Hearty Lentil Chili. ~. Vegetarian

 

     

Hearty Chili  ~  Vegetarian

This hearty lentil chili is packed with smoky, savory spices, carrots, and bell peppers for rich flavor, satisfying texture, and a nourishing boost of protein. Made with chorizo (easily vegan-adaptable), it can be cooked on the stovetop and ready in about 45 minutes, or prepared in the slow cooker (crockpot) for an easy, hands-off meal.

Like most soups and stews, this lentil chili tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen and meld. It's a perfect make-ahead chili recipe for healthy, comforting meals you can enjoy all week long.

Best Cornbread recipe will post 3/21/2026

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped
2–3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 pound ground meat or chorizo (or use plant-based “ground meat”, turkey, beef, or chicken)
2/3 cups dried brown lentils (8 ounces)
1/3 cup dried split red lentils (or sub more brown lentils, but red makes the chili thicker)
1 carrots, sliced into half rounds, about 3/4 cups
7 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
1/4– 1/2 jalapeno, diced (seeds removed)
3/4 teaspoons salt (adjust salt to taste)
1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder (or sub Mexican chile powder)
1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tablespoons molasses (or maple syrup or honey)
3 cups broth or stock (veggie, chicken or beef)
1/2 bell pepper, green or colored, chopped
1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (optional, add to taste)

Directions:

Sauté onion in a pan over medium high heat with oil for 3 minutes until it starts to soften. Add garlic stirring in and add chorizo, sauté for 5 minutes. 

Add lentils, carrots, tomatoes, jalapeño, salt, ancho powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin. Mix together.

Add broth, molasses and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer with a vented lid for 30 minutes. 

Add green pepper and simmer 15 minutes more, uncovering it to cook off the liquid. 

Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then adjust the seasonings if needed.

Serve in bowls with sour cream, shredded cheese or avocado and cilantro.

Storage: 

Leftover Lentil Chili will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or can be frozen for 3 months.

The Lentil Chili will have a thicker consistency when slow-cooked in the crockpot.

Slow Cooker Instructions: 

In a skillet, sauté onion in a pan over medium-high heat with oil for 3 minutes until it starts to soften. Add garlic, stirring in, and add chorizo, sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the chorizo mixture into the crockpot along with the lentils, carrots, tomatoes, jalapeño, salt, ancho powder, oregano, smoked paprika cumin broth, molasses and cinnamon sticks.

With the lid on, cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. Add in the green peppers in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Stir in the apple cider vinegar and adjust seasonings if needed.

Mulled Cranberry Apple Compote

Mulled Cranberry Apple Compote

 The awakening of the holiday season lists cranberries on the menu.  For most people, a little dab will do you.  I enjoy the tartness to mellow the sweetness of the turkey meat plus all of the nutritional value.

Ingredients:
Mulling Spices
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
6 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
Peel of ½ orange
Peel of ½ lemon
Compote
12 ounces of cranberries
3 tart apples peeled, cored and diced (Granny Smith or Empire)
2 ½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup water
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Put all mulling spices in cheesecloth and make a sachet.                                                                                   

Add the sachet and all ingredients into a heavy bottomed nonreactive pot and bring to a boil and bring to a simmer over low heat until most of the cranberries have burst and apples have cooked through, about ½ hour. 

Remove the pot from heat and keep mulling spices in compote until cool. Take the sachet of mulling spices out before serving.  Yield:  One Quart

Mexican Hot Chocolate

                                             

Mexican Hot Chocolate

The etymology of chocolate is via Spanish via Nahuatl — xocólatl combines xococ for sour, atl for water, owing to the bitterness of its earliest uses for what was once an elegant drink in the royal courts of ancient Mexico. Its export to Europe and the passing of centuries made “hot chocolate” a milk-derived sweet drink, warmed, though in Indigenous communities in Mexico, it’s still predominantly prepared with only water. My recipe calls for water and a half-cup of milk addition to give the chocolate a bit of body. Plus, plenty of fragrant spices, and a hint of heat.

Ingredients:

6 cups water

1 ½ tablets Mexican chocolate
½ cup milk (optional)
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 pinch star anise (2 or 3 small pieces)
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon dried tepin or pequin chiles, about 6 to 8, or any small round Mexican chile (optional)
1 pinch ground cardamom

Directions:
In a medium saucepan or olla, heat water until just before boiling. Add the chocolate tablets and milk, if using, and set a timer for 12 minutes.

Drop in the cinnamon sticks, star anise, clove and optional chiles. Stir gently every minute or so as liquid simmers.

Use a molinillo or a wire whisk to break down the chocolate pieces and add the cardamom as the mixture simmers. If the cinnamon breaks down, that’s OK.

In the final two minutes of simmering, vigorously whisk the chocolate so it melts completely and froths along the edges. Pour into cups for serving, straining optional.

Hot Mulled Cider

Mulled Apple Cider

Pairs well with a good book or an evening stroll.

Ingredients

1 ½ quarts of unfiltered apple cider
1 honeycrisp apple cut in thin cross-sections
5 cinnamon sticks, 1 for mulling and remaining for each mug
1 orange
1 star anise pod
2 whole cloves
4 ounces of your favorite bourbon (optional)

‍Directions:
Juice one half of the orange. Cut the remaining half into thin triangular slices and set aside for garnish.

Add all ingredients, except 4 cinnamon sticks, sliced orange and bourbon if using, into a 2 quart pot.

Simmer on low for ten minutes.

Remove from heat and add bourbon if using and stir.

Pour into mugs and add one cinnamon stick and a slice of orange into each mug.

Celebration Punch

Celebration Punch

It’s time to celebrate! To commemorate a special occasion, I raise a glass to you, dear readers. Ten ingredients combine to make one truly delectable beverage.  Flavors warm and spicy, crisp and cool, all at once. In keeping with our ongoing kitchen pantry preserve/ cocktail experiments, we use fig jam here to special effect, a subtle note that captures the essence of the season, and lingers on the tongue with a silky mouthfeel.
Ingredients:
½ gallon unfiltered apple juice
6 cardamom pods, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
2 tablespoons fig jam
2 cups bourbon
2 12-ounce bottles ginger beer
5 oranges (use 4 to make 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice and slice 1 into wheels for garnish)
½ cup crystalized ginger, sliced
10 dashes Angostura bitters
Directions:
Pour the apple juice into a large pot. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom and star anise and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the fig jam and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight.

Pour the spiced apple juice into a large punch bowl or pitcher, using a strainer to remove the whole spices. Add the bourbon, ginger beer and orange juice and mix well. Top with the crystalized ginger, orange slices and bitters. Add ice to serving glasses if desired. Serves 8.

Chicken Korma

CHICKEN KORMA RECIPE

Chicken Korma recipe is a Muglai speciality. Chicken Korma Curry has pieces of boneless chicken cooked with almond sauce and spices and garnished with roasted almonds. Serves 2  Cooking time 30 mins

Ingredients:

400 grams chicken breasts, chopped in large pieces

1 tablespoon ground almonds

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic paste

2-3 oil or clarified butter (ghee)

1 medium onion chopped fine

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

150 ml curd (dahi)

2 green chilies 

4 pods cardamom 

3 cloves

2 medium sized cinnamon sticks

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon chopped green coriander

1/2 tablespoon roasted chopped almonds

salt to taste

Directions:
Marinate the chicken pieces with lemon juice, pinch of salt, black pepper and garlic paste. Rub the mixture thoroughly to the pieces and keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the oil/ghee and when it is medium hot add the chopped onions and turmeric.

Fry till the onions are light golden and then take them out and keep aside. Leave the oil behind for further use.

In a mixer make a fine paste of fried onions, curd, almonds, green chillies. Pour this mixture on the marinated chicken pieces.

Now reheat the oil in the pan on medium flame and then add cardammom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Stir them for 30 secs and then add the marinated chicken along with leftover paste.

Let the chicken cook on low flame while stirring occasionally till it boils. Then cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer till the chicken is cooked properly.
Finally add garam masala and chopped green coriander.

Add the salt according to taste and garnish with roasted almonds and some cream

Ketchup With A Twist

Ketchup   With A Twist

Ingredients:

15 oz. tomato puree

1 small onion, cut in half

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cinnamon stick

*

Directions:

Stir and cook for 1 hour on low heat.

Hot Mexican Chocolate

Hot Mexican Chocolate

Combining chocolate and spices is a favourite for hot chocolate and creates a decadent-tasting beverage. Shaking it in the Thermos® will help create a foamy texture when you don’t have whipped cream to serve with it. 3 oz 70% cocoa bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (see TIP) 1/3 cup  dark brown sugar 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp instant co ffee granules ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg 3 cups whole milk 2 cinnamon sticks Pinch ancho chili powder or nutmeg (see TIP) Whipped cream (optional) 1 In a saucepan, whisk together chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder, instant co ee and nutmeg with 1 cup of the milk. Add cinnamon sticks, set over medium-low heat and melt chocolate, whisking occasionally, for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Slowly whisk in remaining milk and chili powder; bring to a gentle simmer, whisking often, for about 8 minutes or until steaming and hot. 2 Serve dolloped with whipped cream and a pinch of chili powder or nutmeg, if desired. If serving right away without whipped cream, simply whisk vigorously to produce more bubbles on top. Serves 4 to 6 TIPS: Look for 70% cocoa chocolate bars in the candy aisle of the grocery store. For a spicier version of this drink you can use the dark chocolate bar infused with chili. For a smoky hit of chili powder, try using chipotle instead of ancho chili powder.