Friday, August 25, 2017

Recipe Thursday: Simple Dahl.


I’m sharing another one of my old recipes. I took a poll on Facebook, and this was the recipe people wanted to see.  It’s one of my kids favorite recipes ever.
If you can’t find black mustard seeds, leave them out. It’s not a big deal…  everything else should be easily found in any well stocked grocery store. One tip about spices: buy them in bulk from a health food store or whole foods. They are so much cheaper!
I use a lot of garlic. I recommend it, but if you don’t want to use as much feel free to cut down. If you are sensitive to heat, then start with 2 tbsp. of ginger.
I love this recipe so much! I hope you do too.
SIMPLE DAHL
  • 3 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 10 cloves garlic, pressed
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp. ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp. curry powder
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • 2-4 tbsp. freshly chopped ginger
  • 1 lb. red lentils
  • 4-6 cups vegetable broth (I use better than bouillon)
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • Braggs or Soy Sauce to taste
  • 1 cup chopped, fresh tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp. diced, raw red onion
  • 1 lime, cut into 8 pieces
Method:
  1. In a heavy bottom 4 qt. pan over medium heat, add the oil, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the onion and garlic along with the salt. Cook for around 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
  2. Add the rest of the spices and toast with the onion mixture for around 1 minute, then add the ginger, lentils and broth (start with 4 cups)
  3. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and cook for around 30 minutes, adding more broth if needed.
  4. When lentils are cooked, stir in the cilantro, lemon juice and zest, sesame oil, and season with Braggs or soy sauce.
  5. Serve over basmati rice and top with fresh tomatoes, raw onion, and a wedge of lime.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Recipe Thursday: Groundnut Stew

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I am going to be sharing a recipe every Thursday! It's only fitting that I will share the very first recipe I ever posted online, way back in May 2006 on my MeloMeals blog! This was always a huge hit in my World Vegetarian cooking class I taught when I lived in Portsmouth, NH. There are a lot of ingredients in this dish, and they all bring something to the table. People are usually shocked by the amount of garlic and spices I use, but trust me - this is how you make vegan food good. No bland or boring food here!

Groundnut Stew Serves 8
  • 4 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp. coriander
  • 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp. crushed, dried rosemary
  • ¼ tsp. ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. allspice
  • 2 onion, chopped (around 2 cups)
  • 1-2 Serrano chilies, chopped
  • 10 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 each: green, red, yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes diced (around 4 cups)
  • 1 large carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 qt. vegetable broth or 4 cups water mixed with bouillon
  • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1 29 oz. can kidney beans (or around 3 cups cooked beans)
  • Water if needed
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp. fresh basil
  • Juice of 3 limes
  • Hot sauce and Bragg’s or Soy Sauce to taste
Method:
  1. In a very large, heavy bottom Dutch oven, or stew pot heat oil over medium heat. Add the spices and vegetables, along with the salt and sauté for around 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the mixture well.
  2. Stir in broth, tomatoes peanut butter, and beans and bring to a simmer.
  3. Cover, and cook for around 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. You may or may not need to add some water.
  4. When the sweet potatoes are cooked through, add the onion and garlic powder, cilantro, thyme, basil, and lime juice.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt/pepper, soy sauce, and hot sauce to suit your palate.
  6. Serve over millet, rice, or quinoa.
I hope you try this! If you do, let me know how you like it!