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Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt to taste
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 lb lentils (brown or beluga), washed and picked over
2 1/2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs parsley
1/2 lb Swiss chard, mustard greens or kale, stemmed, washed and roughly chopped (~6 cups)
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other soup pasta (optional)
freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir together for a minute, just until the garlic is fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their liquid. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in lentils, water, bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and parsley, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, salt to taste and add the greens. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in pasta, and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve. Yields 6 to 8.
(recipe from nytimes.com)

If you’re in a hurry, you can serve this spicy Tex-Mex chili in a prepared pie crust, without the crust, or in taco shells. For an extra flourish, top it with sliced avocado and a generous spoonful of sour cream.

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 cup pie crust mix
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium-size green pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
4 scallions, white part thinly sliced; green tops thinly sliced (optional garnish)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp each ground cinnamon, coriander, and cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup black olives
1 can (10 oz) red kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (optional topping)

Directions
For the crust: In a medium-size bowl, combine the pie crust mix, cornmeal, sugar, and red pepper. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water and stir just until mixture comes together.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough to make a pastry shell. Press the dough into the pie pan and flute the edges. Poke the pastry with a fork in several places to prevent it from bubbling up when cooking. Bake, uncovered, until lightly crisped around the edges – about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the filling: Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat for 1 minute. Saute the scallions and garlic for a minute or so.. Stir in cocoa, chili powder, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and salt, and saute 1 minute longer. Add the beef and saute until browned – about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft – about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and corn and black olives.
Spoon the filling into the baked pie shell and bake, uncovered, until bubbling – 12 to 15 minutes. Spoon dollops of sour cream on top of the pie and sprinkle with sliced scallion tops if desired. (Instead of sour cream, we used yogurt and also added cilantro as a garnish)
Recipe from Reader’s Digest One Dish Meals, The Easy Way