Eat For Eight Bucks: Chili Con Frijoles Recipe

• 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1/2 to 2 small, fresh hot green chiles, finely chopped, seeds removed for a milder chili (I used 2 serranos and most of their seeds)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika or pimenton
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crumbled sage
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup uncooked lentils, picked over and washed
• 1 cup cooked drained beans
• 2 to 3 canned plum tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (I used about 1/4 of a 28-ounce box of chopped tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus a little extra for garnish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• To serve: millet (or rice or tortilla chips), 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional), 2 ounces grated cheese (such as cheddar or pepper jack, optional)

1. Put the oil in a medium pan over a medium-high flame. When hot, add the onion, garlic, green pepper, and hot green chiles. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes, or until the seasonings just start to brown. Do let them start to get some color, even if it takes 6 minutes or 10. Turn down the heat to medium-low and continue to saute for another 3 minutes. Now add the cumin, paprika, thyme, sage, oregano, and cayenne. Stir briskly once or twice and add the lentils, 4 cups of water, the beans, tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook gently for 50 minutes.
2. Mix the cornmeal with 3 tablespoons water and then pour the mixture into the chili pot. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
3. Serve with millet (or rice or tortilla chips), topping each bowl with a tablespoon of yogurt and a sprinkle of cheese and cilantro.

olive oil, onion, garlic, green bell pepper, fresh hot green chiles, ground cumin, paprika, thyme, sage, oregano, cayenne, uncooked lentils, beans, tomatoes, cilantro, salt, yellow cornmeal, millet

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/10/eat-for-eight-bucks-chili-con-frijoles-beans-recipe.html (may not work)