Quinoa & Bean Chili

Steve and I had a joint effort in tonight's dinner that we received from my favorite Alaska friend, Vanessa. I chopped the veggies and Steve did everything else. I wish he was home early from work every day!

Here is the original recipe but below is what we did with the ingredients we had on hand:

Makes about 6-8 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
Sea salt
1 tsp Crushed red chili flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, no salt added
2 tablespoons fresh salsa
½ cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 (14-ounce) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed well

Directions

1. Place oil, garlic, onion, and in a soup pot over medium heat. When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika. Sauté for 2–3 minutes. 
2. Stir in celery and, a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. 
3. Stir in carrot and, a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. 
4. Stir in pepper and, a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. 
5. Add tomatoes, salsa, quinoa, and beans and stir well. 
6. Add 1½ cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until quinoa is soft, about 15 minutes. 
7. Season to taste with salt and adjust heat with chili flakes if more is desired. Simmer for 2–3 minutes more.