Lentil & barley vegetable soup

This is a quick soup I made the other day, it is another one pot meal. (I love that kind) Super simple to make and usually everything is on hand to throw it together. If not... use something else that seems right :P

We are in full swing with the main floor renovations.The house is messy.The fridge is in the living room, and I am going to have no cabinets or counter top very, very soon. YIKES! I will be washing dishes in my bathtub,  seriously :P

I came down the stairs this morning at thought "OH GAWD WHAT HAVE WE DONE". I know its going to be a long couple of months living in chaos, but SO worth it in the end :)

Caught the sunrise this morning. It was so beautiful.

Lentil & barely vegetable soup

2 onions- small diced
4 cloves garlic- roughly chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
6 carrots- peeled and chopped
1 green pepper- small diced
10 mushrooms- sliced
1 medium potato- peeled and chopped
8 cups water/vegetable stock
3 cups cooked lentils
2 handfuls of barley
2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp red wine vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

In  a large pot heat oil and saute onion and garlic until soft
Add spices and continue sauteing until absorbed
Next add vegetables, saute for 2-3 minutes
Add water or stock, lentil and barley and paste
Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
Season with vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Dal, rice & swiss chard with garlic

Is what we had for dinner tonight, I like this meal a lot. It must have something to do with the weather because I have been loving the leafy greens. I have a recipe on my blog for dal already, but I didn't have the same ingredients this time, so I changed it :)

1 1/2 cups red lentils- rinsed until water runs clear (about 4 times)
6 cups water
2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion- small diced
2 stalks celery- small diced
3 cloves garlic-minced
1 thumb of ginger- peeled and minced
2 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Bring lentils to a boil and cook until soft. Keep simmering
In a saute pan- heat oil add onions and celery- saute until soft
add garlic and ginger, continue sauteing.
Add spices. coat onion mixture allow spices to absorb.
Saute for 4 minutes on medium heat
Add onion mixture to pot of lentils.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season with cider, sugar, salt and pepper.

Serve with brown rice & sauteed greens

Sloppy joes

 
This weekend was nice, we had some beautiful sunny days and my dad is visiting. We did a few things around the house ( installed a programmable thermostat and a new outside light fixture), my dad took me out for dinner, we also drove to our favorite beach in Nova Scotia.

"THE beach"

my girls playing on a buoy

 banana bread

I didn't cook much this weekend mostly we ate leftovers and spaghetti,  but I did make those owl cupcakes and a mean loaf of banana bread :)

I wanted to start the third week of Vegan MOFO with some kid friendly food and my daughter asked me to make sloppy joes. I checked the web for some ideas and found some great lentil recipes.  I think that this is great if you have a bunch of vegetables that need to be used up. I used carrot, celery and green pepper, but you could use grated zucchini, sweet potato, etc. The great part about sloppy joes is that you can add anything!

3 cups cooked  lentils ( I used green)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion- small diced
2 cloves garlic- minced
4 stalks celery-small diced
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 green pepper- small diced
2 carrots- peeled and grated 1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp black strap molasses
1 can crushed tomato
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
sea salt ( I used about 1 1/2 tsp)
freshly ground pepper

Sesame seed buns


In a large pot heat oil add onions
Saute until soft. Add garlic, celery saute until soft
Add spices. Stir until absorbed
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low heat.
Season to taste.

Toast buns, scoop on lentil mixture. ENJOY! yumyumyum

  This use to be just a light bulb sticking out of the wall, my dad is AWESOME!!

Moroccan style summer squash stew

Stew has to be one of the most unpretentious foods ever invented, but I love the way vegetables simmer in spices and broth melting together in a pot of deliciousness. I picked up an acorn squash at the vegetable stand at the end of the elderly couples driveway. I wish I had a better name to call it....and it was in the fridge for week.

Today I stacked 2 cords of firewood in our wood shed, when I got in the house I was SO not excited to cook. My back killed and my legs ached.  I still had to feed the herd...I whipped this up and I was very pleased :)

A cinnamon stick gives just the right amount of warmth. I used dried lentils but it could be changed up to chickpeas ( I didn't have any soaked).

2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek-white part- sliced
1 celery stalk- small diced
1 acorn squash- peeled and chopped
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leafs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 cups water
1 yellow zucchini- chopped
1 cup baby carrots- or any type
2 tomatoes- chopped
3/4 cup dried lentils
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 pinch sugar
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)

In a large pot heat oil add leek, saute until soft. Add celery and squash. Add spices and herbs. Stir until absorbed. Add water and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 hour.
Season with sea salt and pepper.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

A made a simple lentil vegetable soup for dinner tonight, rustic I suppose. I didn't fuss around, just put a few ingredients in a large pot and simmered it for about hour and half. It was super yummy and easy to make.

I like to serve this type of soup with a loaf of good bread and a salad. Who says dinner has to be hard? I literally threw this together in about 15 minutes, and left it to cook on the stove (on low), left the house even for 40 minutes!

I also got some goodies in the mail this afternoon. Edward and Sons sent me a box of products to try, which is always fun. I love getting things via snail mail :)

The brown rice snaps didn't last long...they were tasty. The miso cup soup was really good, I was out all day running errands and when I got home I decided to try it and  I really was quite impressed with the taste. Most instant soups have a weird plastic taste, but this one was TASTY! There is 3 servings in a pack and each package contains two small envelopes one for miso paste, the other has dehydrated tofu, seaweed and green onions. I really love miso soup, and Edward and Sons made it easy to enjoy.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

• 1 medium onion- small diced
• 2 cloves garlic-minced
  
• 3 carrots-peeled and small diced
• 1 stalk celery- small diced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• water to cover( about 7 cups)
  
• 1 small potato- peeled and small diced
• 1 cup green lentils
• 1 Roma tomato- small diced 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

In a pot saute the onion, garlic, carrots and celery, for 3-4 minutes
Add spices and cover with water. Add lentils, potato, and tomato. Bring to a boil.
Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the lentils are soft. Season with sea salt and pepper.

A Day of Love- take 2

Valentines day, has always been one of the best times of year to go out to a restaurant for a great meal. Dinner is usually a highlight. The chefs bringing some of there best ideas to your table, for you and your love to relic in deliciousness, teasing your taste buds with flavors. Being a vegan family living in a rural area, makes it difficult to enjoy a meal like this. So whats a girl to do but ..cook up some love!

Valentines Menu

* Roasted beets,baby greens & toasted walnuts drizzled with nova scotia apple vinaigrette

*Butternut squash & Lentils wrapped in phyllo with turnip & potato mash, and a parsley garlic cream sauce

*Chocolate Mousse on a cookie crust with Strawberry sauce

For the salad...

I scrubbed 3 large beets poured a little olive oil and sprinkled some sea salt wrapped in foil baked in the oven at 400 for 1 1/2 hours
with a pairing knife I peeled back the skin, cut into wedges.
Tossed baby greens with finely sliced green onions and the vinaigrette.
Arrange nicely on the plate, with the roasted beets, sprinkled with toasted walnuts.be

For the phyllo...

• 1 cup cooked lentils
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek- cut lengthwise and sliced
• 1 celery stalk- small diced
• 1 tbsp Dijon
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 small butternut squash- peeled, cubed and steamed
• 1 tbsp earth balance
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 12 sheets of phyllo dough
• olive oil
• 1 pastry brush

In a saute pan, oil, add leek and celery saute for 4-5 minutes. Add sage. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. In a medium bowl mix together with cooked lentils.
set aside

In a small bowl combine steamed squash, earth balance, and nutmeg. Season  with sea salt and pepper.

Layer the phyllo sheets brushing with olive oil 1 at a time.
Place the lentil mixture on the phyllo dough, then the sqaush mixture.
Roll up in the phyllo.
Place on a baking sheet, brush the top with olive oil.
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Love Your Lentils

Winter is here to stay, for at least another couple of months. Buying fresh local produce is hard this time of year. I often find myself making soups and stews with dried legumes.  I love lentils because they are easy  to cook (they don't need to soak), full of iron, and I think... are pretty tasty.This is one of those inventions, I served it with mash potatoes.

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium sized onion-small diced
• 2 cloves garlic-minced
• 2 stalks celery-small diced
• 2 carrots- peeled and small diced
• 1/4 turnip- peeled and small diced
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 cups lentils-washed
• water- to cover
• 3 mushrooms-chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• sea salt- to taste
• freshly ground pepper- to taste

In a large pot, heat oil and add onion saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic, celery, carrots, and turnip, saute for another 3-4 minutes
Add the basil and lentils. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Add mushrooms and paste. Turn the heat to medium and let cook until lentils are soft.
About 40 minutes.
Season with vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Lentil Loaf Leftovers

Lentil loaf is great to make for dinner, but the best part about it is when you have leftovers. It makes great sandwiches, almost like a pate. A slice of lentil loaf, lettuce, tomato, vegan mayo and a squeeze of mustard, on fresh bread served with a dill pickle. Feels like I am reading a deli menu.

• 1 cup dried brown lentils-cooked
• 1/2 cup brown rice-cooked
• 2 tbsp-sunflower oil
• 1 onion-small diced
• 1 carrot-minced
• 1 celery stalk-minced
• 2 cloves garlic-minced
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup oats
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed-mixed with 6 tbsp boiling water
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 4 tbsp flour
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Cover lentils with water and cook until soft then drain them.
Cook rice according to directions.
On medium high heat in a saute pan, add oil, onion carrot, celery, and garlic, saute for 4-5 minutes, until soft.
Add poultry seasoning.
In a large bowl mix lentils and rice and onion mixture together.
Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well to form a mushy consistancy.
In a greased loaf pan, pat down the mixture. Spread ketchup all over the top.

Bake in a 375 oven for 45 minutes

Dahl that's not Dull

This and a bowl of brown rice is one of my favorite things to eat. Sometimes I even mix them together.

My buddy emailed me the other day looking for a good soup recipe, and this is it! It has a lot of flavor, and don't be shy on the sea salt! Add a little at a time, a chef once told me, you can always add more but you can't take it out.

• 1 1/2 cups red lentils

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion- finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic-minced
• 1 large piece of ginger- peeled and minced

•  1 tbsp cumin seeds- toasted and ground
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds- toasted and ground
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp turmeric

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

In a large pot rinse and drain the lentils several times, until the water runs clear.
Cover with water and bring to a boil, cook until lentils fall apart. You will have to skim off the foam several times, I find using a ladle works the best.

Heat a saute pan and add oil.

Add onion, garlic and ginger, saute on low heat for at least 10 minutes.

On medium/high heat, in a small frying pan add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds, toast until they change to a darker colour or you can smell them. Grind in a coffee grinder if you have one, I don't so I use a mortar and pestle. Add to the onion along with the rest of the spices, cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the onion and spice mixture to the skimmed off pot of lentils.

Season with vinegar,syrup,salt and pepper. Finish with coconut milk.

Braised Savoy Cabbage & Lentils, Mash Potato and Roasted Apples

I went to the farmers market this weekend and picked up a huge savoy cabbage for one dollar! I was not sure what to do with it, but a little research and Wa-la, a yummy supper.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion- sliced
• 3 cloves garlic-minced
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp dried mustard
• 1 cup of dried brown lentils-washed
• water- to cover
• 2 apples-peeled and shredded
  
• 1/4 of a cabbage- sliced thinly
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• freshly ground pepper  (cabbage loves pepper!)
• sea salt

In a large saute pan heat oil, add onions saute for 3-4 minutes, add garlic, continue to saute adding spices. Add lentils and cover with water bring to a boil, add cabbage and apple cover with lid and simmer on low heat until cabbage is soft.  Season with vinegar, syrup, pepper and salt. Keep lid on and simmer for 20 minutes, checking the water, adding when necessary

Roasted apples: peeled and quarter apples, sprinkle with cane sugar, and place on a pan in a 375 oven for 10-15 minutes