Lemony Lentil Soup

I love soup. And for many different reasons. First off, I did not find my love for soups until I lived up north way back in the day. Yes, this native Floridian was transplanted to the great white north for about 3 & 1/2 years. And I loved it tremendously.

You have to keep in mind that I only knew of snow and the such through movies and post cards. So for me to see it first hand was just an incredible experience. I think everyone should experience snow. It is truly amazing.

Back to food. Soups. Ahhh, yes, these lovely little concoctions can be a meal in and of themselves. You got that right. If you have enough goodies in them, all you need is a beverage to wash it down and lest we for get thee ever popular bread on the side. Pick a bread...any bread and you are good to go. There may be more than a few who feel that this is just a precursor to an entire meal. Hogwash I say. If you look at some soup recipes, you will see for yourself that that are a meal in a bowl Alllriiight, serve it over some noodles or rice, which ever suits your fancy. But know this. It is not necessary. And as of late, I found this one on VegWeb.

1 cup green or brown lentils (dry)
4-6 cups veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t curry powder
1 medium onion, about 1/3 cup, finely chopped
olive oil as needed
1/2 - 1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
1 - 2 lemons
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Pick through lentils, clearing out all debris. Then rinse thoroughly. In a large soup pot, add your broth along with your lentils, bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to a low steady full boil, but not a full rolling boil. Add the bay leaf, oregano, curry powder, pepper, and salt. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.

While the soup is cooking saute the onion and rice in your olive oil. Coat your pan with enough oil that the rive and onion do not stick, but not so much they are swimming in thee oil. About 5-6 minutes. Once your timer has gone off, add your rice/onion mixture and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Serve hot and with a dash of lemon. If you think lemon sounds odd in this soup. Put your wrinkled nose aside and trust me on this one. Once you have had this soup, you will not be able to eat it without the lemon. Now go make this and name your first born after me as thanks.

Lentil Loaf

I recently had an event at my health food store where I work. We were given organic, free range turkeys to cook up and sample out. I was the designated vegetarian who made all the side dishes, showing people that you did not have to have a slab of dead flesh in the center of your table in order to have good food.



We were given samples of pre-packaged, instant gravy to use for our mashed potatoes. They were, luckily, vegan and gluten free. What I loved was the recipe on the back of one of the packages that was for Lentil Loaf. And I am always trying to perfect a mock meat loaf. Yeah, yeah, yeah, i know I will never completely achieve the same exact flavor, but I will keep on trying. And I have to say, this one is not all that bad. I will tweak it a bit, and it is not as close as our Skinny 'B' recipe, but not bad for being 100% non packaged foods. One for the naturalist in me.

I took the little package home and gave it a whirl. And moreso because I had all thee ingredients. So many nights i am flying by the seat of my pants. And luckily for us we do not need to thaw out any meat. And for the most part I have beans cooked in bulk and in the freezer. So for me to throw some frozen cooked beans in a pot of hot water while I get dinner ready is nothing. Shazam, we have dinner on the table. So let's get this recipe up and see how it rolls.

1 onion, diced
2T water
2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1 cup ground rolled oats
1 cup cooked barley or brown rice
1/2 cup pureed tomatoes
1/2 t each, garlic powder, rosemary, and basil
2T soy sauce
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Cook onion with water for about 5 minutes in a saucepan until onion is tender. Combine cooked onions and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pat mixture into an oiled loaf pan. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve with gravy and enjoy.

I found this a tad bland, but could be easily remedied by adding a bit more spice. And, I could taste the walnuts, don't know how to fix that one, but I will get it. This held together quite well and would make this again without evening thinking about it. try it, you will like it.

Falafel Queen

I started out wanting to make hummus, but they cooked little devils of deliciousness turned into delectable balls of goodness, more commonly known as Falafel. But for those of you who have not checked out the Middle Eastern Site on my side bar, please do so. Those recipes are are extremely genuine, so check them out.

But tonight I made the Falafel and man oh man, these little guys came out great, but I did have to adapt the recipe, for I did not have any fava beans, and my chick peas were already cooked and the recipe called for soaked chick peas. I love improvising.

Original Recipe

Thee only thing I did differently was not add fava beans, and I used 3/4 cup of garbanzo flour and also added 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.

These little things were so delicious that I even amazed myself. they were oh so simple to make. So give them a try, whether you make them as is or my variation. Or tweak it to your home/kitchen. Whatever works.

You can use any tahini dipping sauce you like. I just took some Greek yogurt, added some tahini and some crushed garlic and salt to my taste and there you have it. this meal is a no brainer for sure.

Pasta And Navy Bean

I have had this recipe for so long that I cannot even remember where I got it, or from who. Needless to say this is easy and filling. And so much so that for me at least, it is a one pot style meal. Meaning that I don't need anything else but some bread and a tall glass of iced tea and I am good to go.

3/4 lb dry pasta
2T olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large tomato, chopped (I used canned for I was out of fresh)
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 water
3 sprigs parsley, chopped
2t dried oregano and basil
2 cups broccoli florets (mine were the frozen style)
2 cups cooked navy beans (I had soaked a bunch and cooked them in bulk, then froze the leftovers)
1/4 cup chopped black olives
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Cook pasta according to directions, drain well. In a large pot, heat oil, and saute garlic until lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes. Add tomato sauce, water, parsley, oregano and basil. Cook uncovered over medium heat smashing tomatoes with spoon.

When sauce thickens, add broccoli. Simmer covered until broccoli is tender but crunchy. Add beans and olives, mix well. Simmer covered until heated through. Stir in pasta. Serve with parsley.

This is so pretty to look at and again, it is just a meal in and of itself, nothing else is needed. Try it, they will ask for it again, you can bet on it.

Sprout. Sprout. Let It All Out!

I love this chick. She has taught me so much and because of her, I am seriously contemplating getting my own Youtube channel...nah, just kidding. But the thought has crossed my mind. I love food, preparing it, cooking it and then eating it, so why not share that passion with others. One day.

But on to the real reason of this post. I have begun to sprout. No, not lie that, because i am older and no longer growing, but I am sprouting beans and seeds. Right now, in the fridge, I have alfalfa sprouts and lentil sprouts, and both batches came out fantastic. And so darned easy, even a monkey could pull this off. And I am now in the process of sprouting mung beans. So far so good.

These little gems are a powerhouse of foods. Take what they offer and multiply it be thee nth degree and that is what you have in the way of foods. It did take a wee bit to get use to their earthy flavor, but once you get rolling you just can't stop. I love my sprouts and use them on just about anything and everything and just nibble on them when I need a little hold me over. So get off the couch and give sprouting a try, you will not regret it.

Black Bean Brownies

Every now and then you come across a recipe that piques your interest. This is one such recipe. And for more than one reason. I love brownies, but not chocolate. I love brownies, but not sweets. I know I am a wealth of oxymoron's. I still prefer salty over sweet, but once in a while I get a hankering for a little bit of sweetness. Insert Black Bean Brownies. When I first saw this recipe I knew right then and there I was going to make them. Now, you have to remember, that I am not one of those people who crinkles their nose up at unusual ingredients. And I think that is because I have moved away from the conventional way of thinking about food. And once you do that, your possibilities are endless. Open your mind.

I found these lovely little treats at Happy Herbivore. But I had no idea just how easy and good they were. Plus thee ingredient list is something we can all recognize and pick up at our local grocery store. Yes, even thee agave is now in every grocery store I visit. Who knew.

I am going to have to tweak them a wee bit, but not too much that I will post about it. I think that mine were just a bit too soft. So insert more oatmeal or black beans. You see, black beans are not just for Latin Cuisine.

15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed (we make our own)(in bulk so we have them ready to go)
2 whole bananas
1/3 cup agave
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1T cinnamon
1t vanilla
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup instant oats (we flake our own)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan (we use coconut oil) and set aside. Combine all ingredients except oats, in a food processor or blender until smooth, scrapping sides as needed. Stir in the oats and pour batter into pan. Bake approximately 30 minutes (we needed a bit more), or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing...if you can.

Black Bean Vinaigrette

I cannot believe I have not posted this salad yet. I had one of my husbands buddies come over for dinner tonight and I had not made this salad in eons. So before going to work this morning, I soaked the beans then came home, and was able to cook them in about 30 minutes. Darn I love soaking beans and moreso in baking soda.

Anyhow, I knew it called for two ingredients I did not have at home so I made sure I picked them up before leaving to come home from work. And those were cilantro and tomato juice or vegetable juice. today I used tomato juice. Plus thee extra can be used in Bloody Mary's.

This is best served warm or at room temperature. I have had it cooled and it is not the same. Not bad, just not the same. Make this and know there is something else to do with beans.

1&1/4 cups dry black beans, soaked over night or all day long
4-5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1 T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic minced (we used our press)
1/4 t cumin
1 t hot sauce
1 T chopped cilantro
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable juice
1/2 green, yellow and red bell pepper diced
1 red onion, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
sprigs of cilantro for garnish
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Drain soaked beans and rinse well. Put in a large saucepan with water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat, cover and simmer until soft, about 1-1&1/2 hours. Drain beans, remove bay leaf and return beans to saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine salt, vinegar, garlic, cumin, hot sauce, cilantro and olive oil. Pour over beans. Toss well. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro sprigs and toss gently. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with cilantro.

This is one of those salads that will do well in any season. Make it and enjoy it like we do.

Cousin Natasha's Rice & Bean Salad

OK, Sarah should be giving me commission for all the free press she is getting on her book. Naaah, just kididn'. Anyhow, I took a good look at the front cover of her , 'How it all vegan' book and I saw this salad. So, I went in the book, and I am guessing I found the right recipe, or so I hope. But you know what? It doesn't matter. Because the one I made was fabulous. Great ingredients and I could have had this one as an entire meal, but we had some tempeh to cook before it went, and there you have it folks...cooking out of necessity. Ahhh, what a shame.

1 cup cooked rice (we use brown)
1 large red onion, diced
2 or more medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1/2 medium green pepper, diced
1 cup corn (we used frozen, thawed)
2 cups cooked black, or kidney beans
1 avocado, diced
6-10 sprigs cilantro, chopped (we were out)
2 T red wine vinegar (we used white wine vinegar)
dash of cayenne pepper
juice of one lemon
dash of hot sauce (we used saracha) sp?)
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Wash and prepare all the vegetables and place them and the other ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir together well and chill before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.

Just so you all know I am mad, that I had to share this dish. Next time I will send everyone away and have it all to myself.

Crock Pot Curried Rice and Lentils

I am trying to figure out if I like curry or not. And thus far I am hanging on the side of no. But that does not mean I will stop trying new recipes. Maybe I just need to find the right combination of ingredients. This dish is simply simple. But the one thing I would add would be a bit of salt. there was none in the recipe and it did need a wee bit , and once a dish is cooked, you can't ever get the same flavor from salting on your plate.

My crock pot took 4 hours and there was still a wee bit of a crunch to the lentils, but not so much that you did not want to eat this dish.



Crock Pot Curried Rice and Lentils - Vegetarian Crock Pot Recipe - Vegan Crockpot Recipe - Vegetarian Curried Rice and Lentils: "Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 tbsp curry powder
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup lentils
2 vegetarian bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 onion, diced
Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours."

Lentil Burger

For the record, I Love Lentils, but this recipe needs tweaking. The burger itself held together the best for ANY non meat burger I have ever made, but we definitely need to spice it up. Granted it had your basics, such as salt and pepper, but we are a spicy type of family so there will be spices added next time. So now on to the recipe.

I got this from How it All Vegan. Yeah yeah, I know you are asking, 'Is that thee only book I cook from?' Well know it isn't but I do use it a lot, did I mention a lot? And also when it is crunch time and I have not prepared ahead, I look for recipes where I either have all or most of the ingredients and go from there. And due to the fact that lentils cook up quick, we were good to go.

3/4 cup wheat germ
2 cups cooked lentils (I used 1&1/2 dry and there was left-overs)
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 T olive oil
1/2 salt and pepper
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On a small plate, set aside 2 T of the wheat germ for coating. In a medium bowl, stir (I used a potato masher) together the remaining wheat germ, lentils, bread crumbs, onions, oil, salt and pepper. Divide and shape into 4 patties. Lay down each patty in wheat germ, coating each side.

Cook on a lightly oiled frying pan on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping occasionally. Serve like a regular burger - an all vegan patty special sauce, lettuce, soy cheese (which we did), pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

Middle Eastern Rice With Lentils

It's either feast or famine with me. Two new dishes in as many days. This one is an odd dish, and only because we, as Americans would not combine these spices or flavors, but in the Mediterranean, they do it all the time. This dish is a tweaker, which means we need to play with it. But I liked it, and I myself am not use to this combination of spices and definitely would not try it on guests until I mastered it.

So get outside of your cooking boxes and give this one a try.

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 T vegetable oil (We used canola)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 T tomato paste
2&1/2 cups of water
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 cup dry lentils
1 t salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (We did not have these, but make sure you have them, Savanah and I think this was the part that would have truly sent this dish over the edge...in a good way)
Additional water if needed
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In a large saucepan, cook thee onion in oil, stirring until soft, over medium heat. Add the rice and stir, for several minutes. Combine the tomato paste with the water and cinnamon. Add to the rice along with the lentils. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 3o minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the salt, raisins and pine nuts into the rice mixture. The mixture should be a little watery; add 1/4 cup if it is dry. Place the mixture in a greased 2&1/2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake for 20-30 minutes.

The times on all of this dish were dead on, at least for our stove and oven they were. Make this and open your palette to new flavors.

It's Supposed To Be Healthy

OK, so I have been on this rant about eating healthier and how my cupboards are ridding themselves of the garbage that is lined with preservatives and such forth, but pray tell, there is a culprit lurking in the wings. It's peanut butter. Correct me if I am wrong but but peanuts are supposed to be good for you. But thee other day I opened up the cheap-o peanut butter that was in our pantry and I about had a fit. I read the ingredients

1) Peanuts
2) Sugar (but I bet they tout that it is not HFCS)
3) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (WHA T THE HECK!)(Rapeseed, Cottonseed, Soybean)
4) Dextrose (I know this is some form of sugar)
4) Salt
5) Molasses
6) Monoglycerides (Again, what the heck are these puppies)

Here was the weird part. Savanah and I had gone shopping this last visit and purchased a brand that was more natural, with no HFCS and one that we could read all the ingredients and actually know what they were. There were still sugars in there, but not the highly processed ones you find in everything else.

We used to be huge peanut butter eaters, but like other things since eating healthier, we have cut back on many things. We have went from 2&1/2 dozen eggs per week to under 1 dozen. That's a major improvement. So this will be the last jar of garbage peanut butter in our home and on to bigger and healthier butters.

Stupid peanut butter companies

Homemade Hummus

I learned this form my husbands family. People think it is difficult to make. WRONGO! So simple. And all the ingredients can be purchased in any local grocery store...OK, maybe not in the middle of Montana.

1&1/2 cup dry chickpeas(Garbanzo beans)
2T baking soda
1/4-1/3 cup tahini
1/2-1 t salt
Juice of one lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
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You can start this process before you go to bed, or if you are an early riser, as soon as you get up.(I prefer before I go to bed)

Soak your dry chick peas in enough water to be covered by about 2 inches(The beans will swell) and baking soda. the next morning, drain your beans and rinse thoroughly. Place chick peas in cooking pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, taking care to remove any foam that occurs during boiling. Once beans are cooked through, turn off heat and let beans cool down(Very important)

Once chick peas are cooled, use a straining spatula and place chick peas in a food processor. Add tahini, salt, lemon juice, and garlic. Puree, until smooth. Your hummus should be the consistency of pancake batter. If too thick, then use the reserve liquid form the boiled chick peas to thin out your hummus. If you prefer more lemon, then add it, and the same goes for the salt or garlic. I like mine garlicky and salty, you may not.

Transfer finished hummus to shallow bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita bread or raw veggies.

Zucchini and Lentils

This was one of the first dishes my daughter ate when we introduced her to solid foods. We could not get it in her mouth fast enough. Now that she is a vegetarian she still loves it. The timing on this dish is kind of tricky. If your zucchini is too soft...Yucko. If your lentils are too hard, then call a dentist. So don't fret if you don't get it right the first time out. Simple easy ingredients, and the taste is fantastic.

1 cup dry lentils
4 zucchini, wiped off, quartered and chopped
1 large onion, sliced form top to bottom
2-4 T oil(I prefer olive)
Salt and pepper to taste(I prefer mine a little bit on the salty side)
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In a small pot, pre-boil your lentils in enough water to cover about 1-2 inches. Cook until 1/2-3-4 of the way cooked. When the skins are cracked, you are close. Meanwhile, saute onion in oil until soft. Add zucchini and cook down partially, then add cooked lentils and cooking water. Stir together until mixed. Cook until zucchini are done but not mushy. If not cooking down enough, you may need to add some extra water. Add salt and pepper, and enjoy!