Three Bean Dal

This is a hearty stew of Lentils and Beans, a warming and filling dinner for a cold winter evening, perfect to serve with some
 Crusty Homemade Bread  or Naan and Salad. It was inspired by a Robin Robertson recipe, but I've changed it quite a bit.

It has more ingredients than most of my recipes, but doesn't take too long to make. I routinely make double batches of red lentils as well as Yachni sauce, so I have some ready to season and serve the next time - that makes a recipe like this one almost instant.

Three Bean Dal
Sort and Rinse well (several times) in cold water
3 Cups Red Lentils (Split Masoor Dal)
Add and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer till done, 20 to 30 minutes,
stirring occasionally.*
8 Cups Cold Water
(If cooking your Red Lentils in a slow cooker or Crock Pot, cook them 3 hours on High)
Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, saute spices:
A little oil (if you want to be authentic, use a layer that covers the bottom of the pan - for better health, a teaspoon or two will do)
1 Tablespoon Turmeric
1 Tablespoon minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
2 teaspoons Cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
1 teaspoon Cardamom

When Lentils finish cooking,
puree with an immersion blender

Then stir in:
3 cups Yachni Sauce
Above Sauteed Spice Blend
2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
3 Cans of beans or 4 1/2 cups home prepared
 (Use a variety of whatever you have, Black, Kidney, Chickpeas, Great Northern)
Stir and taste. Adjust flavours as needed (adding more salt, lemon juice or garlic salt if desired)
Enjoy with Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce!


*As lentils become done, I find that they sink to the bottom, and a layer of watery liquid forms on top. Stir well to avoid scorching, test for doneness, and remove from heat at this point.

Family Favorite Lentil Soup

Despite my lack of photographic skills, this soup is full of beautiful colors
Orange Carrots, Red tomatoes, Green Spinach - lovely to look at.

I created this Lentil Soup recipe more than 20 years ago. It has been a long standing family favorite with children and adults alike. Some of the kids who grew up eating it are now making it for their own kids.

It's simple to make, ultra-cheap, and packs in a huge amount of nutrition. And, kids in the family who dislike many of the ingredients love the soup! Go Figure!




My Lentil Soup
Doubles well, but needs very large pot

There are about 20 kinds of Lentils! This recipe uses the standard
Grocery Store lentil - sometimes called "Green Lentils" despite
the Brown color.

1 (12oz) bag mirepoix mix OR 1/2 c diced onion, 1/2 c sliced celery, 1/2 cup sliced carrots

1 spoon garlic (about 3 cloves)
Add
2 1/2 cups sorted and  rinsed lentils (1 1# bag)

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 package (10 to 12oz) frozen chopped spinach
Water to cover, plus some (to equal 4 quarts total soup)

1 tsp dry mustard*

1 tsp dry ginger (or fresh)*
1/2 T salt
Boil 45 minutes, till lentils are tender
OR, cook in slow cooker on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Freezes very well. This is a great recipe to double and freeze half for later.

Serving Ideas:
Serve in a Bowl with Crusty Bread and a Salad on the side. A few olives provide a nice contrast.
Serve Greek Style: Puree soup with an immersion blender, and serve with red wine vinegar
Dollar-Stretcher: Serve over Spaghetti or other pasta- offer toppings like chopped onions, tomatoes, olives, etc. This is a great variation for the second batch.
For Omnivores: May be served with shredded cheddar.

*In place of mustard & ginger, a seasoning like Mrs. Dash may be used

Cooking for the Single Vegan or other Special Diet

There are lots of single vegans out there - or people who for some other reason eat differently from their families. Some live alone, others live with omnivores who eat radically different meals (Perhaps one spouse enjoys fast food, while the other is eating Lenten meals).

Sometimes it seems like a big hassle to cook just for yourself. A lot of vegans fall into the hummus-bread-and-veggies-for-every-meal rut. And, that's IS a great meal - but you probably don't want it every lunch and every dinner for the next ten years!

And, sometimes looking at the task of preparing dinner when you're ravenous just makes you want to reach for the nearest bag of chips!

There are some cookbooks that specialize in recipes for just one person - but that really doesn't fit my style. You end up doing just as much work as if you were cooking for a large family, but only have one meal to show for it.

When I was single, I did bulk cooking for the freezer, which saved a lot of time and money, and ensured I had lunch to take to work in the daytime, and a meal to eat as soon as I walked in the door from work. No need to cook when starving after a long day's work!

What I did was this: I made standard recipes that were designed for 4 to 6 servings. As they finished cooking, I would eat one serving if I wanted - then would package the remaining servings in single-serving-size freezer containers, label them and pop them in the freezer.

Of course, no one wants to eat the same food every meal - so I would overlap cooking sessions (maybe making one dish on Saturday, and before those dishes were all consumed, another on Monday after dinner! Cooking after dinner is pretty enjoyable - you're not grumpy, tired from work and too hungry : ) As I added dishes to the freezer, I would end up with a selection of 6 or 7 different favorite dishes to choose from.

This method also works well if you have two people who aren't always hungry for the same thing the other one is eating every night.

This post is also being shared at Penny Pinching Party and Healthy Vegan Fridays 
and Living Big on Less Money

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Indian Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce over Rice

Several years ago I came across this great recipe - I think it was in Julie Sahni's Cookbook, but I'm not sure.

This recipe was inspired by that one, but is prepared quite differently.

Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce over Rice
Toss in Slow Cooker

3 cups Yachni Sauce
2 Tablespoons Fresh Minced Ginger
1 Tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander Seed
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom (generous)
Black pepper to taste
*Optional Heat of your choice - a little cayenne or a broken dried chili pepper
3 15 oz Cans drained Chickpeas (or equivalent home-cooked)

cook on High 3 to 4 hours (or on low 6-8 hours)

Serve over prepared Rice (preferably Basmati) or with Indian Flatbread (such as Naan  or Roti) if you prefer.

Serve with a Nice Salad & Sriracha or Hot Sauce of your choice.

Twin Vegan Indian Recipes

Here's a nice way to make TWO Indian-inspired dishes without the work of two dishes. When you're done, you have an Indian-Style Rice Pilaf, and an Indian Dal which can be served together for a luxurious meal, or separately for two simple meals.








Start Dal:

Sort and rinse

3 cups Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)

Add

8 cups water

Bring to a boil, cover & simmer till done - about 30 minutes

(If cooking Red Lentils in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot, cook them 3 hours on High)

Then, puree with an immersion Blender

Start Rice:

While Dal is heating, Prepare two cups raw rice according to package directions. (Brown is great, but white is good too. Long Grain or Basmati here is better than Short grain). If you have 8 cups of leftover rice in the fridge or freezer, you can skip this step! (as I usually do)

Then, prepare your "Flavor Packet"

Saute in a skillet

(this can be done with a lot, little, or no oil, according to your preference. If you use frozen onions, the moisture in them will allow the other things to cook sufficiently without oil)

2 cups chopped onions

1 Tablespoon Garlic

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger (I use the jarred kind)

2 teaspoons whole cumin seed (if you prefer a milder Cumin taste, Substitute 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin instead of the Whole Cumin Seeds)

2 teaspoons whole mustard seed (black if you have it because it's prettier, but yellow will still taste good)

*Add heat of choice, if desired (cayenne, red chili, etc) - I cook for a little one, so I do Sriracha at the table rather than cooking hot spices into food, but have used other methods in the past.

Divide the Flavor Packet in half (you'll have about a cup to divide into two 1/2 cup portions)*

Finish the Dal:

Add one flavor packet to the Dal. Add Lemon juice & Garlic Salt to taste. I use from 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup lemon juice (I usually just pour instead of measuring, and our family LOVES lemon!), and garlic salt generously.

Dal may be served with Cilantro Garnish, and Sriracha or other hot sauce on the side.

Then, Finish the Rice:

Add the other Flavor packet to a medium hot skillet. Add the rice & stir.

Add in:

1 pound bag frozen Green Peas

1/3 cup Lemon Juice

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce

3 Tablespoons Dry Parsley (this is optional -for eye appeal more than for taste)

Stir, cooking till Peas are hot through. (If rice gets a little too dry, drizzle in a little boiling water to moisten)

To serve Rice

Place Rice Pilaf on a plate, and garnish with Roasted, Salted Cashews or Peanuts. A salad on the side is nice.

Tip for dining with Omnivores: A dollop of plain yogurt on top of the rice, or a Raita on the side is a nice touch. Tandoori Chicken also goes well.

Freezer instructions: Both of these meals freeze well. Do not add the nuts to the rice before freezing, or they will get stale/soggy (BTDT). If you have a small freezer, you can make the flavor packets in advance, and wait until you have 6 to 8 cups leftover rice to make the Pilaf in a flash. Likewise, the Dal can be made by simply boiling lentils & water & adding the flavor packet, lemon, & garlic salt.

*Many years ago, this Rice Pilaf was inspired by a John Robbins Recipe, and the Dal was inspired by an Indian Cookbook (I cannot recall which one). Over the years, I personalized them.