Chicken and Quinoa Chili…With A Little Bit of Chocolate!

Typically when I think of making chili, it’s winter time. Something thick, warm and hearty for the cooler weather (it gets sort of cool in Los Angeles, right?). But this morning when I awoke, it wasn’t cold but it was overcast and dismal, and somehow it got me in the mood to get creative. I had seen a chili recipe online I liked, but I wanted to modify it. The idea of using quinoa to make it a little heartier, but also higher in fiber, was tempting. Not to mention using bell peppers in the chili for added color, flavor and vitamins.

One other ingredient I added was chocolate. But when I say chocolate, I didn’t melt down a chocolate bar or baking chocolate. I used a chocolate powder. Not just any chocolate powder, a raw vegan cacao superfood powder. Does this sound crazy? Well, it’s not. My friend Sophie has an amazing raw superfood protein powder line called Philosophie, and one of the blends, which happens to be my favorite, is called Cacao Magic. This blend has 8 ingredients in it, all of which are organic, and raw cacao powder and cacao nibs are the main ingredients. I received a large bag of this powder a few months back from her when I created a raw dessert for an event Vision Fitness and Wellness did in collaboration with Lorna Jane. I fell in love with it then and used it for creating chocolate mousses, smoothies, even adding it to almond butter sometimes! Once I ran out, I went and bought more, and a small bag of it is sitting on top of my refrigerator. As I was creating this chili, I had gone to get something off the refrigerator and I saw the bag and it got my creative wheels spinning. I had used cacao powder in a chili mix I had made before, but never her specific powder. I figured it would make the sauce a little richer and the thought of adding more nutrients to a meal is always appealing to me.

In the end, if you don’t own this powder, raw cacao powder from your nearest Sprouts or Whole Foods or health food store will do, but it is a great investment, especially if you like chocolate.

The chili came out amazing, by the way and there is leftovers for tomorrow and probably the next day as well…lunch anyone?

Chicken and Quinoa Chili…with Chocolate!

2-3 Large Chicken Breasts

1 Can 15oz Red Kidney Beans (washed and drained)

1 Can (15oz) Cannellini Beans (washed and drained)

2 Cups Cooked Quinoa, red or white

1 Can (8oz) Organic Tomato Sauce

1 Onion (chopped)

4-5 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1 Cup Red and Orange Peppers (chopped)

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Lemon (juiced)

Lemon Pepper

2 tbsp Philosophie Cacao Magic

First, cook quinoa as the package you buy it in recommends to. I usually buy low sodium chicken broth and use 2 cups to one cup of quinoa. It typically takes about 12 minutes to cook through.

Broil your chicken in the oven, adding lemon pepper or whatever spice you chose (that just happens to be my favorite).

Once the chicken is cooked shred it with a fork (or your hands if they are clean) and set it aside.

In a big pan add olive oil over medium heat and cook the onions, garlic and peppers for about 2 minutes.

Then add the lemon and honey, mix and lower heat.

Next, add the beans, quinoa, chicken and tomato sauce. Add more lemon pepper or sea salt if you wish. Mix well.

Lastly, add the cacao magic powder and a couple dashes of cayenne and stir it all together.

ransfer the mixture to a bake proof dish and bake for about 30 minutes until all water dries and everything looks crispy. While cooking in oven mix/toss a couple of times.

Feel free to add sliced avocado or a cheese of your choice if you wish. I the flavor of this chili is really good, so you won’t need much.