saucy lentils

 I had this at a potluck last week, and one would think I"d be lentiled out but I am not.  It was really good!  the maker just pointed me to the Washington POst recipe for saucy lentils, which fortunately has been repeated on other sites. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils, cleaned
• 1 small onion, chopped
• (2 carrots: not in recipe but would be good!) 
• 1 T oil 
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 T of ginger, finely grated or minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt (though check sodium level of broth) 
• 1 tsp-ish pepper  
• (1 T tomato paste - I skipped this)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cinnamon stick 

Clean lentils. 

Heat oil, when shimmering add onion, saute a few minutes until beginning to soften.   Add garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, add spices, mix up.  Add lentils and mix up, then add broth and cinnamon.  

Heat up then simmer for about 35 minutes.  Remove cinnamon stick and smash garlic cloves into lentils.  

I served this over roasted sweet potatoes: cut in half, smear oil on cut side, rub together, place face down and cook at 375 for 25-35 minutes depending on size of sweet potato.  

Cook with yogurt, fresh cilantro.  Would also be good over rice, potatoes, dumplings, etc.  

tempeh chili

 This was tasty and smooth (none of the high acid heavy seasoning that gets me sometimes).  It's also easy to mix up so here's where I got the idea and below is what I did.

Ingredients

• 8 oz tempeh, grated
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• pickled jalapenos + marinated red pepper, chopped (or 1 chopped bell pepper)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint jar passata (they used 3/4 cup tomato sauce + 1 cup water)
• quart jar black beans (they used 1 can each black & kidney and drained and rinsed but i didn't because I'd cooked them myself)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

Heat about 2 Tbsp oil and add the tempeh and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. 

Add onion, celery, pepper and cook another 5-10 minutes.  Add garlic, cook another few minutes

Add tomato sauce + water combination, beans, spices.  Bring back to a simmer, and simmer for about 30 minutes.  

It's great topped with sour cream, green onions, cheese, etc. and served with cornbread  

black bean and sweet potato chili

For some reason, Jennifer Garner's videos show up on my FB reels.  I wouldn't say I'm a fan of her acting, or choice in husbands, but it is kind of fun to see her being silly in her kitchen.  I would totally hang out with her.  She was making this chili that I decided to copy and post here because I've been wanting to make something like this for awhile. 

 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili by Foster's Market Durham 

 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, chopped 

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced 

1 red bell pepper 

1 green bell pepper (poblano is always preferred for me)

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced (I may try pickled because I have those on hand)

3 garlic cloves, minced 

3 Tbsp chili powder 

2 tsp ground cumin 

2 tsp dried basil 

1 tsp dried marjoram 

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

3 bay leaves 

1 tsp kosher salt 

½ tsp ground pepper 

6 cups low-sodium veg broth 

1 (28oz) can chopped tomatoes  

1 (12oz) beer (I'd probably skip this as I never have beer in my house)

½ cup bulgur or barley 

2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 

Garnish: cilantro, scallions, avocado, sour cream, cheese, lime wedges

 

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over med heat until sizzling hot and add onion. Reduce to low and cook, stirring often, ~10 mins. Add sweet potatoes, bell peppers and jalapeños, stirring occasionally, 5 mins more. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, 1 min longer. 

 

2. Add chili powder, cumin, basil, marjoram, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, salt & pepper and cook, stirring, ~2 mins. Add broth, tomatoes, beer and bulgur (I used farro!) and stir to combine, bringing to a low boil. Reduce to simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, ~40 mins. 

 

3. Remove bay leaves from chili and discard. Add beans, stir to mix and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through, ~15 mins. Garnish with cilantro and scallions (avocado, sour cream, and cheese, if you have them! Maybe blue corn chips, yum) and serve warm with wedges of lime to squeeze into chili.

beet muffins

There are/were two jars of canned beets in my cupboard, from March when my storage beets were starting to turn faster than I could borscht.  Beets canned in just water are not exciting to eat, so I looked around for some other ideas and found this recipe for beet muffins.  It checks my boxes: whole grains, vegetable and fruit heavy, nuts, no refined sugars.  

Ingredients

•    2 medium-sized beets, cooked and pureed (about 1 cup) (I drained a pint jar of beets and ran it through the nutribullet)
•     1⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
•     1⁄3 cup honey or maple syrup (I used about 1/4 cup date paste)
•     1⁄3 cup coconut oil, melted (I used avocado oil)
•     2 large eggs
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
•     1⁄2 cup rolled oats
•     1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•     1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
•     1⁄4 teaspoon salt
•     1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•     1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•     1⁄2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional) (I used soaked walnuts)
•     1⁄2 cup raisins or chocolate chips (optional) 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beet puree, applesauce, honey or maple syrup/date paste, and oil. Mix well until smooth.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the wet mixture and whisk until fully combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
6. If using, fold in the chopped nuts and raisins or chocolate chips to the batter.
7. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
9. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

lentil-walnut loaf

 I have a surplus of walnuts to use up (I have to soak and rinse them, to avoid canker sores), and I'm always looking to eat more lentils.  So this recipe for lentil walnut loaf caught my attention as a starting place, and I have everything on hand.  Plus, I have a ton of ground flaxseed to use up and I'd been meaning to start making "flax eggs."

Edit: I like this for breakfast.  I freeze it in slices, then defrost it and put it on a lightly toasted pita with sharp cheddar.  Yum.  

Ingredients

• 1 cup of green lentils, rinsed
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• A splash of soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp of water)
• A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a loaf pan.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes until the lentils are tender. Tip: Don’t skip rinsing the lentils to remove any debris.
3. While the lentils cook, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, mix the cooked lentils, sautéed onion and garlic, walnuts, smoked paprika, soy sauce, breadcrumbs, flax egg, and thyme leaves until well combined. Tip: The mixture should stick together when pressed; if it’s too dry, add a bit more soy sauce.
5. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is crispy. Tip: Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing to help it hold together.

Hearty and satisfying, this loaf has a meaty texture thanks to the lentils and walnuts. Serve it with a tangy barbecue sauce or slice it thin for sandwiches the next day.

 

berry millet cake

 This berry millet cake was really good and freezes well.  The only beef I have is that when I put frozen berries on top, around them didn't really bake right - and also it's too little berries.  I think the workaround is to make a berry sauce to serve with it (just heat up berries).  

Ingredients

Berry Millet Cake

• 250 g (8.8 oz) millet
• 1 litre (4 cups) milk
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 egg whites
• 6 egg yolks
• 60 g (1/4 cup) sugar (I used 2 T)
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) cold milk
• 100 g (1 cup) raspberries
• 100 g (1 cup) blueberries
• 2 tbsp silvered blanched almonds (I just chopped up some raw almonds)
• 1 tbsp coconut flour (I used finely shredded coconut)
• powdered sugar, for dusting
• fresh berries, to serve

 

METHOD

• Cook the millet

  Add the millet to a sieve and rinse under running water. Pout the milk into a pot and add the rinsed millet. Place on the stove; add salt, vanilla sugar, and butter. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 - 25 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. The fastest way to do that is to arrange it all over a baking sheet in a thin layer.

• Make millet cake

  Add the egg whites to a large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Add the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla sugar into a separate bowl. Beat until the mixture is smooth, for about 5 minutes. Add the millet mixture and stir with a spatula. Gently fold the stiff egg whites to get a smooth, airy mixture.

  Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 180 °C / 350 °F. Grease a 20 cm x 30 cm (8-inch x 12-inch) deep baking dish with butter. Pour the millet cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Arrange the raspberries, blueberries, almonds, and coconut flour on top. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes at 180 °C / 350 °F. Once the cake cools, cut it into eight slices. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries.

winter squash and greens bake

 Looking around the kitchen, not wanting to go to the store ... this sounded good with a lot of substitutions.  I followed both the post I found for winter squash and spinach bake and their source pasta and butternut squash cake.

Ingredients

• 8 oz broken up lasagna noodles 
• 400 g winter squash, peeled and sliced very thinly
• 3+ cloves garlic, sliced very thinly
• 1 egg
• 100 g ricotta (I substituted a mix of sour cream/yogurt/cottage cheese; recipe called for 200-250 g)
• 50-100 g parmesan, grated (divided)
• 200 g feta, crumbled small (divided)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese (I used mozzarella) 
• 5 oz/150 g baby greens chopped 
• salt, pepper
• basil, thyme, parsley  
• red pepper flakes (<1/2 tsp)
• 2 T olive oil 
• 1 cup water

Mix together in a big bowl, sprinkling top with feta and parmesan left.  Put into 9" round or square pan lined with parchment paper.  Cover tightly with foil.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.  REmove foil, drizzle 1 T olive oil, and let bake another 30 minutes.