With the rising cost of living recently, such as higher energy bills, we all try to find a way to cut down the payout on those bills. People are advised to switch off their standby appliances, turn off the heater, reduce water consumption and invest in double-glazed windows and better insulation. However, I think one thing that has been overlooked is that cooking vegan meals can also cut down our electricity/gas and water consumption.
How long does it take to cook a meat-based dish?
Take an example of cooking a chilli con carne. Regardless of preparation time, the typical cooking time for the beef chilli con carne takes around an hour, and so does the dish with other kinds of meats.
Why might cooking meat use more water?
Another thing to consider is that some people wash raw meats before cooking them (although it’s not recommended!) or blanch meat. When doing so, water is required. So cooking a meat-based dish could use more water during the preparation.
Cooking plant-based: less time and water
If you substitute meat with other plant-based ingredients, the cooking time will certainly be reduced hence the electricity use. Also, if you use tinned vegetables to replace meats, then no washing is needed. As a result, you save on the water bill, too!
Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.
Vincent Van Gogh
Does no meat mean no protein?
Some people might not like the idea of not having meat because they argue that they need to have meat for their protein intake. I can understand why people think this way because I used to think like that! I was brought up believing that meats and dairy foods are the only two sources I can get my protein. I am so thankful that I no longer have this false belief.
Are plant-based proteins expensive?
Today, there are plenty of plant-based proteins to choose from, such as chickpeas, baked beans, tofu and lentils. They are much cheaper than meats. And you might be surprised that some vegetables also contain protein, like spinach and broccoli.
Additionally, they are healthier than animal proteins because they have less saturated fat and are higher in fibre. However, consuming a variety of plant-based proteins is key to ensuring a complete protein profile if you want to be on a plant-based diet.
Vegan chilli con carne with baked beans: preparation and ingredients
Now, I want to show you how quickly a vegan meal can be done. Even better, it’s packed with protein and nutrition. Of course, it’s tasty, too!
The day before:
Let’s say if I plan to cook this dish for Wed dinner. On Tuesday evening, before I go to bed, I like to put all the ingredients together on the kitchen worktops if they’re NOT required to be chilled. I also get the saucepan ready for the next day.
Preparation like this might not mean anything to you. Still, it’s an effective way to make sure we’ll get the cooking done the next day instead of ordering takeaway or getting microwave meals, which are more expensive and not so healthy as home-cooked meals.
When we have everything all together, we’ll feel more like cooking and not find an excuse not to cook because we’re tired or not in the mood.
You could also prepare the vegetables you want to use the day before. You can put them in containers and then have those containers in the same compartment in the fridge. So next day, when you’re about to cook, you only need to take those containers out and don’t need to figure out what vegetables you will use. Less mental work means you’ll get your cooking going quicker!
Vegan chilli con carne with baked beans
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 tin opener
Ingredients
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (you can use the fresh ones if you prefer)
- 1 tin kidney beans, drained (or mixed beans)
- 1 tin baked beans
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 red or yellow pepper
- 2 to 3 tbsp cooking oil
Optional (or just use whatever vegetables need to be used up in your fridge)
- 100 gram mushrooms
- 50 gram green beans
- 1 onion (yellow or red onion)
- 50 gram peas (or frozen peas)
- 1 tin sweetcorn, drained
- 50 gram vegan mince (you can use frozen ones)
- 2 tbsp mixed dried herbs
Instructions
- Open all the tins and drain the water from the kidney beans and sweetcorn
- Chop all the vegetables. (See *note 1, *note 2)
- Heat the oil in the sauce pan, add chopped onions and garlic, fry for 1 minute.
- Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, and red/yellow peppers, and continue cooking for 2 minutes. (See *note 3)
- Add those vegetables which might require longer cooking time, such as mushrooms, frozen peas etc.
- Add kidney beans (or mixed beans), and cook for another minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes. (and frozen vegan mince if you have some)
- Add a bit of water if you feel there isn't enough liquid in the pan
- Add 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar to boost flavour (optional)
- Add salt and pepper
- Bring the liquid up to boil, then put the lid on and let it cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Make sure you set the heat at mid-low and stir the dish from time to time
- Add a tin of baked beans five minutes before the dish is done
- Add some chilli flakes if you like it spicier (optional)
- Taste before serving
Video
Notes
Here you go! This dish takes around 20 minutes (compared to 1 hour with the meat dish), and it can easily serve for 4 to 5 people. I hope you’ll see how much electricity consumption will be reduced by switching to cooking vegan dishes.
Side dishes: what to serve with chilli con carne?
- Bread: Yes, that’s right, especially with the first/end slice of a loaf of bread. The thick slice goes much better with this dish.
- Tortilla chips: I usually go for this one when I have a pack of tortilla chips opened.
- Pasta: If you have enough leftovers for the next day, then you just need to cook pasta to make it a complete meal.
I really hope you’ll give the dish a try! This will save your cooking time and reduce your energy bills. Moreover, not ordering takeaway/buying ready meals save us money, and we won’t add more non-recyclable food packaging.