I used to wonder why my mom was always to tired to cook when she came home from work, and I also used to wonder why people made such a big deal about not having time to always cook a home-healthy meal.
Now I understand. College has made me a very busy person and after a long day of studying, classes, and/or lab work, I don’t always want to spend an hour or two washing all the dishes and then cooking a meal.
This is probably a reason why most college kids don’t cook, but instead go out to eat. For those with enough money, that’s great. But if you’re like me and don’t have a job or have a low paying one, it’s really not that easy to go out to eat for most of your meals what with the cost of other living expenses, plus endless student fees. Even with a meal plan, it can get pricey.
And the problem is worse for vegans and vegetarians who need to find filling, healthy food, that’s cheap (three things that all people want) but that also have no animal products–which can be challenging. There is only on vegan restaurant that is within walking distance from where I live, but it’s pretty pricey. The others are a bus or taxi ride away–more money down the drain.
So, for all these circumstances and more, I have made this chili. Only 20 minutes to make. You don’t have to do nuthin but put stuff in a pot. It’s very healthy and all the indredients are cheap, cheap, CHEAP. Make a big ol’ pot of it for you and your friendz.
This chili tastes great as leftovers, too, when it has sat in the fridge over night and the flavors have had time to settle in.
If you’re not familiar with textured vegetable protein (TVP), it’s basically the dehydrated protein of soybeans (and possibly other veggies…. not sure). But that sounds way too sciency. I just like to think of it as vegetarian ground beef crumbles. You can buy it at any health store, even some grocery stores like Fred Meyer for really cheap (the $2-$3 range). If you’re new to vegetarian or veganism, this is a DEFINITE STAPLE that you should always have on hand. It is super-dee-duper versatile and is a great cheap way to get lots of protein. It tastes great and lasts a while. 😀 I use it in a lot of my recipes. So definitely try some! This chili is a great place to start. 😉