boil it, etc.  I'll be making brown rice and think, "I need a one-to-two ratio. Or, wait, is that that quinoa?  Maybe it's one to one.  No, that's oatmeal." And so on and so on. 

And then there are times when I get the water amount correct, only to find out that I've accidentally made enough servings to feed an army rather than a family of two. 

To keep the details straight, I created a note on my phone listing all of the water-to-grain ratios along with (roughly) how long to cook each one and approximate serving sizes.  It has come in handy on so many occasions!  I find myself referring to it all the time, so I thought I would create a better-looking version to share with you all. 

I plan to get this list printed in color so I can post it on the little cork square I just added to the inside of my spice cabinet.  It's a perfect place for recipes and cooking notes just like this.  

Now I won't ever have to second guess myself again (at least when it comes to cooking grains, that is!). 

10K + Cinnamon Raisin Energy Balls

Today was the day of the Redbud 10k race I've been training for over the last couple months.  Unfortunately, the nice spring weather we've been having did not stick around.  It was quite cold - high only around 50 - and the rain started coming down strong right at race time.  

Even though the weather wasn't perfect, when it comes to running I would much rather be cold than hot.  I think I ran faster in order to stay warm and get out of the rain, and I ended up with one of my best ever 10k times.  I don't know how I finished officially, but I'm sure it was under an hour.  For someone who has to push it a little to run a 10 minute mile, I was happy!

My running buddy/husband was under the weather this weekend and couldn't run with me, but I enjoyed running the race alone more than I thought I would.  Jay and my mom both cheered me on, along with lots of other dedicated fans that got out and braved the elements.  I had a great playlist to keep me going, and the miles really flew by.  

(Sorry for looking like such a dork in that picture.)

So yesterday at the store, Jay and I scooped up a few too many raisins from the bulk bins.  Our little canister that we use to hold them was overflowing, so I decided to make a quick dessert with the extras.  I turned to my recipe for salty-sweet no-bake nut butter balls as inspiration to come up with these delicious cinnamon raisin energy bites.  

We ate them after dinner last night as a dessert, but they also made for the perfect pre-race energy fuel today.  These balls are packed full of such healthy ingredients, you could definitely eat them any time of day.  

Cinnamon Raisin Energy Balls

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (mine was heaping)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Roll dough into balls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating. 

Tip:  To help the balls stick together (and not to your hands), put a little water on your hands before rolling. 

 

We did get lucky enough to enjoy some nice weather on Saturday, and I am absolutely loving the start of spring and everything that goes with it!  I'll end this post with a few more miscellaneous weekend pics.

 

 

Have a great week everyone!

A Deep Cleaning Schedule

Jay and I are pretty clean people, and we always complete basic household chores like vacuuming, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, and doing laundry on a weekly basis.  We both do quick cleans throughout the week and generally keep most of our clutter under control.  I love the feeling of a clean and organized home!

There are a few areas, however, that we really tend to let go - tasks like washing windows, cleaning the insides of appliances, or wiping out the fridge, to name a few.  They don't need to be done all the time, but that doesn't mean one should never do them. 

This came to my attention last weekend, when I noticed that our oven had some gunk on the inside that was starting to smell like a marshmallow that had fallen into a campfire.  Our oven has a "self-clean" button (as I'm pretty sure most do), but I had never run a cleaning cycle on it (nor on any other oven ever in my life).  Since the inside of this appliance is out of sight about 99 percent of the time, apparently it has also been out-of-mind for me. 

I decided that cleaning the oven was something I really needed to work into my schedule every few months, and that there were probably a lot of other chores along the same lines that I had been neglecting.  They may not need to be done all the time, they still need to be done on occasion.  And "on occasion" means more than once every five years.

I came up with a list of extra chores that don't always get the attention they deserve.  Then, I put together a spreadsheet with the chores in one column and the date completed in another.  I am going to try to choose one or two of these extra tasks each week and then record the date on the spreadsheet (which I have shared with Jay through Google Drive, in case he wants to participate).  This way, I will know exactly how long ago each job was completed, and I can choose to do chores that haven't been tended to recently.

Here is the list I came up with:

• Make cleaning supplies - This is something I always put off, and I think it would be a lot easier if I set aside some time to make my laundry detergent, shower cleaner, etc. all at once. 
• Clean appliances - Vinegar works great for cleaning dishwashers, microwaves, and washing machines. 
• Clean out cars - Even if it just means taking them to the car wash...it's something I really have to make myself do. 
• Wipe down cabinets/appliances - I use a natural all-purpose cleaner on the cabinets and a stainless steel microfiber cloth on the appliances.
• Wipe down baseboards/trim/doors - These are all white in our house, so a quick wipe-down really makes a difference.  
• Clean out one drawer or shelf - The junk drawer can always use it.
• Clean out fridge and freezer - It is amazing what you'll find hidden in the back. 
• Deep clean oven - Now that I know how to do this, I vow to do it more often.
• Clean out one closet - It's amazing how quickly they all fill-up. 
• Wash windows - I love these new miracle glass and mirror cloths I bought on Amazon that require nothing but water!
• Go through bathroom toiletries - It's good to reorganize and toss the expired stuff once in a while. 
• Clean out pantry - More organizing and tossing.
• Spot clean upholstery and carpets - It doesn't take long for our beige couches to get dirty with two dogs. 
• Purge or file all excess papers - This could also include going through the file cabinet, which is long overdue for us.
• Wash throws and dog beds - It's easy to overlook, but they get stinky after a while.
• Clean coffee makers - A vinegar/water cycle does a great job.  You can see my method here. 
• Clean makeup brushes - I also show an easy method for this here. 
• Disinfect/wipe out trash cans - Kind of like the oven, just because you can't see it doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.  

And here is the plan reduced to a cuter, simpler format:

The oven looks one hundred times better now that it has been cleaned!  I wish I had taken "before" and "after" photos.

On the agenda for this weekend - clean coffee makers (there is some suspicious gunk in the water chamber of our Keurig) and maybe wash cars.

Happy cleaning!

Weekend Highlights + Edamame Hummus

It was a pretty low-key weekend around here.  A few fun activities along with plenty of chores and errands. 

  

The 10k I signed up for is only a week away, so I was sure to get in one last long run this weekend.  I was scheduled to run 5.5 miles, but the weather was so amazingly beautiful yesterday that I went ahead and did a full six.  It's the farthest I've run in a while, and it actually felt really good.  

Although I haven't stuck to my 10k training plan perfectly over the last 8 weeks, I've made an effort to get in at least one longer run each week and to continually increase my mileage.  I definitely feel like I will be well-prepared for the run next weekend, even if I'm not the speediest one out there.

Last night, Jay and I attended a BBQ at my friend Zenie's house in honor of some other friends who were visiting from out of town.  Kari and Nick moved away to Chicago last summer, so it was great to catch up with them!

I brought along some hummus that I made using edamame beans instead of garbanzos.  I eat sooo much regular hummus, I thought it'd be nice to mix things up a bit.  It turned out great and was a big hit at the party.  Everyone was intrigued by the fun green color, too...next St. Patrick's day this will definitely be on my menu!

Here is the recipe:

Edamame Hummus
1.5 cups shelled and cooked edamame
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup tahini
Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons water (as needed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine edamame, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Drizzle olive oil through feed tube and continue to process.  If the hummus is still really think, add in a couple tablespoons of water until you reach desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

There was an amazing spread of food at the party, including eggplant paninis with pesto mayo and homemade bread, several healthy pasta salads, and a brisket that the guys stayed up ALL NIGHT smoking.  They even had their own homemade Sriracha Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce.  It was quite impressive!

 

Today has consisted of cleaning and laundry, plus a lot of time working outside and in the garden.  Jay built us a little mini greenhouse so that we can start growing veggies early, and he also worked on an irrigation system for all the flower beds in the back yard.  More on this to come!

I planted a couple flowers myself, but am trying to hold off on doing too much until I know the warmer weather is here to stay.

I'm getting so excited for spring!

We finished off our night with some Indian chana masala made with extra yams and chopped peanuts on top.  This meal is always a good one!  

I'm off to watch "House of Cards."  We are almost done with season 2...it's so addicting!