Showing posts with label Lentils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lentils. Show all posts

Curried Lentil Soup (vegan, gluten free)

Curried Lentil Soup (Spicy!)

This is a spicy soup that will awaken your senses. The pot brewing on the stove will fill the kitchen with the aroma of cumin, with notes of oregano and garlic. Tumeric adds a cheery colour while the lentils, and vegetables mingle in a rich broth. Winter? What winter?

[How hot do you like it? Follow the lowered amounts of the seasoning for a "medium" heat. If you find it too spicy, adding a couple of chopped potatoes to the pot can take the heat down.]

1/2 pound carrots
1 large onion
3 stalks celery
handful of mushrooms

1-2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp- 1/4 cup cumin
2 tbsp tumeric
1-2 tbsp dry oregano leaf. If powder is what you have on hand, use half that.
1 tbsp crushed red pepper (Optional. This is where much of the heat comes from.)
1 tbsp salt or lite salt
1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups red or brown lentils

Finely chop the carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Add these to a soup pot with the seasonings and oil. Cook the mixture on medium heat, stirring regularly, for about ten minutes, until the carrots are softened. This is your soup base. Add about four cups water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the lentils and another four cups of water. Simmer for at least two hours.

[Crock Pot Directions: Cook the chopped veggies, seasonings and oil together in a sautee pan for ten minutes, then pour it into your crock pot. Add the lentils and eight cups of water. Cook on "medium" for 8-12 hours, and come home to a wonderful supper.]

www.stealthymom.com

Spinach and Lentils Lasagna (gluten free option)

Spinach and Lentils Lasagna

Creamy spinach layered with tangy tomatoes and lentils. Gooey mozzarella... We made the Lentils and Chunky Marinara sauce last night and half left in the fridge. The Cadet was asking for pasta, and G-man was begging for cheese. Add a bit of spinach, put it all together and voilá!

1/2 recipe Lentils with Chunky Marinara Sauce
1/2 pound box of lasagna noodles (or gluten free lasagna noodles)
8oz unsalted tomato sauce, canned or homemade
1 block frozen spinach
1 tsp basil (optional)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 egg
1 tsp olive oil
4oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 375F. Meanwhile, prepare the lasagna noodles according to the directions. If you break them in half before you cook them it will be easier to work with them later.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the spinach, either in the microwave or on the stove. Stir in the basil, yogurt and egg, mixing well.

Smear a teaspoon of oil on the bottom and sides of a 12-inch square pyrex dish. Pour half of the plain tomato sauce into the bottom. As soon as the noodles are ready, drain them and arrange a single layer over the bottom. Top with half of the spinach mixture, then another layer of noodles. Top with half of the lentil sauce, another layer of noodles, then the remaining spinach mixture. Arrange the rest of the noodles over top. There should be just enough for another layer if you used a 12-inch pan. Top with the remaining lentil mixture and pour the other half of the plain tomato sauce over top.

Bake for 20 minutes, top with the mozzarella, then bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden on top. (If you have the time, waiting at least half an hour before cutting it makes it serve easier.)




www.stealthymom.com

Lentils with Chunky Marinara Sauce (vegan, gluten free)

Lentils with Chunky Marinara Sauce (vegan, gluten free)

We've been eating lentils quite a bit lately. While they have been a staple for some families for generations, I admit I did not know what to do with them aside from adding a handful into soup or tossing them into a stir fry. Lentils are quite versatile and have a meatiness to them. Full of protein and fiber, high in iron and folate, lentils are really cheap, too. Cooking dry lentils with a sauce gives them a rich flavour.

Lentils with Chunky Marinara Sauce brings lentils to one of the kids' favourite pasta dishes. Tangy tomato sauce, chunky vegetables, garlic, basil and oregano.... We served ours over homemade whole wheat fettuccine but rice or gluten free pasta would have been great, too.

For eight servings:

1 1/2 cups dry lentils
4 cups water
16 oz unsalted tomato sauce, either canned or homemade
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt or lite salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 red onion, chopped (or a whole one if your kids like onions)
3 stalks celery
4 small carrots, chopped

Put the lentils, water, tomato sauce, olive oil and seasonings into the pan to simmer and added the other vegetables as you chop them. As for cooking time, it could take between half an hour to forty-five minutes, depending on the lentils. (The brown ones seem to take longer than the red ones.)

Enjoy!






www.stealthymom.com

Cheesy Lentils and Greens (gluten free)


Cheesy Lentils and Greens (gluten free)


"Super Really Good," said five year old G-man, when I asked how to describe Cheesy Lentils and Greens. While that endorsement makes me smile, I'll have to tell you myself that it is like a grown up mac'n'cheese. Minus the mac, with lentils and added bites of kale. Is it a side or an entree? Yes.


1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 small mushrooms, finely diced
1 bunch kale, ribs removed
1 cup grated cheddar

In a lidded saucepan (an Ultimate Pan if you have one) gently heat the lentils, water, milk, and salt to a low boil. Turn the heat down, put the lid on and simmer until the lentils are al dente, between twenty minutes to half an hour.

Meanwhile, finely chop the kale and mushrooms. Add them to the lentil mixture, and continue to simmer until the kale is softened.

Stir in the cheddar, then serve.


Summer Veggies and Lentil Soup (gluten free, vegan)

Summer Veggies and Lentil Soup

Our garden is growing! Despite a couple weeks of highs at or near a hundred Fahrenheit, there are some edibles a few feet from our front door. Some things are doing better than others, so preparing a meal with our small harvest was like a bizarre episode of Chopped. My "basket" contained small beets and a zucchini. In my "pantry" there were organic Yukon Gold potatoes, lentils, and seasonings. The oven and range were strictly off limits due to the heat wave... Thank goodness for crock pots!

Beets are interesting because they are like two vegetables in one. The tops are delicious as greens and are rich in Vitamin A. The roots have a sweet and slightly peppery flavour and when cooked have a texture like a potato. Except for trimming the root ends, I chopped up the beets- tops and all- and added them to the pot.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...