Don't Need Much Money is exactly what it sounds like: a site about needing less, so you have more. More time. More freedom. More room to actually live. The idea is simple. The less money you need to survive, the more time you have to thrive. Lower your living costs, live a healthy lifestyle focused on longevity and mobility, stay out of debt, and build a little savings, and you buy yourself something far more valuable than money: time. Time to do what you actually love, spend with people you care about, and put toward things that matter. This site is my own real life running that experiment. Most of what you'll find here are recipes and day-to-day habits. They aren't filler posts, it's intentional. Cooking from scratch, buying smart, wasting less, eating well, and staying healhty, fit, and limber all without spending much are some of the most direct ways I practice this philosophy day to day. This blog doubles as my own recipe box and exercise notes, and I share it b...
Where I live, we had a severe string of cold days this winter which got me in the mood for chili. But for some reason, I didn't feel like my typical Vegan Chili with larger black or pinto beans. I was in the mood for something smother and easier to eat, which made me think of red lentils. They cook up so soft and silky. I figured it would make a great altnerative to bean chili, and boy was I right! This dish turned out fantastic. I also did something else different by roasting some potatoes in the oven and seving the chili on top of potatoes. It made an aweseome alternative to cornbread as a side to serve with chili. This meal is definitely now in my rotation, more so than even my vegan chili.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
- 3/4 cups diced onion (about 1/2 a large onion)
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper (about 1/2 a pepper)
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper (about 1/2 a pepper)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp pepper (or cayenne peper to make it spicier)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika (ideally smoked paprika)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 6oz jarred salsa or 1/2 can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles
- 4oz dried red lentils rinsed and drained
- 1.5 cups water for thick chili or 2 cups for runnier chili
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (or 1/2 tsp vegetable bullion and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar)
Directions
- Work your way from the top down on the ingredients list. Start by chopping the onion and peppers or using frozen diced versions if you have them.
- Heat a 4qt pot over medium heat with the oil. Add the onion and peppers and allow to sweat for 5 minutes until translucent. If they start to brown, lower the heat level.
- While they sweat, mix all the spices together in a small bowl from salt on the list down through chili powder.
- Add the tomato paste, salsa/Rotel, and spices to the onion and pepper mixture and cook 1-2 minutes to open up the flavor molecules. You want the mixture to dry out and start to stick to the bottom of the pan but not burn.
- Add the lentils, water, and other liquid flavoring ingredients.
- Turn to medium high heat and bring everything to a simmer while stirring occasionally. Then lower the heat to low, cover the pot with its lid, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils have softened and absorb the liquid.
- When the lentils are the texture you desire, remove from heat and serve.
- If you want to try my suggestion to serve on roasted potatoes, while the chili cooks, preheat the over to 400 degrees. Dice one or two russet potatoes and drizzle with 1 tsp oil and 1/8 tsp of salt per potato. Spread on an oiled baking sheet and bake 30 minutes stirring halfway through.
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