Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup

It is the beginning of a new year and the resolutions are being tossed about...in a somewhat hushed tone in case I don't accomplish them.

But I forge on and say it aloud: I'm not buying anything this month. Silence. Did I really say that out loud? I did. Now I really have to do it. Gulp.

My resolution is to cut out any extraneous spending this month. Except food and grocery items. We need to eat, right? And unlike the peak of summer, there is no chance of living off the land right now. The shockingly-perky thyme, meagre rosemary plant, sprouting garlic, and rather sad-looking kale are all currently covered in snow.

But even then, I am wondering...could we do like my friend who lived in the Yukon and only grocery shop once a month? And what counts as essential items? Cleaning products? Contact solution? (Luckily I found a hidden bottle!) What about birthday gifts? Kid bribes? Too many things to consider.

It may just be more about reducing consumption. Try and use what we have. This means cleaning out cupboards, not hitting the store every time I think I need something, making do. It might mean I need to beg, borrow, or google some random DIY stuff. But that stuff never works anyways, so I will make do.

In addition to cutting spending, I will be hitting the pantry hard this month: using up the random varieties of rice, lentils, and beans that have sat forlorn on the back shelf. Risotto rice, wild rice, brown short-grain rice, white basmati rice, sushi rice...the list goes on. Seriously, how do I have this many varieties?!? And trying to get to the bottom of that freezer. I think it may need defrosting?

The first recipe of the year uses the split peas that were sitting in the pantry. And this soup is pretty simple to make, nourishing, and well, it's cheap. I have been making this since my basement-living university days, and pretty much have it memorized, so it's a keeper.

Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup 
EASY
Serves 4-6
Easily customizable if you have some carnivores in the house: add bits of chopped ham or bacon at the end. Soak the split peas for a few hours if you remember. If you forget, like I do, just rinse them a few times and then pour hot water over them while prepping the soup, then drain and proceed.

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf, optional
1/2- 1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups split peas, soaked, rinsed and picked over
8 cups vegetable bouillon, broth or just water
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and stir occasionally until partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaf and thyme and stir again.
2. Add rinsed split peas and broth or water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn down the heat to low and cook for at least one hour, again, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Season to taste. Serve immediately.

Baked Falafel

I have been on a Mediterranean kick lately. My mom brought me a used copy of a cookbook called, A Taste of the Mediterranean: Vegetarian Style, by Mary Salloum. I'm sure she picked it up at a garage sale or a used book store but I am ever so grateful that she picked it up!

It is full of great recipes featuring foods from Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Morrocco, Spain and Turkey. I know, that is alot of ground to cover in one cookbook, but so far I have only really delved into Lebanon and Turkey and I am impressed!

Flipping through the pages, my fingers stopped on the recipe for falafel. Hmm...I have tried several recipes for falafel but with little success. They never turn out great. In fact, I would trade a dry packaged mix for my previous ventures in a heartbeat.

This recipe had me intrigued, it used raw chickpeas, soaked over night, and then they were processed with onion, garlic and- potato! Very unlike the unsuccessful canned chickpea concoctions I had tried in the past. This new recipe got me excited. But then I remembered how much I hate deep frying stuff. I hate dealing with a mass of oil, splatters and the slow process of cooking a few at a time. Pain in the you-know-what.

Anyways, I decided I would attempt these falafels and then I would also try baking them. I adapted the recipe to make a firmer patty that would hold up well to baking and added some parsley for colour and flavour. The results were impressive.

The kids whipped up the tzatziki, combining yogurt, grated cucumbers, garlic, lemon, dill and salt. And everyone in the family got in on the pita-building buffet we had going on. It was fun and delish!

Mom, whatever you paid for that cookbook, it was worth every penny! Thanks!

Baked Falafel
Makes 2-3 dozen depending on the size.
This recipe makes quite a quantity, so either halve the recipe or stick half in the freezer to heat up for a last-minute dinner idea as I do.

You should start soaking the chickpeas the night before you plan on making these. Make sure that the chickpeas are quite dry after draining, otherwise you will need quite a bit of flour to make them hold together. If they are quite dry, you may be able to get by with no flour at all, especially if you want to fry them.

2 cups dry chickpeas
1 small onion, cut in quarters
1 small potato, peeled and cut in quarters
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
up to 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) whole wheat flour
up to 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) corn flour, or more whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
olive or grapeseed oil

Eating now darker than freezing for later

1. Soak chickpeas for approximately 24 hours in 4 times as much water as beans. Drain.
2. In a food processor, place onion, potato and garlic and give it a little whirl. Add chickpeas and process until finely chopped. Remove to bowl and add spices and flour, starting with a few tablespoons and increasing until the mixture begins to hold together. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let stand for 2-3 hours.
3. Just before baking, add baking soda and mix thoroughly. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Add a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush a tablespoon or two of oil on it. Place in oven for 3 minutes to heat pan.
4. For small falafel, take approximately 2 tbsp falafel mix and shape into a ball, flatten lightly. Repeat with remaining mix and place on hot-from-oven baking sheet.
5. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes each side, or fry if desired. Bake them for less time if you intend to freeze and reheat them later, longer if you intend to serve them immediately.
6. Serve with pita bread, thinly sliced lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, tzatziki or hommous. (Hot sauce if you want!)

Rice Lentil Salad

Good recipes are like good friends. You hold on tight to them.

This is one recipe that I have had for years from a friend I have known for years. (More than 20! Darn, I am old.) Reflecting on that time, she was really a foodie even in high school. I still remember a samosa-making party. And this super salad. She was a perfectionist- slicing and dicing the rainbow of veggies into the tiniest cubes so that even a salad could be a thing of beauty.

After making it so many times (not so perfectly), I have realized that it is such a great way to used leftover rice. It is also a great way to clean out the veggies in your fridge! Almost anything goes, as the salad dressing is amazing. Just make sure you use lentils, rice and feta!

This is Jeannine's salad. It is a beautiful, crunchy powerhouse of a salad. I think of her everytime I make it!

Jeannine's Rice Lentil Salad
The only thing I changed was to use brown rice and I sometimes use a little less oil. You really can't mess with perfection! Basmati rice is really nice here, but use what you have. This really is a great use of leftover vegetables or rice.
(Note: My salad isn't as colourful as hers was! I used what I had on hand- celery, carrots, herbs, etc.)

Components:
2 cups cooked brown rice (cook according to package directions)
2 cups cooked brown lentils (bring to a boil: 1 cup lentils in 4 cups salted water, simmer 25 minutes, drain)
feta cheese (optional: only for vegans!)

Chopped raw veggies:
1 chopped carrot
1 chopped celery stalk
1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
6 radishes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
cilantro, arugula or parsley or a combo, chopped

Dressing:
Combine dressing ingredients in blender or use hand blender to make a smooth, creamy dressing.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Serve at room temperature or take out of fridge 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional herbs.

Lentil and Quinoa Salad with Preserved Lemon

Seriously, how did I live without preserved lemons for so long? The salt, the tang and the zest of this fermented food is completely magical!

I followed the common method of cutting up lemons and packing them into jars with salt. I held off on the spices and herbs that are sometimes included as to make the usages very multi-functional.

This is one salad that resulted from my first bites of my now obsessive love for the preserved lemon. If you do go ahead and make preserved lemons, also try the lemon-lentil soup and garnish with some preserved lemon!

Preserved Lemons
So easy, waiting is the only difficult part! You may want to make a larger jar, but I give the measurements for a 500 ml jar, feel free to double it for a one litre jar and thank me later! In this case, organic is really the only way to go since you are actually only eating the rind.

1- 500 ml jar, washed and dried
4 organic lemons, scrubbed
1/4 cup kosher or sea salt, non-iodized

1. Cut knobby ends off 3 of the lemons. Cut into halves from the top down and then into thirds to make 6 sections.
2. Pack the lemons into the jar, sprinkling in a few tsp of salt in every layer. Press down hard to release as much juice as possible as you go. Continue until jar is full. Squeee juice from remaining lemon and pour over top and add remaining salt.
3. Press down with wooden spoon to make sure that lemons are full submerged and that you have some headspace. Cover with lid.
4. Set aside in cool dark spot for 3 weeks. After that, store in the fridge for up to 6 months. When needed, scrape the flesh out (use it if you want), and mince the lemon rind for use in soups, stews and salads.

Lentil and Quinoa Salad with Preserved Lemon
If you decide not to go to the work of preserving lemons (which I highly recommend!) then use the grated zest of a lemon in its place and add some sea salt to this simple recipe.

2 cups cooked or canned green/brown lentils
1 cup cooked quinoa (1 cup quinoa in 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil. Simmer 15 mins and reserve remaining quinoa)
3 tbsp minced parsley
3 tsbp minced red onion
2 tbsp minced preserved lemon + 2 tsp lemon liquid from jar
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl an serve at room temperature.

Lentil Tacos with Homemade Tortillas

I have friends who constantly inspire me- making amazing food, passing along recipes and making me try things I wouldn't usually try.

This post is thanks to Jenn and Bri for their inspiration to try making homemade tortillas and lentil tacos. It is also thanks to my sister for buying me a tortilla press and some masa harina to get me started on this exciting food adventure!

For less than $15 you can get a tortilla press ($13) and a bag of masa harina ($1.50) to get you started too. Masa harina is a dried and powdered cornmeal that looks like white flour. We got both items from Que Pasa Foods in Richmond- http://www.quepasafoods.com/ . This is a super fun project for the kids, family or roommates to get involved with making dinner. You mix the flour and water together to make a soft playdough-like dough. Then the kids (or your hunky roommate?) will love to get involved by using all their strength to flatten the tortillas.

As soon as we tried our first tortilla hot off the pan, we were hooked. It took me back to a few years ago, when our neighbour often travelled to his other home in Mexico and would bring back fresh tortillas as a treat for our family. He said that they wouldn't usually make their own tortillas in his hometown because they had people making tortillas on every block. This is so easy I am not sure I would walk a block to buy tortillas now...

These tender corn tortillas can be filled with anything your heart desires...beans, chicken or beef. Or, you can try the lentil tacos that were adapted from my friend Bri's recipe.

These tortillas are also great as a snack, straight off the pan, sprinkled with a few grains of salt and rolled up!

If you want a super quick tutorial on just how easy it is, check out this short video my sister recorded: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JIZLOI7yqg

I am on the search for organic or non-GMO masa harina and will update when I find out where to get it.

Homemade Corn Tortillas
Makes approx 20 small tortillas
The recipe that the ladies at Que Pasa told us was 2 cups masa harina to 1 1/4 cups warm water. I made a 1 1/2 times recipe. You will need a tortilla press or a large flat surface to press with...a flat underside of a frying pan might work. Our tortilla press came with non-stick paper that is similar to waxed paper or parchment paper that is folded in half to cover the top and bottom of the press. My neighbour would often bring flaxmeal tortillas from Mexico, so I tried substituting a few tablespoons of golden flaxmeal for the flour and it worked quite well. The thinner you can get these babies, the better!

3 cups masa harina flour
1 3/4 -2 cups warm water
cooking oil
non-stick paper

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour and 1 3/4 cup warm water together with a fork until it comes together.
2. Form into a soft dough by kneading it a bit in the bowl. Add more water (up to 1/4 cup) only if needed to form a soft dough with no cracks.
3. Heat cast iron pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Rub the pan with a paper towel that has a drop of oil on it.
4. Take a small, ping-pong ball sized amount of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly and place just off centre (closer to clamp end) of tortilla press. Press down hard. Open and peel from paper.
5. Place on hot cast iron pan and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn over and cook for about the same amount of time. It should be cooked but not browned. If it sticks, add a bit more flour to your dough. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
6. Keep warm in tea towel or make a bunch and heat up again in pan or place a bunch under broiler in oven for a few seconds.

Lentil Tacos
I adapted my friend Bri's recipe based on what I had and what spices I like. Bri uses red lentils and chicken broth in her recipe but I had green (ahem, brown) lentils and thought they made it look "meaty", which is weird for this vegetarian to say, but something I sometimes desire texture-wise. I cooked them in lots of water with bay leaf, a couple cloves of garlic and 1/4 of an onion for 30 minutes and then drained them before proceeding. Canned lentils would work fine as well but you may not need to add any salt to this recipe.

2 tbsp cooking oil (sunflower, grapeseed, etc.)
1 onion, minced, grated or chopped in food processor
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4- 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
3 cups pre-cooked or canned lentils (I used brown)
3/4 cup water or chicken broth
optional: 1 tbsp tomato paste

1. Heat oil in large saute pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for a few minutes until softened by not overly browned. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add spices and cook for a minute to bring out the flavour. Add salt and lentils. Cook for a minute or two and then add liquid to make a nice mix that is neither too dry or saucy. Cook for a few more minutes until ready to serve.

Taco Accompaniments

Fresh Salsa: Chop and throw in together: 3 tomatoes, 1/4 of a red onion, 2 garlic cloves, a handful of cilantro, the juice of 1 lime and a touch of salt.
Salted Cabbage: thinly slice green cabbage and sprinkle with a touch of salt before serving.
Lime Cream: Mix together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup plain yogurt and the juice of 1 lime.

"Canned Tomato Beans"

My daughter is currently obsessed with canned beans. You know the kind that are in a sweet tomato sauce? I am somewhat grateful that she is loving beans lately. The only problem is that I am trying to wean our family off too many canned items because of the risks associated with BPA- and the additives that are in many of those canned foods aren't so great either.

A friend sent me a wonderful recipe for beans but I was pretty sure that I would need to adjust it based on M's rather finicky eating lately. Chopped onions are not even close to being acceptable (for her!) Plus if it doesn't approximately resemble the canned stuff, she will refuse it.

I adapted the recipe and came up with this...it is probably still a work in progress as far as M is concerned, but it is delicious by my standards!

"Canned Tomato Beans" or "Stovetop Beans"
You could actually use canned beans in this recipe, but I happened to have cooked navy beans in the freezer. They absorbed the sauce all too well, so I added extra water to make a thinner sauce. I'm sure you could use tomato paste instead of ketchup if you so desired, but you'd need to increase the sugar and vinegar in the recipe.

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion, approximately 1 medium onion
1/3- 1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water, or more
3-4 cups cooked navy beans (or approx. 2-3 cans, rinsed and drained)

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onions in the vegetable oil for approximately 5 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown on edges.
2. Add ketchup, molasses, vinegar, syrup, dry mustard and salt. Cook for a few minutes until flavours come together. Add water. Puree with hand blender if desired.
3. Add beans and cook for another 20-30 minutes.

*Find out more about the risks associated with BPA on my facebook page- search MINT GREEN APRON!

Mung Bean Sprouts & Salad

Did you know that even if you live in the tiniest apartment you can be a farmer? You can produce fresh, organic food any time of year!

It is easy to grow food when you have garden patios, balcony planters and hanging baskets. But what if you don't have any of that? What if you only have a window sill, a mason jar and some beans? Guess what, farmer, you're in the sprouting business!

Sprouts are newly-germinated beans and seeds. They are a super nutritious and super tasty fresh food that can be produced in your home with very little effort. You can actually increase the nutritional profile of beans in a couple days by sprouting them!

How little work is it? It is so easy, you might get into full-time sprout farming! It is so fun to watch the changes in the seeds...kids love this kind of activity.

The idea is that they get a good soak for the first 12 hours or so and then you rinse them a couple times a day, leaving them fairly dry after the initial soak. They don't need sunlight to germinate but I keep them on my windowsill in front of my kitchen sink so I remember to rinse them. There are lots of beans and seeds that you can sprout but mung beans are our family's favourite.

Mung Bean Sprouts:
The sprouts are generally ready on day 3 or 4, you can consume them anytime. We like them while they are still small and a bit crunchy. We add them to salads or just eat them on their own as a snack.

Day 1: Get a glass jar. Fill 1/6 full with mung beans. Rinse with water once or twice. Fill jar with clean water. Leave overnight. (Beans will have doubled in size.)
Day 2: Remove water from jar (I just use my clean hand over the top while I strain out the water- you can use an inverted sieve on the top of the jar if you want). Rinse with fresh water and drain off all water. Rinse again later in the day and drain.
Day 3: Rinse and drain beans in morning and later in the day (or whenever you think of it). They should be getting some good sprout legs by now. Repeat until desired sprouting has taken place.
About Day 4: Rinse and drain. Put sprouts in fridge with lid. Eat when you want over next 3-4 days.

Mung Bean Salad
This salad was inspired by a mung bean salad from Hema Parekh's cookbook, The Asian Vegan Kitchen. You can really use any combination of veggies in this chopped veggie-mung bean salad- grated carrots, red pepper, diced celery are all good additions too! I love a combination of vibrant colours. You can make this as it is or make it creamy with the addition of plain yogurt. I let my kids crumble a few tortilla chips on top for extra crunch! This is best eaten immediately.

1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup chopped cabbage or romaine lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
2 tbsp red onion, minced (optional)
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
juice of one lime or lemon, or to taste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
optional:
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup plain yogurt
crushed tortilla chips

1. Combine chopped veggies and mung beans in a medium-sized bowl. Combine the citrus juice, cumin, salt and pepper in a small shaker cup or bowl and pour over veggies. Add yogurt if desired. Toss gently and serve immediately.

Lemon Lentil Spinach Soup

We went to a restaurant recently that served up the most delicious lentil soup made with preserved lemons.

That tangy lemon flavour came to mind when I had some lentils that I wanted to soup up. But I didn't have preserved lemons to work with (this will change shortly!), so I set to work recreating that soup with just lemon rind and lemon juice.

Although this soup can be made just with water, vegetable broth gives it a nice richness. Since I don't always have homemade vegetable broth, I always ensure that I have some organic vegetable bouillon cubes on hand. So handy. Just a little bouillon adds a lot of flavour when you don't have the time to slow cook food. You could say that bouillon is my magic ingredient in the kitchen.

This is a really nourishing soup with just a touch of spring's greens to add some colour and texture. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Lemon Lentil Spinach Soup
You can just use just water for this recipe but you may need to add more salt to flavour. If you decide to use a little broth or bouillon to add richness, just add a little as too much will overwhelm the delicate lemon flavour. You can remove the lemon rind at the end if you want, but I like the lemon flavour and leave it in! If you want to remove the peel, try to peel it off the lemon in big long pieces as they will be easier to remove from the soup at the end.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups green lentils or French green lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 lemon, rind peeled with vegetable peeler, and juiced for 2-3 tbsp juice (or more to taste)
3/4 tsp- 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 cups water
4 cups vegetable bouillon or broth (I use two organic vegetable bouillon cubes with 4 cups water)
2 cups chopped greens (spinach and arugula are a nice combo)

1. Saute onion in olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add celery and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add lentils, parsley, large pieces of lemon rind, salt, pepper and water/broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes. Remove lemon rind if desired.
3. Add lemon juice and chopped greens. Cook for another few minutes until greens are wilted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

Curried Tofu Scramble

I am fondly remembering the days we used to have leisurely brunches on the weekends. We'd go to the lovely places that were within walking distance of our Vancouver apartment...oh, but that was a long, long time ago!

One of those places was the Tomato Cafe on Cambie Street. It had lovely and heathy cafe fare with some creative vegetarian options. It moved as the neighbourhood changed. I miss the Tomato on Cambie and I miss this vegan brunch item. I had to try re-creating it. Not sure how close of a replica it actually is because that memory was years ago, but it does taste delicious!


Curried Tofu Scramble
Serves 2-3
I think the original had red onion and zucchini but I used what I had on hand. I think this is yet another way of using up whatever veg is in the fridge. Some nice grainy bread is mandatory.

1 tbsp olive or safflower oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch cayenne pepper or ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tomato, chopped, or 1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes
1 package extra firm organic tofu, crumbled
1 cup chopped spinach

1. Saute onion in oil in large frypan over medium-high heat. When it is slightly browned, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add diced pepper and cook for another few minutes until lightly browned.
2. Add curry, turmeric and cayenne and cook until spices scent the air.
3. Add tomatoes, salt and to.fu and cook until heated through. Add chopped spinach in last minute of cooking

Vegetarian Chili

I am in trouble for sharing my mini cornbread muffin recipe without also sharing my vegetarian chili recipe. Big mistake.

Perhaps you can learn from my mistake and realize that these must always go together.

I love this recipe because it is easy and it can also easily accomodate any leftovers you have at the bottom of your fridge.

Don't be scared by the amount of chili powder, it is really not that much despite how it looks. You may even want to add more. Time to spill the beans, here it is:

Vegetarian Chili (Version 1.0)
Serves 4-6
I like to have an assortment of beans in my chili- kidney beans, chickpeas, and black beans are a must! Really add any leftovers you have...green and red peppers, zucchini, carrots, celery, mushrooms, etc. I almost always add carrots. Some people in my family like chili served atop mashed potatoes. I am not one of those people, as I prefer corn muffins or corn chips, but you have another serving option if you so desire.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red or green pepper (or both), chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
pinch cayenne pepper
3 cups chopped canned tomatoes, preferably diced but whatever you have is fine
4-5 cups assorted cooked beans (or about 2-3 cans, rinsed and drained)
2 cups frozen corn
salt & pepper
to garnish: sour cream, cilantro, green onions, grated cheese, corn chips, corn muffins

1. Saute onions in olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When they have browned slightly, add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add peppers (and any leftover chopped veg) and cook for another few minutes until softened.
2. Add chili powder, cumin and cayenne and cook for about a minute to release the scent of the spices.
3. Add tomatoes and beans and stir until mixed through. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Add corn in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
6. Serve with whatever garnishes you desire.

Split Pea Soup

Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold,

Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old;

Some like it hot, some like it cold,

Some like it in the pot, nine days old

Apparently this Mother Goose rhyme takes its origins from a Split Pea porridge, or thick pudding, that was traditionally made in England with water, salt, spice and usually with bacon or ham.

Split peas are part of the legume, or pulse, family. Other members of this family include lentils and chickpeas. Apparently legumes have more protein than beans and are easier to digest. One half-cup of split peas or lentils contains more than 10 grams of fiber- more fiber than either vegetables or grains.

Split peas are also more convenient than most beans because they don't need to be pre-soaked and can be cooked in about an hour.

I love this basic Split Pea Soup, perhaps a close relative of pease porridge, but I am sure I wouldn't have liked it nine days old. Luckily, it never lasts that long in our house.

Split Pea Soup
This makes enough for about 4-6 people and it freezes well so make a big batch!
We like to serve this with rye bread, cheese and pickles. Add some diced ham or crumbled bacon for the carnivores.

1 tbsp sunflower oil (or other vegetable oil)

1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

3/4 tsp thyme leaves

2 cups split peas

8 cups vegetable bouillon or broth

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Saute onions in oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned and softened.

2. Add carrots and celery and cook for another 3 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook for about another minute.

3. Add peas and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about one hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Fassolada

Some white beans are sitting in my freezer because I followed my own advice and put some away for a day when I don't have time for soaking and cooking beans before a meal. Now they are staring at me and waiting to be used.

The beans would be delicious on their own (they were boiled Jamie Oliver-style with a potato, a tomato, lots of garlic, olive oil and some rosemary). But I decide that I want something a little more warming, hearty and delicious this evening so I decide to throw together this Greek-style bean and tomato stew.

Served with crusty bread, my kids are sure to dip away to their hearts content and nibble on a few bites of beans and veggies. Hopefully one day they will appreciate this amazing food but for now I am happy to believe that I am expanding their palate one bite at a time.


Fassolada
This is so easy and so quick. Prechopped veggies can be in your fridge the night before to really speed things up. Garnish this stew with chopped parsley or fresh dill. Be sure to serve with crusty bread and some red wine- Opa!

¼ cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 cups of diced tomatoes, canned or preserved
2 cups vegetable broth (I sometimes use an organic bouillon cube dissolved in water)
3 cups cooked white beans (any white bean works well- navy beans are easy to find canned)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dried dillweed, or 2 tbsp fresh dillweed
1 large bay leaf
salt and pepper
to garnish: chopped parsley

1. Saute garlic, celery and carrots in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir occassionally.
2. Add tomatoes, broth, beans, tomato paste, dill and bay leaf to the sauteed vegetables. Bring to a boil and then simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
3. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Updated: September 2016, with 3 cups cooked beans

Easy Lentil Coconut Curry

This will be the year! I am sure of it- the year of eating healthy, organic food on a budget.

I've promised this before and failed miserably (after a rather public confession of changing my ways in the local paper!) But I am sure of it now. Inspired by my second-hand Christmas gift of a Hare Krishna cookbook, excitedly I am off to Nirvana to gather some legumes. (Nirvana is our local organic market, ironic how it sounds like I am ascending to a higher plain by going there!)

I tell my husband about my new idea of 2011 being the year to eat on the cheap- mostly organic and local vegetarian meals and he is skeptical. I insist that we will continue to eat yummy food but with the addition of lots of healthy, protein-rich legumes! The challenge will be to prepare tasty, organic and cheap (!) food that my husband and kids will also enjoy.

Before I get into the onslaught of Hare Krishna recipes this year, this recipe seems like a fitting start to 2011 because it will ease us into this gently. It comes from our dear friend Monica. She makes it often when we come over because we love it but we have also started making it at home because it is cheap, easy and delicious!

Monica's Lentil Coconut Curry

This is a mild, kid-friendly curry. The coconut oil in the recipe adds an extra dimension to the curry but use butter or vegetable oil if that is what you have.

3 tbsp coconut oil, butter or vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 large apples, peeled and cubed

2 cups of any lentils you can get your hands on (we prefer red lentils as they cook quickly!)

2-4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth, we prefer it a bit soupier so we use the 4 cups)

1 can coconut milk

1 lime

2 tbsp curry powder

sea salt, to taste

cilantro &/or grated coconut, to serve

1. Cook onion, garlic and celery in coconut oil in a large pot on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

2. Add apples and cook for another 10 minutes.

3. Stir in curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add stock and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

4. Add lentils. Bring to a boil and stir constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

5. Once the lentils are cooked, add coconut milk.

6. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice, cilantro and a sprinkle of coconut if you wish! Great with naan, rice or on its own.