What’s that? A hundred tabs are open on your computer. Your laundry is overflowing. A pile of dirty dishes are in your sink. Yup! It’s that time of the semester again. The time where we feel like we have no time to cook, but also need to fuel our souls with some comfort food. So here I am, once again, with a one pot meal suggestion to get you through the tough time in between midterms and finals.
This time around I’ve decided to make a chilli, because it’s something that you can eat a few different ways and make in one pot, plus the ingredients are all student-budget friendly. You only need a few simple ingredients, all of which you can get at nearby grocery stores like Provigo, Metro, Marche Eden, or Segal’s. This recipe takes about forty minutes from start to finish and makes about six servings, making it the perfect meal for that home stretch of the semester when there’s no time to cook.
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- ½ jalapeno, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 green peppers, diced
- ½ cup mushrooms, sliced
- 14oz can red kidney beans
- 14oz can mix bean medley
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 19 oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup broth or water
- Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
First, prepare all the ingredients. Dice and slice the veggies and drain the beans. Next, heat a large pot on medium-high with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook until the onions are translucent. Then, add the carrots, peppers, and mushrooms, and saute until the mushrooms have shrunk a little — about five minutes. Next, add the beans and cook for another two minutes. Now you’ll want to push your veggies to the side of the pot, add the spices to center, and let them smoke for about a minute to unleash their full flavour. Stir the spices into the vegetables and let them cook for another two to five minutes.
Now, you’re going to let it stew. But first, add the tomatoes, quinoa, and broth, and give it a nice stir. Give the stew a little taste for flavour and see if you want to add any more spices. Once you’ve decided it’s spiced to your liking, let it simmer for about thirty minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Now that your chilli is done, let’s talk about all the ways you can enjoy it!
1.The Classic: toss a big scoop in a bowl and top with some sour cream, spring onion, and cheddar cheese.
2. Tacos: heat some corn tortillas in a pan and add the chilli. Fold the tortillas and top with sliced avocado and some crispy greens, cabbage, or sprouts.
3. Salad: in a large bowl, add romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, spicy banana peppers, celery, and red onion. Top with cold chilli and lime juice-olive oil dressing.
4. Collard Green Wrap: destem the collard greens, overlap two leaves and place chilled chilli at the centre, then wrap like a burrito.
5. Nachos: on a baking sheet, place some corn chips and layer with cheese, olives, sliced red onion, and the chilli. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melts, then add guac, salsa, sour cream…and if you really want to get fancy, some pickled jalapeños or onions.
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This recipe is so delicious, and it keeps in the fridge for up to ten days. And believe me, as those final papers take their toll, you’re going to need something quick, cozy, and tasty to sustain you.
