Thursday, July 3, 2014

Meatless Meals Series ~ Chef AJ's Red Lentil Chili





Dinner tonight was Chef AJ's Red Lentil Chili over baked Yukon Gold Potatoes. 

Chef AJ is one of my favorite plant based chefs and this recipe is definitely a keeper.

You can see her make this recipe on her You Tube Channel:

Chef AJ's Red Lentil Chili

Here is the recipe, my changes are in red.

Chef AJ's Red Lentil Chili


Makes 14 cups

Ingredients:

1 pound of red lentils (I used green since that is what I had on hand)
7 cups of water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of salt-free tomatoes, fire roasted preferred
1 (6 ounce) can of salt-free tomato paste
10 ounces of chopped onion (approximately one large)
One pound of red bell pepper, (approximately 2 large) VERY finely chopped
3 ounces of dates (approximately 12 Deglet Noor) (I had/used 5 dates)
8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (omitted since I was out)
1.5 Tablespoons Parsley Flakes (omitted)
1.5 Tablespoons Oregano
1.5 Tablespoons Salt-free Chili Powder
2 teaspoons SMOKED paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or more to taste) (omitted)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste) (omitted)

Directions:

Blend the dates, tomatoes, red bell peppers and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth.
(I didn't blend anything, I just put them all in the pressure cooker as is)
Place all remaining ingredients in an electric pressure cooker and cook on high for 10 minutes.
Alternatively, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.



8 comments:

  1. Hi Belinda,
    That does sound delicious. I've never heard of adding dates to chili. When I make a vegan chili I often add some cooked brown rice, for a little added texture. I used to add barley, and that was a family favorite, but I'm now allergic to barley. So the rice is a good second. The lentils would certainly make it cook quickly and not heat up a summer kitchen. Some day I must get over my fear of pressure cookers.
    Have a happy 4th!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lili. I like cooked brown rice added to chili too. Stretches it a little bit too to make more. I love my electric pressure cooker. I use it two or three times some days. It is the best appliance I own.

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  2. Yay! I'm glad you tried this. I've been looking at the recipe and I have everything except for the dates. Do they really seem to serve a purpose? I am not crazy about adding sweeter things to chili? The hesitancy about the dates is the only thing keeping this from being on our menu.

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    Replies
    1. Shara, I would leave them out. I don't think it made any difference to the chili as I only used the 5 that I hand on hand. Let me know if you try it. :)

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  3. I made a beef and barley stew in the pressure cooker that you may like. It was hearty enough that I think you could easily leave out the beef and up the veggies a tiny bit. The mushrooms added the right texture to be a meat substitute.

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  4. Hi Belinda, it is great to meet you and to discover your blog. I believe in making my budget go as far as possible and find that by doing so we can live better and healthier than those who make more and spend more :) It is not a matter of how much one earns, but it's more a matter of how well one spends, saves and cares for what they already have.
    I'm your newest follower and I would love to invite you to visit and hopefully to follow me back.
    Your newest blogging sister, Connie :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Connie, so nice to "meet" you here. I'm glad you stopped by for a visit. I will definitely be checking out your blog. :)

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