Sorry guys, its been 8 months or so since my last post, I promise I haven’t forgotten you all but tragedy hit my life, my world collapsed and I found it hard to take a breath let alone think about living, but I am finally back in the kitchen, I don’t feel strong enough to go into details, but I am now a single Gal, working two jobs, working far too many hours and training as a pharmacists assistant, with three children still at home, 2 new kittens and lots of going out, my life is rather hectic to say the least. So from now on I will mostly be bringing you healthy recipes that are easy and extremely quick to make.

I will mostly be keeping posts brief as I have decided to keep my private life just a little more private, a lot of good things as well as bad have happened in the last few months, far to many to talk about, but I am still healing so please be patient with me. I was very open about how wonderful my marriage was, I was so extremely happy, which made it even harder writing this first post after everything that has happened! I may not be able to blog as often as I like, I tend to only cook three nights of the week now, but I promise you this, I am still just as passionate about food, eating healthy and coming together at the table with family and friends, without my family and friends I would not be here today and I thank them all for all their love and support.

Right, now onto the fun part…

This recipe is as promised, quick and simple, but full of goodness and flavour, I am currently 100% Vegetarian, most of the time Vegan, but I do have a weakness for cheese and as I am depriving the kids of all things meaty I do have to make a compromise somewhere.

This dish is hearty, filling and extremely nutritious, you will never miss the meat, I promise 😉

Buon appetito

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 cup corn frozen kernels (I used canned)
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1/3 cup chopped coriander
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Toppings: Sliced green onions, avocado slices, sour cream, optional

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.

Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chilli powder, and coriander. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese.

Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with toppings, if desired. Serve warm.

Note-this recipe freezes well! If you need the recipe to be gluten-free make sure you use a gluten-free enchilada sauce.