Garlicky Red Lentil Dal

I made this dal for a raw veggie dip that I took to a brunch. It was easy and so good. I got the red lentils in the bulk bins at Sprouts.

It starts with boiling the red lentils. Red lentils are so easy because they cook really fast.

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Next I sauteed the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices (cumin, paprika, salt, turmeric).

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Then I added the cooked red lentils. It's interesting that they turn yellow when cooked.

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A little whirl in the food processor.

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And the finished product. This had the consistency of chickpea hummus, but I thought it had more flavor.

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Mock Risotto

I made this quick Mock Risotto from Eating Well this week. I thought it was "ok." I loved that the vegetables steamed on top of the rice, and I liked the flavor of the parmesan cheese.

I just really didn't care for the instant brown rice. Yuck. The texture is just so weird. I've never made slow cook brown rice (bag over head), so I think it's time to break down and do it. Here are some pictures. I added zucchini and used snow peas instead of regular peas. All the veggies were delicious, and this dish was quick to whip up.

Since I've never really had Risotto, I have no idea if this is a good fake or not!

The onions and rice sauteeing:

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Starting to pile the veggies on the rice:

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All the veggies steaming on the rice:

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The finished product:

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Kale, Sausage, and Lentil Skillet Supper

Very exciting! A new kind of lentils to try. It took two specialty grocery stores to find these "French Green" lentils. I had Googled before my trip so that I knew what I was looking for - Sprouts had one labeled "green," but they were not the same as these. I found them in the bulk bins at Whole Foods. I think I'm going to try them Wednesday in the lentil taco meat in the slow cooker. They seemed firmer and meatier.


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Back to this recipe...last night we had Kale, Sausage, and Lentil Skillet Supper. It started out with precooked chicken sausage, which I browned.


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The onions and garlic brown first...


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And then you add red wine and the lentils and let them cook. It said to simmer 40 minutes, but I think it could have stood 50 mins.


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I took all the tough ribs out of the kale this time - it wasn't too time consuming and did make it better. I just folded them over on a cutting board and cut out the rib from the back. Very easy. I used to bunches of kale for this recipe.


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We thought this was wonderful! I loved the contrasts between the textures, and the red wine flavoring was delicious. Henry loved it, too.

I served with lemon-dill potatoes, and I didn't think that was a great flavor to go with this dish.


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What's on the Menu?

Monday: Kale, Sausage, and Lentil Skillet Supper; Lemon-Dill New Potatoes

Tuesday: Mock Risotto; Green Salad

Wednesday: Lentil Taco Salad

Thursday: Tuna Sandwiches

Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili

This one is a REAL WINNER! We HIGHLY recommend it.

I found this recipe in a little article in Southern Living about a young vegetarian family. So, of course that peaked my interest...


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Of course I made some changes! It called for 16 oz. of sliced mushrooms - I had to go to the Asian market for tofu for the last dish, so I got some cheap fancy mushrooms there. I did oyster and shitake.


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I also got a zucchini there - it was GINORMOUS!

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I added garlic to the onion/carrot/celery mixture that was sauteed first. It just seemed to belong. Dunno why it wasn't there. After sauteeing those, you add all the other veggies.

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Then you add all the other spices. We really like cumin in chili, so I added that to the spice mixture as well. It smelled verrrry good at this point!

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I had to add a little extra tomato juice to make it wet enough - I had used a little more mushrooms and onions than it called for, and then there was that huge zucchini! I also added a teaspoon of a VERY HOT chili garlic paste. I have branched out and started experimenting with different brands of CGP.

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It was supposed to cook for 8 hours, but I only had 6.5, so I cooked on high for half an hour and then turned to low.

I served with WW Pitas. This was VERY, VERY good! I highly recommend it for a cold day. The flavor was so rich and thick, and the beans and mushrooms made it very filling. We particularly liked the texture of the specialty mushrooms. It also makes enough to freeze, which is a nice bonus.


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My Kinda Pad Thai

We had Pad Thai tonight, and I based it on this recipe. Instead of shrimp, I like tofu and veggies. I don't think this recipe has enough veggies, so I added 3 colors of bell peppers (very cheap at the Asian market), onion, bean sprouts, green onions, and carrots. I also use WW noodles instead of regular pasta - I've been eating whole wheat for so long now that the other tastes like mush. In the future, I'd also like to add baby corn and watercress.

First I get everything prepped - veggies washed and chopped, tofu chopped, and the peanut sauce mixed up.


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I saute the garlic in sesame oil until it is fragrant and then add the white onions, peppers, and carrots.

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After the veggies are soft...

-i add the tofu and saute until hot
-add the peanut sauce and heat 2 mins or so until thickened
-add the noodles, bean sprouts, green onions, and peas and heat through

I serve topped with chopped cilantro and peanuts, a lime wedge, and Sriracha. Delicious and great for leftovers!

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Covering our Bases!

Wanted to make sure we ate all the right foods for New Year's Day! (Happy Birthday, Leo Bedeo!)

I made Hoppin' John with Mustard Greens from last month's Cooking Light. Rave reviews - we loved it! I got the greens at Central Market - couldn't find them at WalMart or Kroger. I served with Corn Bread. We loved the flavor of the greens mixed in with the Hoppin' John - and the Dijon added a nice kick. We also added a little Tabasco and Sriracha.


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