Chili Recipe

It’s that time of year where nestling next to the fire with a bowl of chili just sounds perfect. Getting the premade stuff at the grocery store is okay but you never know what kind of additives are in it. And honestly, chili is very easy to make.

The only time that I will use canned tomatoes is in the winter. When fresh fruits and vegetables are difficult to come by, sometimes canned is all we have. I guess you could try to make your own sauce from scratch but the tomatoes in the stores this time of year are from someplace else since they are not in season. They would have to be picked really early and ripened artificially which can increase the acidity of the tomato and make gastric reflux worse for anyone who suffers from it. 

Chili is a very easy and delicious winter specialty. You will be surprised at how easy it is after we finish making it. This chili will not contain meat but you can always add it if you prefer. Chili is also a great way to hide vegetables if you have picky eaters.

The ingredients are very flexible. I will list the ‘usual’ ingredients and then the optional items. Lentils are used to replace the meat aspect of the chili. Pinto beans can also add a little different flavor that is somewhat similar to meat. 

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

1 large onion

1-2 Tbsp minced garlic

6 oz tomato paste + 1 can water to rinse

1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (15oz) chili beans

2 Tbsp chili powder           

1 Tbsp cumin powder

1 cup lentils + 3 cups water

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional ingredients:

Corn – either from a can and rinsed or 1.5 cups of frozen corn

1 can pinto beans rinsed

2 Tbsp diced green chili peppers or 1 chopped jalapeno without seeds – for spice

2 cups shredded zucchini

2 cups chopped carrots

½ chopped bell pepper

Cooking: Heat the oil and sauté the chopped onion until translucent. If you do not like onion, you can skip this step but I feel the onion does add a little something. Then add the 3 C water and 1 C of lentils. Allow the lentils to boil with lid on until water is almost gone. The lentils will take a while to cook so it gives you time to chop the other ingredients.

Once the water is almost all absorbed add the tomato paste with the 1 can of water, the diced tomatoes, garlic, chili beans, spices and any of the other additions. Rinse the cans with a little water and mix in. Personally when I make this I usually pull a bag of frozen shredded zucchini or other squash from the freezer that we picked from the garden the previous summer. The squash takes up the flavor of the chili and with it being shredded most people miss that it is even there. If you do not have that chopped carrots can add some vegetables to the mix without messing with the flavor. I would have never thought carrots until I had a bunch from the garden recently and it was delicious. The chili pictured above includes bell pepper, corn, and okra (first time we tried okra in chili and it is not bad).

I put the corn as an optional item since I am not sure how many people usually add corn to their chili. I have always done this and enjoy it. Rinsing it takes away a lot of the sodium that the canned corn comes in. If salt is a concern, then use frozen corn. Adding the diced green chili peppers will add a little kick to the chili. If you want more of a kick, get a jalapeno and mince it. Remove the seeds, though, otherwise it will be very spicy.

Let this simmer over a low heat for about 20-30 minutes.  Serve with corn bread or whatever you like with your chili. Once everything is mixed, you could serve right away but I like giving it time to meld the flavors. Enjoy!