Poached Eggs Over Lentils and Rice

This is a filling and satisfying meal.  The toppings and garnishes are what really give the flavor a punch and add visual interest. This would be good served on a bed of green salad and with parsely added on top,  too. Toasting the rice before adding the water makes it fluffier and faster to cook. Serves about 6 people as the main dish.

2 cups brown rice

2 cups red lentils

1 onion, chopped (I used a yellow onion)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped

4 to 6 teaspoons seasoning mix (I used Rub With Love Chicken Rub)

6 eggs (or 1 per serving depending on how many people you're feeding)

Garnishes such as cooked or raw vegetables, salsa, sour cream or plain yogurt

Flaked sea salt (We like Maldon sea salt flakes ) 

Olive oil (or whatever oil you prefer)

Preheat a medium to large pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, about 2 tablespoons. Pour in 2 cups of dry brown rice (I actually used a mixture of brown, wild and red rice) and stir while heating. There should be enough oil to lightly coat the rice and keep it from sticking. 

Add a chopped onion, 2 to 3 cloves crushed garlic, and about 4 to 6 teaspoons of your favorite seasoning mix. Continue stirring the rice until the popping sounds subside somewhat and the rice seems evenly toasted. Add 4 cups of water and 2 cups of red lentils. Bring to a rolling boil, then put the lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and leave the pot sitting on the burner. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice and beans are tender.

Poach an egg for each serving, and serve on top of the lentils and rice. Sprinkle flaked sea salt on top to taste. The flaked salt adds an amazing flavor and texture to just about any food.

Garnish with your choice of cooked or raw vegetables (I used some leftover sauteed carrots, celery and onion), salsa, sour cream or plain yogurt, and chives and/or parsely.

Beefy Smoked Paprika Lentil Soup

For the best flavor,  save some cooked beef bones or start with raw soup bones by roasting them in the oven. Remove the marrow if desired (It tends to make soup a bit greasy for my taste,  and I save it to spread on toast instead of butter). Cover the bones with water (I think I put in about 16 cups of water), add a small splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice,  and simmer them in a large pot with a clove or two of garlic (I threw in a whole,  uncut peeled clove of garlic). Let these cook as long as you like to give the broth flavor and draw the minerals into the broth from the bones--I let them cook for an hour or two this time,  but if you're not highly sensitive to excitotoxins you can let them simmer for a full day or so. 

Add a cut-up onion (I used a sweet yellow onion), several cloves of chopped garlic (I used 4) and about 2 to 3 cups of lentils, bring to a boil and let these simmer in the broth while you cut up the rest of the vegetables and add them.

I added sliced baby carrots (probably the equivalent of 2 or 3 full-sized carrots),  3 large stalks of diced celery,  4 sliced green onions,  about a half cup of chopped fresh parsely, a small head of chopped broccoli and 3 miniature sweet red bell peppers (probably the equivalent of 1/2 to 1 full sized bell pepper. You could use other vegetables such as cauliflower or cabbage as well. 

Once the lentils are tender, remove the bones and add a can of pureed tomatoes (and/or some chopped fresh tomatoes), a splash of wine (optional--I used about 2 tablespoons of cabernet), about a tablespoon or so of dark blackstrap molasses, about a teaspoon of smoked paprika, about a half teaspoon of cumin, two to three teaspoons of sea salt,  and a dash of black pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend before serving. 

Note: The reason for waiting to add the tomatoes and wine until the lentils are cooked is that adding too much acid while cooking can prevent legumes from becoming tender. 

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my grandmother's recipe.

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar (C&H)

1 cup granulated sugar (I usually just use about 1.5 cups brown sugar and no white sugar--C & H brand brown sugar is cane sugar with no additives)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla (organic vanilla with no corn syrup is usually safe)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups flour (I use King Arthur’s Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour)

2 cups rolled oats

1 to 2 cups chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips are safe)

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla. Sift together soda, salt & flour; add to egg mixture. Mix well. Stir in oats. Add chocolate chips.

Bake in 375 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes or until not quite done in appearance. Let cool and finish baking slightly on cookie sheet, then move to cookie rack.

Basic Yam (Sweet Potato) Puff

This is a simpler (and closer to the original) version of the Spiced Sweet Potato Puff recipe I posted previously.

4 large yams (sweet potatoes, the dark orange kind)

¼ cup butter

2 well-beaten eggs

⅓ cup sugar

¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Pare potatoes and boil until tender, then drain--or, for a richer flavor, bake them in the skins and then peel them. Mash and add remaining ingredients. Beat well and transfer to buttered casserole. Dot with additional butter and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30-40 minutes.

Pasta Casserole

2 cups dried pasta (we use rice noodles), cooked and drained.

1-2 cups cooked tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken, rabbit, turkey or pork (or 2 cans, drained) --can add more if desired

2 cups white sauce (gravy made with milk or milk substitute instead of broth--see recipe here)

Green peas (frozen are fine)

Salt & pepper to taste

Butter

Preheat oven to 375. Place cooked & drained pasta in casserole dish. Add meat, peas, and salt/pepper to white sauce on stove and mix well. Pour white sauce mixture over noodles and stir.

Dollop with butter, cover, and bake 30-40 minutes or until hot & bubbly.

Oven Pancake (A.K.A. Dutch or German Pancake)

Oven Pancake

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt about 2 to 3 Tbsp butter in baking dish, then tilt to coat sides of dish.

Beat together:

1 cup flour

1 cup milk or milk substitute (I use slightly less rice milk, as it doesn’t thicken as much)

6 eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

Pour batter into ban, bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pancake is puffed up and browned around the edges and solid in the middle

You can serve this plain, with sweet toppings (lemon juice and sugar, fruit, syrup, etc.) or savory toppings (sausage, onion, omelette-type or pizza toppings). If you plan to serve it as a sweet dish, you may wish to add a touch of safe vanilla to the batter.

For a variation, layer sliced fruit sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar in the greased baking dish before adding the batter. The batter will run underneath the fruit and result in a more dense, custardy texture.

Garam Masala Rabbit in Coconut Milk

Melt about 2 Tbsp coconut oil in a heavy frying pan (I like cast iron) over low to medium heat.

Add:

1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove diced garlic (optional)

Gently fry onion and garlic in the coconut oil.

Add:

1 and 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala spice mix (check ingredients to be safe)
1/8 tsp. ground yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Cook 2 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add:

1 cup coconut milk (I use Trader Joe's Light Coconut Milk)
1/4 cup apple juice (will probably leave this out next time, as it was a bit too sweet)
2 cups cooked diced rabbit meat (chicken or any other white meat will also work in this recipe--I cook it ahead in the crock pot with a little bit of garlic or chicken seasoning)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes to blend the flavors.

Serve over rice, couscous or pasta with a side of vegetables. We ate it over brown rice. This is a quick, easy and delicious way to use up leftover meat.

Crock Pot Banana Buckwheat

Place in crock pot:

2 cups buckwheat grits, uncooked

Sift together and mix in:
1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Then add:
1/2 tsp. vanilla
6 cups liquid (I used a can of light coconut milk, 1/4 cup white grape juice, and 4 cups of water)
1 ripe banana, mashed

Stir well.

If desired, add raisins, currants or other dried fruit. I added about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of currants.

Cook on low overnight.