Lentil Curry

I really enjoy Indian food.  I also love the fact that this dish is so inexpensive.  Lentils served with brown rice make up a complete  protein source, for a fraction of the cost of meat dishes.   When fresh tomatoes are available from the garden the cost is even less.  The following recipe makes about 8 servings, enough for me to freeze half and still have some left over for lunch the following day.  The curry paste that you use will greatly affect the flavor and heat of this dish.  I did not add any curry paste this time because I prefer a milder flavor for the kids.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked lentils

1 large onion, diced

2 Tbls coconut oil or butter

1-2 Tbls curry paste (opt.)

1 Tbls honey

2-3 cloves garlic, diced

2 Tbls curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 – 1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

4 medium tomatoes, finely diced

1/4 cup water

2 cups brown rice, cooked

Directions

If you are soaking your lentils cover with water and add 1 Tbls whey or lemon juice 6-7 hours before cooking.

Rinse lentils, place in a pot with enough water to cover the lentils and simmer until tender (add more water if necessary).

In a large skillet or saucepan, saute the onions in coconut oil or butter.

Combine curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ginger, chili powder and salt in a small bowl.

Add curry paste, honey and garlic to onions.  Add spices and cook for several minutes stirring constantly.

Add tomatoes and water, allow to simmer until tomatoes are soft (or use a can of crushed tomatoes and omit the water).  When fresh eggplant is available from your garden or local farmers market you could also add 1-2 cups of diced eggplant.

Stir in lentils.

Serve with rice.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday

Quinoa Tabouli

Tabouli is one of my favorite foods.  Recently I came across a recipe for Tabouli that called for quinoa instead of bulgur wheat.  Since I have been trying to cut down on (not eliminate) my family’s gluten intake, I had to try it.  Quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain.  It is  a relative of spinach, beets, and Swiss chard. All of these foods are loaded with nutrients, but quinoa is the only one that can fool you into thinking you’re eating a grain. It is high in protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber.  It has a light slightly nutty flavor and it makes a very nice pilaf with fresh vegetables.  In Tabouli the other flavors, particularly the lemon, are more distinctive so the flavor is not noticeably different from using bulgur wheat.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 medium tomato

1/2 english cucumber

3 green onions

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 Tbls olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp crushed mint

sea salt to taste

Directions

Place quinoa and 1 cup water in a small pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let sit for 15 – 20 minutes.  If you are using bulgar wheat, cook according to the package directions.

Dice tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion.  White onions can be substituted for green onions for a slightly stronger flavor.  If you are using a regular cucumber you will probably want to peel it.  Mix cooked quinoa and diced veggies in a small bowl.

Add lemon juice, olive, oil, garlic, mint and salt.  Mix well.  Refrigerate.

I made up my tabouli in the afternoon while the kids were napping, and at the same time marinated some fish.  Then 30 minutes before dinner I placed the fish in the oven, and served with the tabouli for a fresh, EASY dinner.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

My family, thankfully, does not have any food allergies.  I have however, been playing around with gluten-free recipes lately.  A friend of mine has a daughter who is gluten intolerant and I occasionally bake goodies for her.  In return she does my hair, and I’m pretty sure I am getting the better end of the deal.  Last week I made my first attempt at gluten free bread and it was an utter failure.  So today I made something with chocolate in it instead.  My belief is that no matter how bad something is chocolate will make it bearable (that goes for life as well as food).  Well, these cookies were much better than bearable.  I’d even go as far as to say they were amazing.  I didn’t bother to tell my husband that they were gluten-free until after he told me that they were great.  His response was that he had no idea what gluten was but the cookies definitely didn’t need it.  I won’t be giving up bread anytime soon, but these cookies are a keeper.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbls milk

1 cup butter

1 2/3 cup rice flour

1 1/3 old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions

Cream together sugars, butter, vanilla, and milk

mix in dry ingredients

Fold in chocolate chips by hand

Press dough between the palms of you hands to form cookie shape (makes about 2 dozen cookies).

Bake @ 350 for 10 – 12 minutes

Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.  These cookies are not for the impatient.  If you don’t wait for them to cool completely they will fall apart.