vegan red lentil stew

It's soooo cold here! (read: below 75 degrees) So, I've been really into soups lately, if you can't tell.

Earlier this week I got an email from Lindsay with a red lentil soup recipe that she had found on Bodyrock.tv (link may be NSFW) and it looked scrumptious! Seeing that I had a big bag of red lentils in my cupboard, I had to make it.

I made a few changes to amp up the flavor a bit and I have to say it turned out really, really well. Serve it with some hearty bread (or pita like in the pictures) to make sure that you have complete proteins. Legumes + grains = all of the amino acids that you need.

Make sure you get red lentils and not brown or green for this recipe. Red lentils break down very quickly when cooked which is what makes this stew thick and hearty! Even though I probably over paid for these red lentils, can you believe how inexpensive this is? I mean, WOW.

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lentil tacos

Pink slime got you down? Maybe you're already a vegetarian? Or maybe you just don't like paying $4/lb. for ground beef? Well, if you don't already know, lentils make a fantastic substitute (or extender) for ground beef!

I used lentils to stretch out a pound of ground beef in my Sloppy Joe's Plus recipe, but when one of my wonderful readers (Hi Emily!) sent me a link to this recipe on A Couple of Cooks, I knew I had to try lentil tacos. ...and I love 'em!

The taco seasoned lentils themselves are really easy to make (and cost only about $1.91) and then you can use whatever toppings or shells you want. I used small taco sized corn tortillas, homemade taco seasoning, homemade pico de gallo, fresh avocado (they were on sale), and some sour cream. The all-American lettuce, cheese, and tomato combo would also be great!

If your pantry isn't well stocked enough to make your own taco seasoning, you can substitute a store bought packet of seasoning and you can always use a jar of salsa instead of fresh pico. The price breakdown below includes my selection of toppings, so be aware that your choices will affect your total cost.


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coconut lentils

One of my all-time favorite, easy side dishes is coconut jasmine rice. So, I started thinking that if cooking rice in coconut milk was so good, maybe cooking lentils in coconut milk would be too? It sure was!

I basically followed the same formula: coconut milk, a little garlic, and a little salt. This time I also added a little turmeric for flavor and color. I kept it simple and mild because I wanted to pair it with the Indian Style Creamed Spinach, which was pretty spicy. If you want to dress these lentils up a bit, you could add a little red pepper (which I did for garnish on a couple photos), or maybe even a little cinnamon! Any way you do it, this dish is quick, easy, and delicious.

I've been just putting the spinach and lentils in one dish for lunch, heating them up together, and taking them both up in one delicious spoonful. They're made for each other!

**It's very important to note that red lentils are different in texture than green or brown lentils. They break down much more and cook faster than the other two. They are like the split pea of the lentil family!

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sloppy joe's plus

"Plus? What is this "plus" business?" ... I can hear it now. Well, the "plus" is LENTILS! *crowd cheers* Yes, I added lentils to my sloppy joe's for added fiber and to bulk it up a bit without bulking up the price.

I know, the idea of adding lentils to sloppy joe's is going to frighten some of you to death... If you want regular old, American sloppy joe's, just make the recipe as directed but skip adding the lentils in the last step. Without the lentils this is a very good, classic sloppy joe recipe. ...but I gotta tell ya, it's yummy with lentils. They add a nice texture and almost disappear visually (see photos below). Live on the edge, give lentils a shot.

If you don't want to do lentils, you could try stirring in a can of red beans, kidney beans, or even pinto beans.

BTW, this recipe is super quick and easy so it's a real winner for beginners!


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dijon lentil salad

Wow, I've had so many good recipe suggestions from readers lately! And I guess that's a good thing because I've been so busy with school and other projects that I don't even have time to think. So, thank you, readers, for all of your wonderful ideas!

This recipe came courtesy of Alana who got the recipe from Ina Garten. I did a quick search to find Ina's actual recipe so that I could link it, but I was unable to find it. But, as usual, I changed things up a bit anyway.

I love this dish because it uses a super simple dijon vinaigrette to add tons of flavor and tang to otherwise boring lentils. The lentils are also cooked with a mixture of vegetables to add flavor and, to my surprise, cloves! The cloves were not over powering at all, but instead added a nice hint of sweet spice to the background. Absolutely delish!

I've been eating this salad as a side dish but I loved Alana's suggestion to eat it with some crusty bread and light red wine... I can definitely handle a dinner like that on a lazy summer evening!

Thanks Alana!


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lentil & sausage stew

Okay, you're really going to have to try not to judge a book by it's cover here. I know this stew isn't the prettiest thing to look at but, OMG, it will knock the socks right off your taste buds! No joke. We're talking insanely delicious here... like "at the end of the week I'll be sad that there isn't any left" delicious.

The recipe posted below is adapted from this Lentil Sausage Soup over on dlynz.com. I still have half of a huge bag of lentils to use up and I'm trying to fiber pack my diet so this soup/stew really fit the bill. And, as always, I made some changes to the recipe to accommodate what was available to me at good price.

The recipe makes a ton but luckily it freezes well. If you want to make a half batch just cut everything in half. Sausage usually doesn't come in a smaller pack than 1 lb. but luckily, sausage also freezes well. I went for a reduced fat turkey "Italian Sausage" because of the cholesterol issue and I was pleasantly surprised! I fully expected it to gag me but it turned out insanely delicious and I couldn't even tell that it was turkey instead of pork. SCORE!

Okay, on to the recipe...


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dal nirvana

Things are a little tight this month so I made a resolution to use up all (or a lot) of the food that I have in my pantry and freezer. Sure, I should always be doing this anyway but exciting recipes always seem to entice me into trying (and buying) new things.

Anyway, I have two huge bags of lentils (a.k.a. "dal") sitting in my pantry that have been waiting for their day in the spot light. I saw this recipe for Dal Nirvana over on Steamy Kitchen and it looked so scrumptious that I had to try it. The best part is that the ingredient list is mostly items that I already have. Indian recipes are tricky because they usually include ingredients that I don't have nor have I ever heard of! This recipe, on the other hand is different. It's simple, it's delicious, it's super filling and I'd happily eat it every day.

I served the Dal with some simple, steamed jasmine rice and homemade naan (Indian flat bread). The recipe for the naan will be up in a couple of days... it turned out AMAZING!


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mexican lentil stew

After making a few heavy dishes this past week (meatballs, stroganoff, chorizo breakfast bowls), I was really craving something lighter and full of veggies (but still really hearty and satisfying, of course). After browsing the web, I decided on a vegetarian lentil stew. I began with this recipe for Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Soup and tweaked it to my liking. As it turns out, this tomato based soupy stew is exactly what I was craving! Even better yet, it was incredibly easy so it could easily be a weeknight dinner. Be warned, this recipe is huge, yielding a whopping 18 cups so I think next time I'll definitely half the recipe. This time the rest will just end up in the freezer!



Total Recipe cost: $9.23
Servings Per Recipe: 12 (1.5 cups each = HUGE)
Cost per serving: $0.77
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 25 min. Total: 30 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 cups	dry red lentils	$1.65
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.21
1 medium	onion	$0.30
3 stalks	celery	$0.45
4 cloves	garlic	$0.24
two 14.5 oz. cans	fire roasted diced tomatoes	$2.34
4 cups	vegetable broth	$2.72
1/4 tsp each	turmeric and cumin	$0.10
1 tsp each	chili powder	$0.05
10-15 dashes	hot sauce	$0.15
1 medium	lime	$0.33
1 handfull	cilantro	$0.69 (whole bunch)
TOTAL		$9.23

STEP 1: In a medium pot, bring the 2 cups of lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and let sit with a lid on for about 20 minutes.

STEP 2: While the lentils are cooking, begin the stew. Finely dice the onions and cook over medium heat in 2 Tbsp of olive oil. While the onions begin to cook, finely dice the garlic and add to the pot. While the onions and garlic cook, finely chop the celery and then add to the pot.

STEP 3: Cook the onions, garlic and celery until they are soft but not brown. Add the cans of diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and the hot sauce. Continue to cook over medium heat until hot.



STEP 4: At this point, the lentils should have absorbed the water and become soft. Add the lentils and any remaining water to the soup mixture. Stir well and slightly mash using the back of your spoon.



STEP 5: Once the entire mixture is hot, add a handful of chopped cilantro and taste test to see if you want any more heat (hot sauce) or salt and pepper.

STEP 6: You can either add the juice of lime to the pot or serve the bowls of stew with a wedge of lime. I like the wedge of lime because it makes for a pretty presentation and that way people can choose whether or not they want it.

NOTE: It wasn't until after I got home that I noticed I had bought organic vegetable broth which was probably considerably more expensive than regular. Also, if you can't find the fire roasted tomatoes, don't fret. They are great and have a wonderful smokey flavor but regular will do great as well (and be about 20 cents less per can).

I had some extra tortilla chips left over from a party (you know how I like to use up leftovers) and they were great dipped in this stew. You could also add a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. If you have some frozen corn kernels they would also taste great in this stew. Basically, anything that goes well with chili will also taste great with this stew! It's delicious!!