Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa

For the next few weeks, I am going to have to rely on the slow cooker for Monday night dinners while I puppy sit (Yeah, I know! Poor me!!!!)  I'm currently enjoying being on a quinoa and farro kick.  Good ol' pasta and rice were getting boring - it's fun to try out "new" grains that are thousands of years old!!!  You can crank the heat up or down on this one by the number of peppers you use, or if you don't like spicy food, leave them out entirely.  I'm going to leave them out at the farm and serve them on the side for people to stir in if they want them.  

***Remember - when handling hot peppers - wear disposable gloves, especially when handling the seeds and the inside ribs of the peppers.  Do NOT touch your face while handling those peppers, especially around your eyes - believe me, you only do it once and you'll understand.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa

from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

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

S/P

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Procedure:

Cook the ground chicken in a skillet until no longer pink and place in slow cooker.

Add everything except the last 3 ingredients and 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. 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.

*Quinoa seeds sometimes have a coating of bitter-tasting chemicals called saponins, that make the seeds not tasty to birds and other seed-eaters. Put the seeds in a mesh strainer and rinse the seeds throughly, just in case.  video - Rinsing Quinoa



And for today's lesson in nutrition, class:

Quinoa:  

• originated in the Andean region of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia
• was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago
• is a "pseudocereal" similar to buckwheat and amaranth
• nutrient composition is favorable compared with common cereals
• contains essential amino acids like lysine and acceptable quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron

This week's recipe detectives:

Kim Johnson-OK  

with an assist from

Blue Penguin and Jody from MD