Red Lentil + Brown Rice Soup

I am obsessed with this 101cookbooks recipe. It's super cheap, super easy, super filling and AMAZINGLY delicious. As with all soups, it's super good with some sautéed kale thrown on top. 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper 

6 cups good-tasting vegetable stock (or water)

1 1/3 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed

1/2 cup brown rice, picked over and rinsed

as much fine grain, unbleached sea salt as you need

In a big soup pot, over medium heat, combine the olive oil, onion, shallots, and red pepper flakes. Let them brown, and caramelize a bit, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the broth, bring to a boil, then stir in the lentils and rice. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rice is very tender, and not at all toothsome. By this time, the lentils will have collapsed into a thick slop of sorts. If you need to add more water/broth at any point do so a splash at a time, until the soup thins out to the point you prefer.

Unless you used a salty broth, you will likely need to salt generously, until the the soup no longer tastes flat. 

Edamame Hummus

Edamame Hummus

1/3 cup cilantro (this is basically 1/3 of a good sized bunch from the grocery store, leaves only)

1 clove garlic

1.5 cups thawed frozen, shelled, organic edamame (unsalted)

3 t tahini

2 t olive oil

2 t rice vinegar

1 lime, juiced

1+ T white miso

5- 6 T warm water

In a food processor or blender, whir the garlic and cilantro until they are well chopped. Add the thawed edamame and pulse on low. Then add the tahini, miso, olive oil, rice vinegar and lime juice. Blend for 4- 5 minutes, adding the warm water slowly until the hummus is smooth and fluffy. Taste. If you'd like it to be a bit saltier add a small amount more miso or a pinch of sea salt.

Quinoa Salad Inspired by Kelly (Riffing on a theme)

Quinoa salad with herbs, tahini and fresh veggies
1 cup quinoa cooked
4 Thai eggplants, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
3 carrots, shredded
1 beet, shredded
1/3 cup tart dried cherries

3 T roasted sesame tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic

1/2 cup mint, chopped
1/2 cup parsely, chopped

unbleached salt + pepper + olive oil

Rinse the quinoa and then toast lightly in 1 T olive oil. Add 1.5 cups of water and cook until done, but not mushy. Set aside.

Generously salt the eggplant after dicing and set aside while you chop the other veggies. Try to get a consistent size on everything. Drain, rinse and dry the eggplant after about 10 minutes.

Heat about 2 T olive oil in a large skillet. Add the eggplant and let cook for 2 minutes before adding the bell pepper, tomato and cherries. Cook together for about 5 minutes. Everything should stay pretty al dente, but you want the flavors to marry.

In a small food processor make an emulsion with the tahini and lemon (it will turn into a mayonnaise-y consistency) and then add the minced garlic.

When the veggies are done dump them in a big bowl with the cooked quinoa, shredded beets and carrots, and tahini dressing. Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. When the salad has cooled stir in the green herbs and serve.

Sweet Potato and Adzuki Bean Soup

Quick Gingered Sweet Potato Soup with Adzuki Beans and Miso
1 T olive oil
1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and cubed (skin on)
1 sweet onion minced
1 bay leaf
2" of ginger minced
1/2 t fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 t red miso
1/2 vegan bouillon cube
1/2 cup adzuki beans, cooked (I cook mine with just a 1" piece of kombu for flavor and add a little salt at the end)
1/2 t smoked paprika
cilantro for garnish

Sweat the onions in a large sauce pan with the olive oil. When the onions start to become fragrant (about 5 minutes) add the cubed sweet potato and continue to stir until the sweet potato becomes fragrant. Toss in the fennel seeds, ginger and bay leaf. Stir for a minute or two before adding the water, miso and bouillon. Simmer until the sweet potato starts to fall apart, then remove the bay leaf and buzz lightly with an immersion blender. The soup should be chunky rather than silky. Add the adzukis and the smoked paprika and remove from the heat. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Another quinoa salad, this one Persian-style

I just discovered food52.com and made this salad the other nite. I made a ton of alterations - swapped in healthier quinoa for couscous, eggplant (in need of use) for squash, and cherries for raisins (eww!). The great thing about this recipe is that you can, and should, use what you have on hand. Following is my version and what I was munching on in class yesterday. That lentil salad topper on there will have to wait - that involves cookbook transcribing and I can't procrastinate that much!

Quinoa salad with eggplant, cherries, pistachios, and mint, aka Persian Love Salad

Serves 6-ish

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• Juice of one lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• Olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups dried quinoa, cooked according to directions
  
• 1 diced eggplant
  
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
  
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and let them steep for about 30 minutes.
2. Next, cook the quinoa - rinse the grains, boil in water till the little germ spirals pop out, and drain. Toss it with a fork so the grains don't start clumping together, pour into a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
3. In a skillet over medium high heat, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then, add the chopped eggplant, salt and pepper. Saute until semi-soft with nice brown edges. Then add the shallot, cherries, pistachios, and more salt and pepper. Only cook for about a minute or two -- you still want the eggplant to be al dente. This just ensures all the flavors can marry before they hit the couscous. Set aside until everything reaches room temperature.
4. Once the veggies have reached room temperature, add them to the bowl with the couscous and combine.
5. Then, remove and discard the cloves of garlic from the dressing, and toss it with the couscous (add the dressing gradually, as you may not need it all). Fold in the mint, season with additional salt and pepper if necessary and serve at room temperature.

Read more: http://www.food52.com/recipes/5425_summer_squash_couscous_with_sultanas_pistachios_and_mint#ixzz0z3teL1AP

Cleaning out the fridge quinoa salad

I had a few things lingering at the bottom of my produce drawer from last week's box from Irv and Shelly's that were begging to be roasted and tossed together with some quinoa and harissa for a quick healthy dinner. I let the roast veggies and the quinoa cool before throwing it all together to make it feel lighter and more summery, but I think it would also be excellent hot.

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
5-6 small beets, sliced
1 1/2 c. cubed butternut squash (I had some already cut up and frozen leftover from a recipe a few months back)
1 small spring onion, sliced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
a healthy pinch each of cumin, coriander, aleppo pepper
a few grinds of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chile pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c. roughly chopped swiss chard
1 c. roughly chopped beet greens
2 tablespoons harissa

In a medium bowl, toss the beets, squash, onion, some of the olive oil, cumin, coriander, aleppo, and salt and pepper. Spread out on a cookie sheet and roast in a 350F oven for about 35 minutes, moving them around with a spatula about halfway through. While the veggies are roasting, cook the quinoa according to package directions. When finished, rinse with cold water and set aside. Next, saute garlic, chile pepper flakes, and greens in the rest of the olive oil until greens are just beginning to wilt, put aside. When the beets and squash are finished, remove from oven and let cool. Toss greens, quinoa and roasted veggies together, with harissa and a bit more olive oil as needed. Enjoy!

Black Eyed Pea and Potato tacos!

Yesterday I went on an awesome date. That date involved an amazing spice shop in the East Village where there are also amazing bulk dried fruits, beans, jarred chutneys, etc. And, today there was amazing watercress at the farmer's market...So, this little gem of a dinner was born. These tacos (plus the spicy dark chocolate and trappist ale I washed it down with...) were the perfect end to a beautiful day and the satisfying meal I needed after a 30 mile bike jaunt! Sadly, I gobbled them down before taking a picture...But, I guarantee you that it was a BEAUTIFUL, colorful meal. These are light and surprisingly complex and flavorful for a super quick meal, and seriously satisfying. I think these would be great with sweet potatoes or squash in place of the yukon golds too! Dare I recommend pairing these tacos with your favorite beer and an evening on the porch with someone sweet? Bliss.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
2 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 cup cooked black eyed peas (Save the rest of your batch for another meal...I'm thinking tumeric scented empanadas!)
1 clove garlic, minced
smoked paprika
ground cumin
ground coriander
cayenne pepper
1 t honey or maple syrup
sea salt
lime


A healthy amount of rinsed and dried watercress
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1 large carrot, chopped small
A hefty handful of chopped cilantro (like 3/4 cup!)

1 avocado, sliced
whole grain tortillas (I like the Ezekiel ones, toasted over the stove until a bit crispy)


In a large nonstick skillet, heat some olive oil over low-medium heat and start caramelizing the onions. When they start to get clear, add the potatoes and let them sit until they begin to brown. Cook the potatoes and onions together for about 8 minutes and then add the cooked beans and chopped garlic. Let the beans brown for a minute or two and then add about 1/2t each of cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Stir lightly. Let the beans, onions and potatoes continue to brown. When they are getting a lot of color, add a dash of cayenne pepper, some salt and the honey or syrup. Let cook until dry...You want like a hash consistency, this takes some time and requires that you not stir too much. Remove your delicious pile of smokey carbs and beans from the heat and squeeze half a lime over the top.

While the beans and potatoes are turning into magic taco filling, toss the watercress with the carrots, peppers, most of the cilantro, a little olive oil and lime juice and some salt and pepper.

Assemble each taco with a bit of the salad, a scoop of the potatoes and beans, a slice of avocado and some more cilantro.