Effortless Chili for Cold Days

You'll need:

• 1 onion (diced)
• 3-5 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 large cans of whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 3 regular cans of red kidney beans
• 3 tbsps of olive oil
• 2-4 tbsps of chili powder*
• Salt

Optional:

• Cooked ground beef/turkey
• Rehydrated Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
• Cottage cheese or sour cream
• Chives
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Croutons
• Bread with a nice crust
• Grilled cheese sandwich
• Tabasco sauce

*Here in the States, chili powder is a mixture of spices, so if you're elsewhere in the world, you'll likely have to mix your own (example recipe).

Note: When I worked at a small nonprofit, we would have "Slow Cooker Fridays", and this was the favorite meal to make. The ingredients were divided up.

-Onions, garlic, and olive oil
-Tomatoes
-Kidney beans
-Bread, croutons, cheese, etc.

I usually brought the chili powder, and there was already salt in the kitchen. If you work in a small office, I highly recommend trying this out with your coworkers. Freshly cooked food is such a relief, and it removes a bit of tension and stress in the office.

• Place the garlic clove under the flat portion of the knife and hit the knife quickly with the butt of your hand.
• Remove the skin of the clove.
• Return clove under the flat portion of the knife and hit the knife with the butt of your hand until the clove is smashed.
• Run the knife through the smashed clove until it's fully minced.