Spicy African Peanut Stew {Peas and Thank You}

This was SO gooooood! I cooked it in the crockpot. Everyone loved. Except Ava. She would have given her first born to NOT eat it. Sigh.

1 can (14 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1  sweet potato, cubed (approximately 1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon garam masala (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

sweetener to taste (organic sugar or stevia)

dash cinnamon

1 can (14 ounces) organic fire-roasted tomatoes, in juice

1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth powder

2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

1/2 cup red lentils, drained and rinsed

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a Crock-Pot and set on high for about half an hour, and then switch to low for an additional 3 to 4 hours. Serve and pass garnishes at the table.

Chef Suggestions

Garnish with chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, dairy-free or organic sour cream or organic plain yogurt.

Red Lentil & Squash Curry Stew. {Oh She Glows}

I made this on Halloween... and told the kids it was my witch's stew... and cackled the whole time. Good times. It was the perfect healthy fix before their sugar fix. It's an OhSheGlows and it is GOOOOD!

1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon good quality curry powder (or more to taste)

1 carton broth (4 cups) I used low-sodium

1 cup red lentils

3 cups cooked butternut squash

1 cup greens of choice

Fresh grated ginger, to taste (optional)

Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp salt)

1. In a large pot, add EVOO and chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes over low-medium heat.

2. Stir in curry powder and cook another couple minutes. Add broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in cooked butternut squash and greens of choice. Cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and add some freshly grated ginger to taste.

Mediterranean Veggie Burgers with Provolone and Italian Ketchup.

I've been following Rachael Ray for a long time now... and for a girl who claims to be "Queen of Burgers" and never had a veggie burger until now... I wanna say - it's about time!! I was totally excited while watching her show and she had veggie burgers on the docket to make at the end. Yay! I really like the beef-free bean burgers... but wanted another stanby. This for sure is a keeper. And yes, I did slurge and got the provolone cheese for it.

There's a lot of steps, so I was in my right mind to go ahead and double the recipe and freeze half for later. It uses couscous or quinoa and lentils, so is a great way to use leftovers.

I didn't make the ketchup this go round, time was not on my side. Which looks really, really good and would add even more flavor. But I added avocado and sprouts and some natural ketchup. Yum! Shayne really liked them too. You have to focus on the fact that they're not a hamburger sub, just something a little like them but healthy for you!

For the Ketchup:

1 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
1 clove crushed garlic
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the Burgers:
3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 small carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
12 cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
A small handful dried mushrooms, all porcini or mixed
2 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (for nuttier burgers) or cooked cold couscous (for softer burgers)
1 cup drained chickpeas (I used black beans)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
1/4 cup currants or chopped raisins  (omitted, too scared to mess 'em up)
1 egg (For a vegan burger, omit -- be gentle when flipping burgers so they don't fall apart)

6 slices Provolone cheese
Ciabatta or other crusty rolls, split and lightly toasted
Arugula dressed lightly with lemon juice and EVOO (i used sprouts)

Combine ketchup ingredients in a small pot and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to low and simmer to thicken to the consistency of ketchup, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add carrot, onions and mushrooms, and sauté to tender. Add thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook a minute or 2 more then turn off heat and cool.

To a food processor bowl, add a few pieces of dried mushrooms. Process to finely chop then add lentils, quinoa or couscous, chickpeas, nuts and raisins. Season with salt and pepper and add cooled, cooked vegetables. Pulse until well combined. Add egg and pulse a few more times. Form 6 patties.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook 5-6 minutes. Flip burgers, cook 2-3 minutes more, add cheese and tent pan with tin foil to melt cheese, 1-2 minutes. Serve on rolls with greens and Italian ketchup.

a Rachael Ray recipe

Rollover Jerk Lentils with Roasted Peppers and Pineapples.

A Rachael Ray favorite that I veganized by taking the chicken out and putting in lentils. Yum! I didn't have any pineapples so I roasted to oranges. Um, double yum! Totally concentrated their flavor.

1 red onions, roughly chopped and divided
4 cloves garlic
4 scallions
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I omit)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, some for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper
1 cup dried lentils
2 cups water or vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place half the red onion, the garlic, scallions, lime juice, jalapeño pepper, red wine vinegar, orange juice, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and thyme in a food processor and pulse to combine. While running, stream in the EVOO to form a thick paste.

Rinse lentils and add lentils and water to a pot. Boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and add 1/2 of the jerk paste. Let simmer 20-25 minutes until lentils are tender.

Place the pineapple, bell peppers and red onion on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle them with some EVOO. Place tray in the oven 30 minutes.

Serve over a bed of brown rice, lentils and veggies and pineapple on top. Or, just eat the mixture without the brown rice.

Ranch Lentil Taco Salad.

 

I remember having taco salad growing up and my mom would mix everything in this big ole yellow Tupperware bowl to feed her family of 7. I loved to put ranch on mine... maybe that's weird, but I'm a ranch girl. So when I found the vegan ranch recipe, I knew I had to try it in the taco salad. Oh wow... SO yummy!

It's now Ava's favorite because she helps me make everything and then "plates" everyone's plate. She seriously says, "I'm ready to plate it now Mom." I love it. Maybe it's a bit too many Rachael Ray's, or Food Network Star or Master Chef's... but it's awesome. She also calls it her "birds nest" because of how she "plates" and lays out her lettuce.

romaine lettuce, chopped

tortilla chips

spiced lentil taco recipe

tomatoes

corn

avocado

vegan ranch dressing recipe

cilantro

Tamarind Lentils with Poppy Seed-Cornmeal Roti.

We're big fans of lentils around here... and these were a hit. The roti were really good too... a lot of work... and I'm still debating if they were worth all the work. I've realized that sometimes it's just fun to learn a new technique in cooking... doesn't mean I've got to make it again. Sometimes once is enough. The jury's still out.

Veganomicon

pg 123

pg 221

Chili Cheese Fries.

I had a craving for chili cheese fries... you'd think I'm pregnant - but I'm not. Who has those sort of cravings?! I worked up this little combo and loved it. We had a huge garden salad to make the not-even-naughty meal seem a little less not-even-naughty. It just felt like the right thing to do.

Fries
4 large Idaho potatoes, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
grill seasoning

Chili
1-2 cups cooked lentils
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Hot sauce, to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
(adapted from Rachael Ray)

Cheezy Sauce
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
(from Veganomicon)


Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Place the potatoes into a large bowl. Spray them with EVOO spray and sprinkle with the grill seasoning and combine. Using a cookie cooling rack on top a baking sheet, pour the fries on top. With the cooling rack it'll allow the air to circulate all around the fries so they'll crisp everywhere. Plus it won't be necessary to flip them. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat... add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder and cumin to the pot. Cook until the veggies soften, 5-6 minutes, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook for about 1 minute, until it smells sweet and has caramelized slightly. Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire and broth to the pot. Bring everything up to a bubble, then reduce the heat and simmer the chili until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add in cooked lentils to warm.

Cook the cheese sauce... Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until dissolved.

Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 minutes (or just steam-fry), stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn't, turn the heat a bit higher.

Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on how salty your vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, and cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine.

Lay the fries out on a plate, pour over the chili and then add the cheese sauce. Yum. 

A perfect combo of Rachael Ray & Veganomicon

Shepperd's Pie.

I loved this... and possibly loved it even better the second day. Very mild flavor and great with all the veggies. And that's just not too common when you've got mashed potatoes. First time using miso, and me like.

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups cabbage, broccoli, or kale, finely chopped
½ cup water, vegetable stock or lentil cooking water
2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup peas
1 cup corn
1 teaspoon amino acids

Crust:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/3 to ½ cup nondairy milk
1 tablespoon miso
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet on medium low or just steam-fry with water. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic, carrots, and greens add water and cover. Cook 10 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in remaining filling ingredients. Cook 5 minutes or until filling is hot. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish.

While filling cooks, prepare mash potato crust. Place potatoes in medium pan add water just to top of potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until tender, About 15 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Add miso. Begin mashing and adding milk a little at a time, until smooth. Add parsley. Spread evenly over filling. Sprinkle evenly with paprika. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes until the dish is hot and the edges are slightly golden.

from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook

who told my friend, Natalie, who told me

Red Lentil Soup.

This soup is from my friend, Brooke's "Simply Real Food" food blog. It's yummy. It's also the soup that my Coco-koala climbed up the spindles on our kitchen chair to get to. It's also the soup that she ate so fast I wondered if she even chewed anything up. Basically, it was really good. Thanks Brooke!

1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 can diced tomatoes (or use fresh to equal about 1 1/2 cups)
1 celery rib, chopped
5-6 kale leaves, stems removed, finely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 cup dried red lentils
1/2 cup millet, optional
5 1/2 cups water
2-3 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Steam fry in a 4-5 quart saucepan over med high heat, onion, stirring until golden. Add garlic, carrots, tomato, celery, kale, cumin, coriander, and salt and saute 2 minutes. Add lentils, millet, water, and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve.

Snobby Joes.

I loved these. The kids not so much. Which I totally don't understand what-so-ever because it's full of stuff that they love. I'm not going to just not make them again - they were that good. I haven't had RR's Sloppy Veg-Head Joes in a long time... so I'll have to decide between the 2 which I like best. Both yummy and healthy. I had the leftovers for lunch in my wraps with peppers, sprouts, tomatoes and avocado. Yum.

1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
1 medium-size yellow onion, cut into small dice
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
4-6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns, sliced in half horizontally

Pour the lentils and water into a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done, pre-heat a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Steam-fry the onion and pepper in water for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more.

Stir in the cooked lentils, chile podwer, oregano, and salt. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup to taste and the mustard, and heat through.

Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can't wait. We like to serve these open faced, a scoop of Snobby Joe on each slice of bun.

Veganomicon
Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
page 98-99

Lentil Stew. {The Kind Diet}

This stuff is really, really good. So simple and so filling. From the ingredients you wouldn't think it was anything spectacular... but it's scrumpy. First time I made it I pureed it... because my kids always eat better when they don't know everything they're eating. Next time I didn't, they ate, and I liked the way it tasted better. It's from The Kind Diet. It works awesome in the crockpot too! I usually amp up the spices and veggies... and love using sweet potato instead of regular.... and added kale.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil {i omit and steam-fry}

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large onions, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 potato or sweet potato*, cut into chunks

1/4 cup shoyu

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 1/2 cups brown lentils

5 big leaves of kale*, chopped

2 slices of your favorite bread, cubed

extra-virgin olive oil {i omit}

Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil {i omit the oil and just add a little water on the bottom of the pan to steam-fry} in a large soup pot (you'll be adding a lot of liquid later, so make sure it's big enough) over medium-high heat, and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the seasoning mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft. Meanwhile, pan-roast the cubed bread in a dry skillet until nice and toasted. Ladle stew into the bowls, and garnish with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil {i omit the drizzle... and usually don't cook the croutons}.

*my additions

The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone

Lentil Fajita Soup.

Pretty much this, just with lentils instead of the chicken and minus the cheese and chicken stock. Yum!

Spiced Lentil Tacos.

from Lugubrious Delights

These are a family favorite... and we eat them like every other week. The leftovers are awesome too. A great meal to feed to your meat eating buddies... they usually like it and don't ask lame questions like, "Where's the meat?" or "Is this it?".

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 pkg taco seasoning or make your own
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1-2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce finely chopped (can be omitted if you don't want it too spicy)
tortillas, warmed

The fixings...
corn
shredded lettuce or cabbage
diced tomatoes
sliced avocado or guacamole
salsa
cilantro
vegan ranch

Warm about 1 tablspoon of water in a large skillet or sauce pan (or enough water to form a thin layer on the bottom). Let that warm up then add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and taco seasoning. Cook until spices are frgrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth and chipotle chilies; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tneder, 25 to 30 minutes.

OR, better yet... throw it all into your crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Serve with lettuce (or cabbage), tomatoes, avocado, corn, cilantro, lime wedges, olives, rice, black beans, salsa, vegan ranch --whatever fixings you like on your tacos. Or make into a taco salad and crunch up some tortilla chips.

a great side: Tex-Mex Fried Rice

love this stuff! i added some black beans to it this time. love the hominy