Ancho Lentil Tacos

by IsaChandra 

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (from about 1 cup dried)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Cholula)

Spice mix:
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt

First combine all of the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside. Also, keep a cup of water within reach, you’ll need to add splashes as you cook.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic in the oil with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add spices and toss them for 30 seconds or so to toast.

Lower heat to medium, add lentils, a few splashes of water, tomato paste and hot sauce; use a spatula to mash them a bit as they cook, until they hold together. If your spatula isn’t strong enough to accomplish this, just use a fork. Do this for about 5 minutes, adding splashes of water as necessary if it appears dry. Taste for salt and seasoning; you may want to add more spices or hot sauce. And that’s it, time to serve!

Vegetarian Lentil Soup with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Cumin

(Makes about 6 servings, recipe slightly adapted from The Sugar Solution Cookbook.)

1 T olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (not ground)
1 large onion, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 T minced garlic)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 cups brown lentils
4 cans chicken broth or water (about 7 cups, original recipe called for 5 cups water)
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups chopped spinach (tightly packed)
salt to taste 

Put olive oil and cumin seeds in large heavy dutch oven and cook over medium heat until fragrant and starting to pop, about 3 minutes. (Stir a few times so they don't burn.) Stir in onion, minced garlic, ground coriander, and black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook about 1 minute more.

Add lentils and chicken broth, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered about 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are quite tender.

Add diced tomatoes and juice and chopped spinach and simmer uncovered 20-30 more minutes, until soup ingredients are well blended and lentils are starting to break apart. Season to taste with salt and serve hot.

Curried Lentil Sprout Sala

This dish is a favorite at our annual Block Party. It's a pretty decadent dressing,
but ooooh, it is really, Really Good!

Sprouts to Use

Peasant Mix

Any and All Lentils:

Crimson Lentils

French Blue Lentils

Green Lentils

Red Chief Lentils

etc.

Ingredients

Serves 1 as main course or 2 as a side

1 cup Lentil Sprouts or Peasant Mix
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dill weed
1/2 smallish red onion - diced
1/2 - 1 Tbs. curry powder
salt + pepper to taste
1 tomato - diced

Preparation

Chop veggies.
Mix all ingredients (except tomato) together by tossing gently.
Sprinkle diced tomato on top.

Serve

With pride.
Be sure to watch some of the folks first reactions when they taste this,
 and prepare yourself to tell them about it. They will be asking.

Notes

If this recipe doesn't prove that you can do ANYthing with sprouts, I don't know what will.

Feel free to substitute yogurt for the mayo and another tomato based product for the
ketchup -it is your kitchen after all!

We triple or quadruple this recipe for our parties. It is extremely popular.

Sweet Potato Lentil Chili

Recipe from ed&bv. 

1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) onions, diced
1 cup (250 mL) celery, diced
2 - 2 1/2 cups (500 to 625 mL) orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp (10 mL) chili powder
1 tsp (5 mL) paprika
1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cumin
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) dry red lentils
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) water
1 - 28 oz (796 mL) can crushed tomatoes
1 - 14 oz (398 mL) can black or kidney beans, rinsed
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp (45 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime wedges (for serving)

In large pot on medium heat, add oil, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and spices, and stir through. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if onions are sticking to bottom of pot. Rinse lentils. Add to pot with water, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf, and stir to combine. Increase heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in lime juice and serve portions with lime wedges.
Serves 6.

Cooking Note:  If you only have whole or diced tomatoes, use a hand blender to 'crush' them:  first pour off some liquid from can into pot, then use a hand blender to puree tomatoes directly in the can.

Mellow Lentil Soup

From 

Dreena's Vegan Recipes

MAKES 5–6 SERVINGS. WHEAT-FREE

1–1½ tbsp olive oil
1½ cups onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
¾ cup carrots, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾–1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp dried thyme
2 cups dry red lentils
3 cups vegetable stock
4–4½ cups water
2½–3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (see note)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, curry powder, paprika, and dried thyme and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rinse lentils. Add lentils, stock, and water and stir to combine. Increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12–15 minutes. Add rosemary and simmer for another 8–10 minutes or more, until lentils are completely softened. Stir in vinegar, season to taste with additional salt and black pepper if desired.

Cooking Note: Fresh rosemary is exquisite in this soup, but if you don’t have it, you can use dried. However, add it at the beginning of the cooking process, along with the other dried spices, and use less—about 1 tsp.

Red Lentil Thai Chili

By Isa Chandra

Olive oil (1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, however much you feel like using)

1 large yellow onion, diced medium

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes cut into æ inch chunks

1 cup red lentils

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups vegetable broth

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 15-ounce can low-fat coconut milk

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Limes for garnish (optional)

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and pepper in oil with a pinch of salt, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté a minute more.

Add chili powder, sweet potatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Taste for salt and seasoning, top with cilantro and lime and serve!

Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Here is another soup that I have fallen in love with! The coriander is the winner in this one! It has such a sweet flavor, I sure was pleased. I left out the lentils this time. but next time I'll do no such thing!

FYI-  I found this recipe from this lovely blog.

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seed
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp sea salt
Few pinches cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup onion, diced
3-4 medium-large cloves garlic, minced or grated
3 – 3 1/2 cups yellow or orange-fleshed sweet potato, diced
1 can (14 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil with the spices and salt. Cook for a couple of minutes, and then add the onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Stir through, cover, and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have started to soften. Add all remaining ingredients except ginger (and figs, if using), and increase heat to high to bring to boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are fully dissolved. Add fresh ginger, stir through, and serve!

Tarka Dhal

This recipe is from my friends blog. She is more then an amazing cook! She is in her element when it comes to  making delicious food.

She made this dish for me and I thought I was in heaven! 

It was so long ago when she made this dish for me and has since move far away and I no longer see her. It's sad. But it's happy that she posted this recipe on her food blog so I can make it when ever I want and think of her as I scarf down this plate of yum.

 Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) dry red lentils, rinsed 

1 cup(s) water 

2 medium scallion(s), chopped (or 1/2 yellow onion, chopped) 

1 tsp yellow mustard seed 

2 clove(s) garlic clove(s) 

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, (8 seeds) 

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

2 medium tomatoes 

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

4 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional) 

1/2 tsp gram masala 

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp olive oil 

Instructions

1. In a pan, cook the rinsed red lentils with the water by bringing to a boil and then simmering with the lid on until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. The lentils will get very foamy, so use a large pan. You may need to vent the lid a little. 

2. In a non-stick pan saute the onions in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and cover and cook until they start to pop. Add the cloves of garlic, crushed, the fenugreek seeds and ginger powder. 

3. Stir and add 1 can of tomato sauce. Add the salt and stir in the cooked lentils. Stir in the fresh tomatoes, diced, lemon juice and the fresh cilantro, if desired. Simmer for about 5 minutes. 

4. Place in a serving dish. Add the garam masala and chili powder. 

Serve with warm chapati bread or over rice. 

Snobby Joes

I found this recipe on the web when I searched for cheap vegan meals. It looked easy, so I decided to give it a try.

This is my first experience cooking with lentils. I wasn't sure what to expect, mostly because I can't even recall  eating a lentil until now. And to tell the truth, I was a little scared. Beans can be a little frightening. But, I'm happy to report, am very satisfied with the out come. This dish is tasty and filling.

1 cup uncooked lentils 

4 cups water 

1 tblsp olive oil 

1 medium yellow onion, small dice 

1 green bell pepper, small dice 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

3 tblsp chili powder 

2 tsp oregano 

1 tsp salt 

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce 

1/4 cup tomato paste 

3 tblsp maple syrup 

1 tblsp prepared yellow mustard

Directions

1. Pour the lentils and water into a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil; once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for ~ 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. About 10 mins before the lentils are done, preheat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more.

3. Stir in the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregan, and salt. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.

4. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit on the warm burner for about 10 minutes so that the flavors can meld.