Cheap, Easy, Fast Chili

This a vegan chili that doesn't require a slow cooker or a ton of fresh ingredients. It's meant for those days when you want to spend 10 minutes putting together something in a pot and then come back in a half hour to a warm, filling meal. That said, upgrading the ingredients and replacing the simmer with four hours in the slow cooker will reward your effort! Also, the spice mix is versatile and can also be used for taco nights! Serves two.

Ingredient

• Vegetable Oil
• One Onion
• One Green Pepper
• Two Cloves of Garlic
• One Can Tomato Paste
• One Can Stewed Tomatoes, Including the Juice
• One Can Black Beans or Red Kidney Beans
• One Pound Firm Tofu
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond, Soy, or Other Nondairy Milk
• 1/2 Cup Spinach
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano
• 1 Teaspoon Basil
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Celery Seed
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• Nondairy cheese
• Saltines

Recipe

1. Press the tofu for 15 minutes and then dice
2. Crack open the can of beans, but do not full remove the lid, allow the liquid from the can to drain while preparing the other ingredients. Pour around half a tablespoon of oil into a pot and bring to medium high heat.
3. Dice the onion, green pepper, and garlic (remember to remove any green shoots from the garlic, they cause heartburn). Saute the onions and green peppers for around six minutes once the oil is up to temperature. There should be audible sizzling, but only when listening closely.
4. Add the diced garlic and the can of tomato paste and heat for another three minutes, there should be some browning of the tomato paste.
5. Add the stewed tomatoes (with the juice), the beans, the tofu, and the milk. Stir continuously. The mixture should be thick, but with enough fluid that it can cook evenly. Add more nondairy milk if needed. Add the spices and stir them in.
6. Once the chili begins to boil, bring the heat down to a simmer and stir in the spinach. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, checking and stirring periodically.
7. Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with nondairy cheese. Serve with saltines.