vegetarian Archives - Nutmeg Disrupted

Red Lentil Coconut Dhal with Sweet Potatoe ad Kale from Nutmeg Dispruted

Recipe Review. Red Lentil Coconut Dhal

September 14, 2014 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

I have to admit, I have never made any sort of Indian dish from scratch before. Sure I have used the jarred Butter Chicken sauce from Pataks and it is delicious but there is something to be said for making something from scratch. The layers of flavours building to create something spectacular is part of why I love cooking so much. And this dish had that and more.

A few days ago I tried the Red Lentil Coconut Dhal with Sweet Potatoes and Kale from Life Through the Kitchen Window. OMG!!! It was outstanding. I was a bit concerned that I didn’t have all the ingredients listed but Marlene assured me that it would be fantastic even if I didn’t have everything. And she was not joking. It was spicy but not too spicy and the sweetness from the sweet potato was perfect. There was a bit of bite from the kale and lentils and the creaminess was very nice. I served it with heated naan alongside of pork carnitas. It was the perfect Indian Mexican fusion.

Following Marlene’s direction I let my pantry dictate the recipe. I did not have any black mustard seed and though I do have regular mustard seed in my spice drawer I decided to not use it. Also I did not have any kalonji. Having never heard of it I inquired what exactly it was. I learnt that is has a carroty flavor and look forward to trying it soon!

I used a Chana Masala as that is what I had in my spice collection. I used a regular chili powder and added just a touch of curry powder to the mix.

I sauted the sweet potatoes until they were nice and caramelized, not to the point of burnt but I made sure they were nice and dark brown before I added the onion, garlic and chilis. I followed the recipe exactly as she has it written. And I will say this, you really must invest in coconut oil if you have not yet. It adds a very nice coconut flavor to the dish and any dish you may use it in. The bonus is it is very good for you.

This is definitely a new favorite and I know I will be making it often. I had enough that I enjoyed it for 3 days and it is just as good the next day! I cut up some tortillas and get them a quick fry the second day and enjoyed it somewhat like a dip. And on day three I heated the rest in the oven and had it alongside a fresh green salad. Really it is the perfect compliment alongside any main dish you plan on serving.

I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

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Lentil Sprouts

May 13, 2014 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

I love sprouts.
And when I found out you can sprout lentils in just a couple of days I immediately had to try it.
Quick and extremely simple you will be enjoying fresh sprouts by the end of the week. The hardest part about the entire thing is waiting for them to be ready to eat.

All you need is a large mason jar and some cheese cloth and one cup of green lentils.

In a fine mesh strainer rinse the lentils, removing any that are not good and any little pebbles that may be present.

Once rinsed place them in the jar and cover them with fresh cold water. Cover the opening with cheese cloth and secure it with a screw band. Set in a darker corner of your kitchen.

The next day strain the water off and rinse them a few times. Strain all the water off and set the jar back into its corner. You will need to do this twice a day.

By the end of day two you will notice that your jar is now completely full to the top with lentils. In the next day they will begin to sprout.

Continue to rinse them twice a day. Your lentils will be ready to eat once you notice green leaves emerge. This takes about 5 days. They will be packed very tight in the jar so you will have to dig them out.

Store in the fridge for up to a week. Though I am fairly confident they won’t last that long.

Besides eating them straight from the jar I have been putting them on everything from sandwiches to burgers.

They taste like fresh baby peas. Seriously fantastic!

If you love lentils be sure to check out what else I have been creating with them here.

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Lentil Mushroom Pate

March 30, 2014 Redawna Comments 1 comment

Looking for an interesting appetizer for the Canadian Lentils contest I wanted to do something very different. The earthiness of mushrooms seemed like a natural paring with lentils, some shallots garlic and thyme with a hit of lemon was the perfect balance It felt like a winner! A quintessential example of umami.

Lentil Mushroom Pate

boiling water

2 cups of dried mushrooms

3/4 pound of white button mushrooms

4 tablespoons of butter

4 shallots, minced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoons of fresh thyme, minced

3/4 cup of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup of green lentil puree

2 tablespoons of whipping cream

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soften for 15 minutes, Drain through a coffee filter lined mesh strainer reserving liquid. For this recipe I used dried porcini, oyster, shiitake and yellow bolete mushrooms.

Pulse all the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cook until shallots are soft. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a few minutes.

Now add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to brown. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved mushroom water and cook off until it is evaporated. Take off the heat and add the lentils, cream cheese, whipping cream, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a bowl lined with plastic wrap with enough to cover the surface. Refrigerate a few hours until firm.

Allow to warm to room temperature to serve. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh thyme.

Great with a nice crusty baguette.

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Lentil Chili

January 11, 2014 Redawna Comments 4 comments

I have been eating much healthier of late.

And looking for ways to keep it healthy I have been using whole grains and legumes.

This recipe is a fantastic meatless chili loaded with beans, lentils, vegetables and flavor!

You’ll love it so much you may never use meat in your chili ever again!

Seriously, it’s that good.

I was one of the lucky winners a while back on Twitter during a Twitter party with Canadian Lentils. I won a fabulous gift package I have been waiting for the perfect recipe to use some of the great lentils they sent me!

Lentil Chili

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Author: Redawna

Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients

1 yellow onion - chopped
5 cloves of garlic - chopped
4 stalks of celery - chopped
1 cup of mushrooms - sliced
1 large red pepper - chopped
1 can of black beans 540 ml - drained and rinsed
1 can of romano beans 540 ml - drained and rinsed
1 cup of brown lentils - rinsed
1 can of diced stewed tomatoes with garlic and olive oil 769 ml
1 can of V8 - 340 ml
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon in chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of celery seed
½ teaspoon of paprika
½ teaspoon of chipotle chili pepper
¼ teaspoon of crushed red chili pepper flakes

Instructions

In a large pot heat 3 tablespoons of oil, I like to use Canola oil.
Add the onion, garlic and celery.
Cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are lightly browned.
Add the red pepper and mushrooms and allow to cook for another 10 minutes.
Now you can add the lentils and beans.
Give everything I good stir.
Add all the spices and give it another good stir to combine everything.
Allow to cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the water and simmer for 25 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes and V8.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Allow to bubble away for 15 minutes, stirring often so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

It makes a nice sized pot so you will definitely have leftovers if you are not feeding a crowd.

It has just the right amount of heat, it is not too spicy and the flavor is amazing!

And each serving has a whopping 14 grams of fiber! That alone is reason to give this one a try.

This recipe freezes well and is great for those nights you work late.

If you have any fabulous recipes using lentils I would love to hear about them!

Good eating in 2014!

Enjoy.

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Borscht

April 6, 2013 Redawna Comments 10 comments

You may have noticed there sure have been a lot of lobster posts here on Nutmeg Disrupted lately.

And I have one more to put up.

I feel a bit stuck right now. Not in a rut so much as just avoiding a place where I am not sure I am ready to go yet. But if I don’t now, when?

Funny how death does that. Pulls the rugout from beneath your feet. Brings such clarity. Makes you question your choices and decisions.

After a nasty physical confrontation with some members of my family which caused my first son to be born a month early, I decided to walk away from my family.

That was almost 15 years ago. And I never looked back. Pride, fear, and anger fueled my stubbornness.And I have never regretted it for a moment. It was what I needed to do. Like a crushing weight being lifted off my chest.

Until now.

My baba died earlier this year.

I don’t think she ever knew what had happened. Why I left and never looked back. I always meant to go see her. But fear can be a very powerful emotion. So many times I wanted to go see her. Or write her a letter letting her know she was always on my mind. And yet, I did nothing. Because I was just so damn scared.

My regret is huge. Really there are no words to describe how very sorry I am. To walk into her funeral with my son, now 13, her never having ever met him. It breaks my heart on so many levels. I guess this is my punishment for my decisions. My lack of action. My stubbornness. For letting my anger with some, ruin relationships with all.

As I sat listening to the stories at her service I started to remember. Remember all the times we spent together. All the things I learnt from her. Of how alike we were.

She was the first member of the family to be behind the camera. Her gardens were nothing short of amazing. And though her food was simple, it was all about the love she put into it. For her family.

So many regrets. My heart is indeed heavy. As I wait for the never ending winter to go so I can find some sort of peace in my garden, I cook through my grief.

She may not have known it, but she was one of my hugest inspirations.

This is a soup she would make. Simple ingredients fresh from the garden!

I remember sitting in her kitchen watching, learning, eating.

Thank you Baba. xoxox

Borscht

8 – 9 large beets

2 cups of carrots (cut into coins)

2 cups of green beans (chopped)

1/4 cup of fresh dill (chopped)

1 large onion (chopped)

salt & pepper

To prepare beets: Leaving about 1 inch of stem on give beets a wash. Fill a large pot with the beets. If you have large and small beets, use 2 pots, one for each size. Cover beets with water and place on high to bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil turn heat to medium to continue cooking. Small beets take 15 minutes, larger ones take up to 30 minutes. You will know they are done when pierced with a fork. Strain beets and plunge into cold water. Taking a knife remove stem end, the skins will just slide off. Give a quick rinse under cool water and slice into a bowl or soup pot.