Sheffield— Here is a recipe for a chili that is just scrumptious. It also quite versatile. The veggies can vary as long as you have around five cups of them. For example, for this batch, I added carrots and left out the kale. You can also use ground beef instead of sausage, or your favorite canned beans instead of garbanzos. This is one of my favorite dishes, and I hope it becomes one of yours, too.
Red Lentil Chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 large yellow squash, chopped
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups chicken broth
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 cup red lentils
1 28 ounce can tomatoes, squished by hand
1 bunch kale or baby spinach, chopped
Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven and add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about two minutes. Stir in zucchini and squash and sauté for two more minutes.
Add the sausage, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder, and cook until the meat is cooked through.
Stir in the chicken stock, beans, and lentils. Turn heat to high on high, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low, stirring occasionally until the lentils are softened and not sticking to the bottom of the pan (about 25 minutes.)
Stir in tomatoes and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Stir in kale and simmer for another 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some nice crusty bread and butter.
