things I like

things I like

Lentil Soup from Yeung Man

2 cups red lentils
2 large russet potatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
3 pieces garlic
1 tomato
7 cups water
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
lemon wedges to serve
few sprigs parsley
zaa’tar to taste
pepper to taste

1. Rinse and drain the red lentils and set aside. Peel the russet potatoes and chop into small cubes.
2. Finely chop the carrot, onion, and garlic. Dice the tomato
3. Use a kettle and bring the 7 cups of water to boil
4. Heat up a stock pot to medium heat. Add the olive oil followed by the onions. Sauté for 3-4min 5. Add the carrots and sauté for 2min. Add the garlic and sauté for 1min
6. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another minute. Then, add in the red lentils and tomato. Sauté for another minute
7. Add the potatoes and pour in the hot water. Give the pot a good stir
8. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and cook on medium for 20 min
9. Transfer 3-4 cups of the soup to a blender. Blend on medium low for a few seconds. Then, pour the soup back into the pot and give it a good stir to combine
10. Plate the soup and garnish with fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of zaa’tar, and fresh cracked pepper to taste

vegan steak by bish, bash, bosh

  • 1 1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
  • 2/3 c. pre-cooked puy lentils
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1⁄2 tsp smoked salt
  • 1⁄2 tsp black pepper
  • 90ml water
  • a splash of oil
  • 150g chips per person, to serve

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

CAFÉ DE PARIS SECRET SAUCE

  • 2 large shallots
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 20g fresh tarragon
  • 1 tsp capers
  • 11⁄2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 60ml white wine
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt

METHOD

  1. 1.STEAK METHOD 
     Food processor | Clean work surface | Large saucepan of salted water on a high heat | Large freezer bag | Sauté pan 
     First make the steak | Add all the ingredients, apart from the water and oil, to the food processor and pulse to combine | Add the water and blitz, scraping down the sides as needed | Tip the mixture on to a clean work surface, knead for a minute or two then bring it together into a tight ball
     Roll the mixture into a rough oblong shape and cut into 4 even slices | Flatten each slice with your hand so they’re roughly 1cm thick and steak- shaped (you can also use a rolling pin here) | For a dryer texture press the steak as you would tofu – wrapping it in kitchen paper and placing a weight on top of it for 20 minutes, which will give a firmer texture
     Lower the steaks into the pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 25 minutes | Take the steaks out of the pan, drain and leave to cool for 5 minutes
     Put the ingredients for the marinade into a large freezer bag | Put the steaks in the bag and roll them around in the marinade so they are well coated | Leave to marinate for 20 minutes | While the steaks are marinating, make the Café de Paris Secret Sauce (see opposite)
     
     When you’re ready to cook the steaks place a sauté pan over a medium-high heat | Add a splash of oil and let it get hot | Add the steaks and pour over any remaining marinade | Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, basting the steaks with the oil in the pan as they cook | Remove when both sides are well browned, but the steak is still tender | Leave to rest for a couple of minutes before serving with chips and Secret Sauce poured over in true Café de Paris style
  2. 2.CAFÉ DE PARIS SECRET SAUCE METHOD 
     Saucepan | Liquidiser Prep the ingredients | Peel and thinly slice the shallots | Peel and finely 
     chop the garlic | Pick the tarragon leaves, discard the stems, then finely chop | Finely chop the capers 
     Put the saucepan over a medium heat | Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil| Add the garlic and shallots and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally | Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 3–4 minutes | Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced a little and become thicker
     Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature 
     
     Pour the sauce into the liquidiser and blend until smooth | Pour back into the pan and bring to a simmer | Stir through the remaining 1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil before serving

Instant Pot Creamy Red Lentil Soup

  1. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  2. 1 cup diced onion
  3. 1 cup diced carrots
  4. .5 cup diced celery
  5. 5 cloves garlic minced
  6.  16 ounces cans tomatoes
  7. 1 quart reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  8. 2 cups water
  9. 1.5 cups red lentils, rinsed
  10. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  11. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  12. 1 teaspoon salt
  13. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  14. 2 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
  15. 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  1. Select Browning/Sauté and add the olive oil to the pressure cooking pot. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saut. for about 5 minutes until tender.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, lentils, cumin, thyme, salt, and pepper. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 10 minutes cook time.
  3. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and finish with a quick pressure release. 
  4. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Transfer 2 cups soup to a large bowl. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup in the pot until smooth. (You can also use a standard blender). Stir in the reserved soup, spinach, and red wine vinegar.
  5.  Select Simmer/Sauté and cook for just a few minutes until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a swirl of heavy cream.


Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs from joythebaker.com

For the Meatballs
3 cups cooked lentils (I used green lentils because they told their shape after being cooked)
1/4 cup sautéed mushrooms
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, plus MORE to taste
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
olive oil, for topping

For the Gravy
  1. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. 3 tablespoon finely diced onions
  3. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  4. 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
  5. 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
  6. 1/3 cup heavy cream
  7. salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  8. 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme and/or fresh sage
  9. 1 cup sautéed mushrooms
  1. *To make the lentils, in a large saucepan bring 6 cups water to a simmer. Add salt (like you’re salting pasta water), crushed garlic clove, wedge of a yellow onion, and a bay leaf to the simmering water. Add 2 cups dried lentils and cook for 25-30 minutes until tender and cooked through. Strain through a colander and discard the garlic, onion, and bay leaf. This method will leave you with extra cooked lentils for salads of dinner.
  2. To make the meatballs, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add lentils and mushrooms. Blend and pulse until relatively smooth, about 2 minutes. Mixture will be slightly dry and still a bit chunky. That’s right! Transfer to a large bowl.
  3. To the pureed lentil mixture add onion, garlic, fresh herbs, spices, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs.
  4. In a medium bowl whisk eggs until well combined. Whisk in the ricotta cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Add the wet ingredients to the lentil mixture and use a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
  5. Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Use a large tablespoon scoop to meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1-inch between each meatball. Drizzle literally with olive oil and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and allow to rest while the rest of the ingredients come together.
  7. To make the gravy, in a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and whisk immediately, allowing the butter to absorb the flour and whisking constantly for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken and then appear thin again once all of the vegetable stock is added. Add the soy sauce. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, thyme, and mushrooms. Simmer until thickened again, about 4 minutes more. Keep the gravy warm over very low heat.
  8. To serve, just before serving, toss lentil balls in warm gravy. Place on a plate alongside mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Top the mashed potatoes with cranberry sauce as well. Enjoy warm.
Notes
  1. I find that it’s easiest to make the potatoes and cranberry sauce before the lentil balls and the gravy.

instant pot golden lentil soup, kitchen treaty.com

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium stalks celery, diced 
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper+ more to taste
  • 1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed well in cold water
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 8 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach or1 pkg  frozen spinach
    parsley to taste

 
  1. Hit “Saute” button on Instant Pot. Add oil. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
  2. Add the lentils and pour in the broth. Stir.
  3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the release valve is in the “sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button and set the timer at 14 minutes.
  4. The Instant Pot will warm up for about 10 minutes and then start cooking. After the 12 minutes is up, quick-release by flipping the release valve to “venting” (a little bit at a time at first).
  5. Once venting is complete, remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Stir in the spinach. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve.
  6. Keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Freezes well too!

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin by fatfreevegan.com

  • 2 cups brown or green lentils, uncooked
  • 8 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, thickly sliced
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 2 large gold or red potatoes, cut into large cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (use if water is used instead of broth)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Additional seasonings: 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 2 cloves minced garlic
  • salt, to taste
  • 4 ounces fresh spinach (chopped if large leaves)
  • 2 teaspoons Red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • chopped parsley
Instructions
  1. Pick over the lentils and rinse well.
  2. Start the water or broth heating in the pressure cooker while you chop the vegetables. Add all ingredients except the additional seasonings, salt, spinach, and vinegar into the pan and bring to a boil.
  3. Add more water if it seems too thick. Remove the bay leaves, and add the additional seasonings, salt, and spinach. Check the seasonings, adding more cumin and coriander as needed. Cook for just a few minutes to wilt the spinach. Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice and serve. Serves: 8

Dal Tadka from fatfreevegan.com

  • easy-dal-tadka11/2 cup yellow moong dal (split mung beans) OR yellow split peas OR additional red lentils
  • 1/2 cup split red lentils (masoor dal)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped (set aside other half)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (if desired)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala plus more to taste (see my recipe)
  • 1/2 large onion, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Put the lentils, water, and next 7 ingredients (through salt) into a pressure cooker(see Notes below for regular stovetop cooking). Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes and allow pressure to drop naturally for 10 minutes. Open lid carefully and check to make sure lentils are tender. If not, continue to cook without pressure until lentils are fully cooked. Add garam masala and stir vigorously to make the lentils creamy. It should be a medium consistency, so add a little water if it’s too thick. Keep warm.
  2. While the lentils are cooking, heat a small non-stick skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown. Add the red pepper flakes and cook until onions are softened and touched with brown.
  3. Check the seasoning of the lentils and add additional salt and garam masala to taste. Serve over rice and top each serving with the browned onions.

Notes

If cooking without a pressure cooker, bring ingredients to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook until lentils are soft, stirring often and adding water if they start to get too dry. Different types of dal take different amounts of time, so allow at least 30 minutes.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

 

Faux Gras: Vegetarian Foie Gras from David Lebovitz – living the sweet life in Paris

Lentils double in volume when cooked, so 1 cup (160g) of dried lentils will yield close to the correct amount. They usually take about 20 to 30 minutes to cook until soft, but check the directions on the package for specific guidelines. If avoiding gluten, use tamari instead of soy sauce. For a vegan version, replace the butter with the same quantity of olive oil, for a total of 1/4 cup (60ml) of olive oil. The cognac or brandy is

Faux-Gras-Lentil-Pate-7optional, but it does give the faux gras a little je ne sais quoi.

 

  • 12 medium-sized button mushrooms (100g, about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups (400g) cooked green lentils
  • 1 cup (140g) toasted walnuts or pecans
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage or flat leaf parsley
  • optional: 2 teaspoons Cognac or brandy
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Wipe the mushrooms clean. Slice off a bit of the stem end (the funky parts) and slice them. Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet or wide saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and cooked through, another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. In a food processor, combine the cooked lentils, nuts, lemon juice, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, sage or parsley, Cognac (if using), brown sugar, and cayenne. Scrape in the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and additional cognac, soy sauce, or lemon juice, if it needs balancing.

3. Scrape the pâté into a small serving bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

Serving: Serve the pâté with crackers, hearty bread, or small toasts. A nice accompaniment is shallot marmalade or just a few pickles alongside. Makes 6 to 8 appetizer-sized servings

Storage: The spread will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator. It can frozen for up to two months, well-wrapped.

 

Adapted from Très Green, Très Green, Très Chic by Rebecca Leffler

 

Braised Lentils With Mushrooms and Kale from washington post

  • 1 cup dried French green lentilsIMG_5901
  • 3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth
  • 8-12 ounces assorted mushrooms (such as cremini, shiitake and oyster), cleaned
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (may substitute sake or sherry)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (may substitute half-and-half)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
  • 8 ounces kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Rinse the lentils thoroughly. Combine them with the broth in a medium pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until the liquid is barely bubbling and cook, uncovered, until the lentils have swelled and absorbed much of the liquid and are barely tender but intact and not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Remove and discard the stems from any mushrooms of the tough-stem variety, such as shiitakes. (For oysters, remove and discard just the thickest part of the bottom of the stem, and leave creminis and button mushrooms intact.) Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook for a few minutes, until it is lightly browned. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for another minute, until the onion just starts to get tender. Add the mushrooms and salt in an even layer. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes or until the bottom layer is deeply browned. Stir a few times, pack the mushrooms into an even layer again and cook undisturbed for another 2 minutes or until the bottom layer is browned. Repeat another time or two, until all the mushrooms are deeply caramelized and have shrunk, 7 to 9 minutes total.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute, then pour in the wine. Deglaze the pan by scraping up all the flavorful brown bits from the bottom. Cook to reduce the wine until no liquid remains.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream. Let it bubble gently for 2 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened, then add the cooked lentils and their liquid. Stir to combine, taste, and add more salt if needed. Cover the pan and let it cook, barely bubbling, for 5 minutes.

Add the kale to the lentils. Cover and cook until the kale is tender but still bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste, and add more salt, if desired. Divide the lentils among serving bowls and top each with an egg, if using. Serve hot.

Lentil shepherd’s Pie by Simon Bryant

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30ml olive oil
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves
3 stalks celery diced (and heart)
3 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
1 tsp Carroway seeds
Sprig of rosemary
200g mushrooms diced
2 tbls tomato paste
1 can diced tomtatoes
300g brown lentils (soaked for several hours overnight, simmer from cold in just enough
veggie stock to cover & cook till just soft, do not drain)
100g green beans sliced into 1cm pieces
2 carrots diced
1 litre Veg stock or water
25 ml red wine vinegar
1 tbls Lemon zest
Handful of dried wild mushroom mix, ground to fine powder(optional for extra flavour)
1/3 bunch parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed potatoes 
500g potatoes
Salt and white pepper
80g butter
100ml Milk
1  tsp Mace
1/4 cup Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large frypan and add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the celery, carrot, carroway seeds, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme. Saute for a few minutes and then add mushrooms.

Deglaze with red wine vinegar then add tomato paste and diced tomatoes and cook out for a few minutes.  Season to taste.

Add lemon zest , mushroom powder , beans and cooked lentils in the stock they cooked in. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Season to taste, remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Pour into a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes and bake until golden brown.

For mashed potatoes, boil them in salted water until soft.
Drain off water and dry in the pan before mashing with butter and milk.
Season to taste.