I know, I know. Vegan food in a dutch oven?? When I was cooking for a group at work, I felt bad that one team member could never join in, so I decided to find a recipe that this associate could eat. I cooked a vegan dish in my dutch oven and not only did the world NOT come to an end, but it was also very delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 19-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 Tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Bring the quinoa and water to a boil over a full spread of briquettes in a 10-inch dutch oven. Cover and cook with 6 briquettes bottom heat and 10 briquettes top heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed. Set aside. (The quinoa can be pre-cooked and refrigerated until ready to use.)

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch dutch oven over 18-20 briquettes until the vegetable oil shimmers. Stir in the onion and saute until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook and stir about 1 minute to release the flavors. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, jalapeno pepper, chipotle peppers, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook with 8 briquettes bottom heat and 10 briquettes top heat for 20 minutes.

Stir in the reserved quinoa and corn. Cook until the corn is heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro to serve.



Serves 8.