Double Sweet Potato Lentil Curry

 

Aaaahhhhh. Autumn. It's that beautiful time of year in the south when the temperature dramatically dips into the 80's and we begin craving all things cozy and pumpkin and spiced and comforting. Down here in Texas, there are a good many few of us who can't wait to slip into turtleneck sweaters. Amiright?? J/K. Lolz.

Actually, the weather is quite lovely in the mornings. Newton and I can run a solid 2 miles without alarming passers-by that one of us might overheat and die at any moment. So, our seasons here are a little screwy, but I accept you for YOU, Texas weather!

One of the many great things about my little CSA box, is that I don't have to think about what veggies are in season or out of season (despite the weather). The box just tells me.

Last week, my delivery included sweet potato greens, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, okra, onion, patty pan squash, and spaghetti squash. I was able to use three of those items in the recipe I'm sharing today, adapted from smitten kitchen and The NY Times.

What do I mean by double sweet potato? I used the one huge sweet potato along with the sweet potato greens. If you look at the recipes from SK and the NYT, you'll notice that they both used Swiss chard. The fact is, you can use any greens at all. Spinach. Kale. Turnip. Just get 'em in there.

This dish is warm and lovely. Some notes to make it a success:

• There are a lot of ingredients on this list, and a bit of chopping, but I assure you that the cooking part is easy.
• The trick is to get the lentils cooked through all the way. No one likes a crunchy lentil. No one.
• If you don't have garam masala on hand but you do have a plethora of spices, just make your own blend. See my version below the recipe box.  
• Don't skip the lime. 

Double Sweet Potato

& Lentil Curry

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

½ jalapeno, minced

1 teaspoon garam masala*

1 teaspoon curry powder

3-4 cups vegetable broth, divided

1 lb sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ½” cubes

¾ cup dried lentils (I used green)

1 bay leaf

2 packed cups chopped sweet potato greens

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1 lime, zested

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent (about 4 minutes).

2. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeno, garam masala and curry powder. Sauté for 1 minute.

3. Add 3 cups broth, sweet potato, lentils, and bay leaf. Turn heat to HI, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. 

4. Add sweet potato greens, salt and pepper. If lentils look dry, add remaining vegetable broth.

5. Cook for 20 minutes longer, or until lentils and potatoes are tender.

6. Serve topped with scallion, lime zest, and lime wedge.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (Per serving):

Calories 220, Total Fat 4.0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium: 1138 mg, Protein 5.7 g, Fiber 7.0 g

* Garam Masala: (this makes just enough for the recipe above, adapted from here)

• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• very scant 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• very scant 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Aaaaaannnnndddd... Finally, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT SODIUM. The recipe calculator likely used a high sodium broth. To ensure your sodium intake isn't through the roof, I'd recommend using a low sodium veggie broth.

Happy fall, ya'll!

"Everything" White Bean Hummus

Bagels. I haven't bought a package of bagels in quite some time, but my favorite is always the "everything" kind. You may chalk it up to my notable indecisiveness, but why choose simply "onion" or "poppy seed" or "sesame seed" when you can have ALL THE BAGELS!?

Oh, that's right. I don't have a toaster.

So no bagels. But what about this Everything White Bean Hummus recipe? After making it, I think I actually prefer the more traditional garbanzo bean hummus, but this recipe was an interesting change of pace.

From the original recipe, I chose to cut down on the oil and salt just a bit, and to add some lemon juice. I have it on medical authority that decreasing salt in my own diet isn't a good idea (hello, hypotension), but there is plenty of seasoning in the "everything" mix that I felt it salty enough.

“Everything”

White Bean Hummus

Prep time: 15 min (or 60 minutes, if you need time to roast the garlic)

Yield: Enough for 6-8 people as an appetizer

INGREDIENTS:

HUMMUS -

2 cans white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
1 head of roasted garlic

½ small lemon, juiced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

SEASONING-

2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (I used black sesame)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

crudité or pita for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Dump white beans and roasted garlic into a food processor with lemon juice. Pulse until smooth.

2. With the processor running, stream in the olive and sesame oils.

3. Mix seasoning ingredients together.

4. Fold about ½ of the seasoning ingredients into the hummus. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning on top, to taste.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (Per serving, 8):

Calories 234, Total Fat 12.1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium: 297mg, Protein 8.1 g, Fiber 5.2 g

It makes quite a bit of seasoning, so I had extra to sprinkle on salads and grilled cheese sandwiches. I think I still have a bit in the pantry! Try it!

Now... if I could only find my battery charger for the camera, I'd get started on the cocoa chai roasted almonds I made last weekend.  Sigh. Unpacking. Gah.

Glazed Vegan Lentil Loaf

It's been busy around my little house. Or, rather, I should say it's been busy outside of my little house.
So much to think about.
So much to do.

Cabinets to organize.
Articles to read.
Budgets to narrow.
Lists to make.
Papers to shred.

But that's why weekends like this one make me feel so content. Toes in the water, legs in the sun, surrounded by a family that makes it look so easy to love and be loved (no matter the drama or responsibilities swirling in the background). Even though they are not technically my own, I will always be grateful for people like that.

Salt of the earth.
(I believe he said it best.)

______________________________

So, after a long Memorial Weekend and a little over-indulging, I have just the thing. Don't balk at the long list of ingredients -- the end result is incredibly flavorful and just absolutely full of veggies! I followed this recipe for The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf from Julie at The Simple Veganista.

First of all, I doubled the recipe so that we'd have leftovers for a couple of future weeknight dinners. Also, in place of the bell pepper, I used a bag of frozen Trader Joe's Fire Roasted Peppers and Onions (I really love the layer of flavor that the fire roastedness adds).

And oat flour! This was my first opportunity to make oat flour with the milling blade of my trusty Nutribullet. If you don't have oat flour or a mill grinder, I'm thinking regular all-purpose or whole wheat flour would be fine. Of course, the texture of this loaf is a little softer than your average meat loaf, but it actually stands up really well. J and I even made "Lentil Loaf Sandwiches" for lunchtime leftovers the next day.

Glazed Vegan Lentil Loaf

Prep time: 45 min 

Cook time: 50 min

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

Loaf

1 cup dry lentils

2 ½ cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons flaxseed meal

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 large garlic cloves

1 small onion

1 small bell pepper

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1.5 heaping teaspoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
½ heaping teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

¾ cup oats

½ cup oat flour

Glaze

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse lentils and combine with broth in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes.  When cooked, set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

2. Mix the flaxseed meal with the water and refrigerated until needed.

3. Coarsely chop the garlic, onion, pepper, carrot and celery. Toss in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

4. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add chopped vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes. Add next 7 ingredients (all spices) and mix until well combined. Turn off heat and cool for about 10 minutes.  

5. While vegetables cool, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs the side.

6. Pulse ¾ of the cooked lentils in the food processor until coarsely blended.

7. In a big bowl, mixed blended and whole lentils, sautéed seasoned vegetables, flax mixture, oats and oat flour.

8. Press the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment overhanging the sides - OR - scoop equal spoonfuls into 12 greased muffin cups. 

9. Mix ketchup, vinegar and maple syrup for the glaze and baste over top of the loaf.

10. Bake the loaf for 50 minutes - OR - muffins for 35 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving):

Calories 216, Total Fat 7.7 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium: 685 mg, Protein 7.4 g, Fiber 7 g

Don't skip the glaze. It adds yet another layer of flavor and tastes a bit like barbecue sauce. You might even want to save some to baste after baking. If you choose to make muffins instead of a larger loaf, you'll reap the benefit of a much shorter bake time and easy portion sizes for freezing and defrosting a weeknight dinner. So good, and soo good for you! If I've piqued your interest, please give it a try and let me know what you think.

______________________

I've had a lot of "AHA!" moments this year. (This lentil loaf is only one example of an AHA! moment.) You know - those little bursts of clarity that provide peace of mind and confidence in your own decisions? Such maturity makes me feel very adult-ish, but I actually don't mind growing up at all. It takes only a single second to remember that I am an incredibly lucky girl and I have so much to look forward to - anywhere my feet should land.

Cabbage, White Bean & Potato Stoup

Love is when someone offers to scrape the ice from your windshield so you don't have to stand in the wind (even when he didn't think to wear a jacket).

Sunday was definitely a cloudy, grey, rainy type of day that just begs for a hot cup of tea, a certain rat terrier, and maybe even a warm bowl of soup. Blustery winds and nonstop raindrops morphed into an April snowstorm overnight, leaving my poor, exposed car covered in a thick sheet of ice by Monday morning. With those limitations, this cabbage and white bean stew/soup (stoup?) sounded appropriate because crock pot cooking is exactly the kind of thing that makes sense at times like these. In other words, I'm feeling lazy and the thought of eating cold salad just isn't very motivating. 

Heavy on veggies and beans, this stoup is a comfort food that you can feel good about eating in large portions. All good stuff. Fuel. Plain and simple. (...even if all you are fueling is an Anchorman 2 watching party).

The original recipe (Irish White Bean and Cabbage Stew) comes to you via Susan over at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen*. You may be wondering - why Irish soup? Well, to be honest, I actually found this recipe last month when all of the cool kids were whipping up things with reference to St. Patrick's day. Anyway, I took Susan's recipe, doubled the seasonings and added liquid smoke (at her suggestion - good choice). 

Cabbage, White Bean & Potato Stoup

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 4-8 hr (crock pot), 45 min (stovetop)

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 head cabbage, chopped

4 carrots, sliced

1 to 1-1/2 pounds potatoes, cut in large dice

1/3 cup pearled barley (optional or substitute with gluten-free grain)

2-3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6-8 cups vegetable broth

3 cups cooked great northern beans (2 cans, rinsed and drained)

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Crock Pot:

1. Place the vegetables, seasonings, and barley into a large (at least 5 quart) slow cooker.

2. Add enough vegetable broth to just cover the vegetables (start with 6 cups and add more as needed).

3. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 hours.

4. Add beans, tomatoes, parsley, liquid smoke, and salt to taste. Check seasonings and add more herbs if necessary.

5. Cover and cook for another hour.

Stovetop:

1. Place vegetables, seasonings, barley, and broth into a large stockpot.

2. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients, check seasonings, and add more herbs if necessary.

4. Simmer uncovered for at least 15 minutes before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving, 6):

Calories 318, Total Fat 1.2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Protein 13.6 g, Fiber 16.4 g

J and I served this stoup topped with extra chopped parsley, Caesar salads and (just in case we were in danger of being a little TOO healthy) quick butter biscuits on the side (baked with herbed sweet cream butter). 

I imagine that my friends south of the Mason-Dixon are looking at this recipe thinking, 

"Yeah right! It's already 85 degrees on a cool day!" 

But for those of us less fortunate up here in the Midwest, there may still be a few days yet this spring where soup/stoup/stew is absolutely appropriate.

 If you have a favorite soup recipe, please share it in the comments! 

It took me over an hour to make the words curve like this. Seriously. Photo editing is NO JOKE and I can understand how some people make an entire living out of this process. Holy smokes.

* Fat Free Vegan Kitchen is one of those food blogs that I turn to time and again, week after week when I'm planning meals and grocery trips. This site is one I've grown to trust for healthy (and micro-nutrient packed!!) meal ideas. The recipes at FFVK are obviously.. well, vegan. But the good stuff doesn't stop there. Susan's recipes generally follow the nutritarian lifestyle (i.e. Eat To Live). These meals contain very little (if any) added fat and main dishes are heavy handed on beans n' greens. This translates into happy, healthy, homeostasis. Word. 

Vegetable Green Curry

Probably since moving to Atlanta for my internship, Vietnamese and Thai food have really become some of my favorite things to eat on this ENTIRE planet. I haven't been to Vietnam OR Taiwan to taste their food at the source, so perhaps that is a bold statement. Nonetheless, I am obsessed with the flavor combination of basil/cilantro/mint and I love everything about coconut milk. PLUS - these types of dishes can be prepared super heavy on the vegetables (which is exactly how I like to cook at home!).

It should come as no surprise, then, that one of my favorite restaurants here in Ames happens to be a little Thai restaurant on Main Street (The Spice - where I've only made the mistake of ordering my food "thai spicy" ONCE). I almost always order the same thing (pad thai with tofu and extra veggies / medium spicy), but my second favorite dish on their menu is the green curry. My pal Nina and I first visited The Spice just a few weeks into our residency and we have been fans of the restaurant ever since. The green curry actually reminds me of her because we both ordered the same thing on our first 'friend date' - and the rest is history. Also notable from that evening - The Spice provides the BEST reusable to-go containers for their curry.

And so... there you have the inspiration for today's post.

This vegetable green curry can  be made vegetarian/vegan with the substitution of soy or tamari sauce for the fish sauce listed below. Fish sauce is pretty inexpensive and doesn't actually make anything taste like fish. This is key because its offensive scent can be misleading*.

* Fish sauce, for those of you who aren't privy, smells like lost piranha souls rotting in a seaweed bucket of decayed shrimp heads and I just happen to have a very large bottle in my cupboard. Lots of Thai dishes call for this and you can find it in the Asian section of most food stores (even the Ames Wal-Mart). My advice to you - DO NOT spill it or sniff it straight unless you want to question God's intention for providing us with the sense of smell.

You can certainly find recipes to make your own green curry sauce, but I just bought the Thai Kitchen brand that comes in a little jar. You can also substitute any veggies you have on hand - the more the merrier, I say! Of course, J was nice enough to go ahead and make a second run to the store to pick up the broccoli I'd forgotten during our trip the day before. Womp womp.

All in all, though, this dish takes very little prep time - a bit of chopping, but you can pull it together in the amount of time it takes to steam some rice. Unless you burn the rice. Then you'll have plenty of extra time while you make another batch..... * ahem.*

I meant to add mushrooms, too, but forgot. The recipe below does not reflect that sad, sad fact.

Vegetable Green Curry

 

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS: 

1 Tbs vegetable oil (I used sunflower)

1 cup shallots, chopped (about 5 large)

5 large cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs green curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen)

4 tsp fish sauce

2 - 14oz cans unsweetened coconut milk (full fat or light will work)

1 large red bell pepper, sliced into 2” strips

1 medium zucchini, cut into fourths and sliced lengthwise into ¼” strips

1 medium yellow squash, cut into fourths and sliced lengthwise into ¼” strips

1 cup green beans, snapped to 3” length

1 large carrot, sliced

1 cup broccoli, broken into small florets

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 large handful of basil, chopped

1 lime, zested and sliced into wedges

Chili oil or chili garlic paste, to taste

2 green onions, chopped

Cilantro, for garnish

3 cups steamed rice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep frying pan. Sauté the shallots and garlic with the curry paste for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the coconut milk and fish sauce. Bring to a boil.

3. Add vegetables and simmer until veggies are crisp tender.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and lime zest. Swirl with chili oil or chili garlic paste, to taste.

5. Serve over rice. Top with green onions and a generous squeeze of fresh lime. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving):

Calories 305; Total Fat 8.6 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Protein 5.4 g, Fiber 3.0 g, Sodium 443.1 mg

*as prepared with full fat coconut milk, served over ½ cup jasmine rice.

My recipe very closely resembles the flavors I love in a Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (originally printed in Cooking Light). I encourage you to try that recipe, too, if you like the sound of it!

Hope ya'll are having a good week!

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Sunday mornings are my favorite mornings.
(excluding those immediately following a deliciously inappropriate Saturday night)

I like sleeping until the sun rises to the second floor. Newton generally agrees. He settles in with a tiny groan and lifts his head only if there's a legitimate chance that it's time to go downstairs.

Meanwhile, it's cold again in Iowa - they even predict late snow showers tonight. For now, only one stubborn little patch of ice remains frozen in the back yard. Almost everything else has melted in the past two weeks, but maybe that just makes room for more. Even though it is technically spring, this particular Sunday morning calls for something that warms both the kitchen and the soul despite the 21 degree temperature.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal.
 oh snap. Did she just work cake into breakfast??
That's right. But also - carrots. 

J and I have actually tested several different baked oatmeal recipes over the last year, and I love that they tend to make enough for a few extra breakfasts during the week. This new recipe is no exception. I originally found the idea published by Angela over at Oh She Glows, which is one of my favorite blogs to find healthy, plant-based recipes to test out on J. This oatmeal is free of refined sugars, contains no oil, and is packed with carrots. Win Win Win. I tweaked the original recipe to use ingredients that I already had on hand.

This recipe is going to be adaptable to all sorts of modifications. Angela serves hers topped with whipped coconut cream. I think the addition of crushed pineapple might be delicious. I also made our oatmeal dairy-free, but you can substitute whatever type of milk you like. Let me know if you try it out!

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 ¼ C old-fashioned rolled oats

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups lightly packed shredded carrot (about 5 medium)

2 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk

⅓ C pure maple syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated ginger

¼ C raisins

¼ C chopped, toasted pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (oats, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg and salt).

3. In a medium bowl, mix wet ingredients (carrots, milk, syrup, vanilla, and ginger).

4. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry until the oats are coated.

5. Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 9 inch baking dish.

6. Sprinkle raisins and pecans on top and gently press into the oatmeal mixture.

7. Bake for 35 minutes and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

8. Top with extra pecans, syrup, or raisins, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving):

Calories 278; Total Fat 7.3 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Protein 8.6 g; Dietary Fiber 5.8 g