Quinoa and Black Bean Enchilada Bake

First of all - for any of my family - this is really shocking.  I've never eaten onions or peppers in my life. Not just because I didn't like them that much....because I despised them and they completely grossed me out.  But something just has changed lately. I crave the good stuff and I actually really like the taste.  I could still never eat onions or peppers if they weren't cooked - but at least we are moving in the right direction here.

So today I made this delicious recipe and it was the bomb.com to say the least.  It took me a long time because I had to chop and mince and cook fry and bake..... I'm not one to make big recipes (yes don't laugh - this is big for me).  Doing all of this while entertaining a 3 and 1 year old wore me out. I felt like I had just performed brain surgery after everything was finished.  And my kitchen looked like a tornado went through it, which makes my brain go crazy since I don't do "messy". Thankfully I got everything cleaned up in a jiffy and the house is back to normal.

Not only did I love it, which surprised the monkeys out of me.  But my girls LOVED IT.  They kept asking for more.  I couldn't believe it.  Looks like we have a new recipe to add to our list of regulars!

Ok - the info you all have been waiting for.....

What you need:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
• 1 red pepper seeded and diced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• juice of 1 small lime
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 15 oz cans of black beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 cups red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded mexican cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional toppings: greek yogurt, avocado, olives 

I like to get everything prepped and organized on the counter in the order I need to use it in the process.  

How to get it done:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray
• add quinoa and water to medium saucepan and bring to boil. boil for 5 minutes then turn down the heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. fluff with fork and set aside
• if you'd like to add chicken or ground turkey, cook this now 
• in a large skillet over medium high - heat up the olive oil, then add onion, garlic, jalapeno, peppers, corn, lime juice, cumin, chili powder and cilantro.  
• saute for 5-10 minutes until slightly browned.  stir and season with salt and pepper

Look at all those vibrant colors!

• in large mixing bowl, stir quinoa and black beans. add veggie mixture and combine
• stir in 1/2 of the cheese and all of the enchilada sauce
• pour the mixture into the 9 x 13 pan, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top
• cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes
• remove foil and bake for 10 minutes longer until cheese is melted and bubbly
• remove and cool
• serve and enjoy!

If you are doing the 21 Day Fix - measure your serving using the yellow container (and also count a red container as well for the day)

Sorry - I'm not exactly sure how many calories are in a serving - but based on the size of the container and the different calorie suggestions I've looked up - I'd say somewhere around 300...