#main-dish

Black Bean Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing — Radiate Food Vibes I love salads – if you know me, you know that. But not just any salad. It’s gotta be a big salad. A salad with lots of stuff in it, you know what I mean? This taco salad is just that. It’s super fresh and plant-powered, but packed with flavor and texture. I use sunflower […] Black Bean Taco Salad with Creamy…

Ingredients:

5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed 1 cup brown or green lentils, washed and picked over 3/4 cup dry steel cut oats 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound cremini mushrooms, divided 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock 1/4 cup red wine 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very soft to the touch. Set aside to cool.

In a medium pot, combine the lentils, oats, bay leaf and salt with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft but not mushy, stirring occasionally to keep the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Discard bay leaf and drain mixture into a colander or sieve.

While the lentils and oats are cooking, finely chop half of the mushrooms and set aside. Cut the remaining mushrooms into quarters. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until browned and soft. Add the chopped mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent. Lower heat to medium and add the lentil and oat mixture, followed by the vegetable stock, wine, tomato paste, soy sauce, paprika, and parsley. Taste and add salt if needed. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add a few grinds of black pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel sweet potatoes with your hands and place in a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash them into a smooth paste and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Evenly spread the lentil mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. (For thicker layers, use a 9x9-inch pan.) Spoon the sweet potato mixture on top and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling at the edges.

Makes 6 servings

Additional Notes:

Both the filling and the roasted sweet potatoes can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days before assembling and baking.

This recipe freezes well; after assembling, cover and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake uncovered at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until filling is bubbling at the edges.

Leftover mashed potatoes can be used in place of the sweet potatoes.

Use tamari in place of soy sauce and double-check that you are using gluten-free oats if serving this to gluten-free guests.

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

2 tablespoons oil

¼ cup curry paste (I used a red Thai curry paste)

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon curry powder

3 cups vegetable broth + 3 cups water

2 cups dry yellow lentils or yellow split peas

1 or more heads cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces

apricot or mango jam + cilantro for serving (optional, to taste)

salt to taste

Directions:

Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger with the oil until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the curry paste, turmeric, and curry powder and stir fry for another 1 minute. Add the broth and water and whisk until incorporated. Bring to a boil.

Add the lentils and simmer for 20-40 minutes. I left the pot uncovered (house smells amazing) and stopped by to stir every so often. Add more water or broth as necessary. Yellow split peas will take longer and, in my experience, they soak up more of the water so you might need to add more.

When the lentils are done or almost done, add the cauliflower. There should be enough liquid left in the pan to boil/steam the cauliflower, so add some if you need it. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender-crisp. Stir to combine; season with salt and top with cilantro and jam. Great served over jasmine rice!

Notes:

I pureed one papaya into a smooth sauce and added it to the curry so it would be a bit more creamy, plus I love the sweet, fresh flavor it adds. If you want it more saucy, puree a sweet curry-complimenting fruit like papaya or mango and stir it in. Coconut milk would also be a perfect addition!

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed potatoes (medium size cubes)

2 overflowing cups of cauliflower florets (large florets broken or cut to a medium size)

1/3-1/2 cup peas

1 green chili chopped or to taste

1 Tablespoon garlic chopped

2 teaspoons ginger chopped

1 Tablespoon canola oil or mustard oil or any oil with high smoke point

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

a generous pinch asafetida(hing) optional

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder or freshly crushed coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne

2/3 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:

In a large pan, add oil and heat at medium.

When hot add the cumin seeds and mix for half a minute.

Add ginger, garlic, asafetida and chopped chili pepper and mix for a minute or until garlic turns golden.

At this point you can go 2 ways, 1) Add the coriander, cumin and chili/cayenne powder and mix for a few seconds. Add potatoes and cook covered for 2 minutes. Then add turmeric and cauliflower, mix and continue. 2) Mix the coriander, cumin, chili/cayenne and turmeric powders in 2 Tablespoons water and add the mix to the pan. Cook for a 1 minute or so until the spices get fragrant and leave oil on the side. Add potatoes, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and cover.

Cover and cook potatoes and cauliflower on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the veggies are just about getting tender. Stir every 5 minutes.

Add salt and peas and a few drops of oil. Mix gently. Cover and cook on low for another 5 or so minutes until veggies are tender to your preference.

Garnish with fresh Cilantro and serve with any Indian Curry or Daal soup or Naan flat breads.

For variations Use mustard seeds along with cumin instead of the spices used, or garam masala. Add some chopped tomato with the peas for a wet version, skip the peas and so on!

Here's an easy and healthy slow cooker recipe that's just perfect for the dropping temperatures.

Ingredients:

1 package very firm tofu, cubed (optional)

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon roasted red chili paste

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon mild curry powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can coconut milk

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

6 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 sweet potatoes

More coconut oil

Directions:

In a skillet or wok, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion and stir-fry until softened. Add garlic, chile paste, curry powder and thyme and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, with juice, bring to a boil, stirring and scraping the pan.

Transfer everything in the pan into your slow cooker. Add coconut milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Thirty minutes before it’s done cooking, add the tofu, if using.

Prepare your sweet potatoes: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Peel your potatoes and slice them into quarter-inch rounds. Lay rounds on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and rub coconut oil onto the exposed side of each round. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping over your rounds halfway.

At the 2-hour mark for the curry, add bell pepper and green onions, and cook another 15 minutes. Serve over warm, roasted sweet potatoes. Serves: 4.

Note: for an even easier recipe, serve the slow-cooked curry sauce over rice or noodles and forget the potatoes.

I've been thinking a lot about Egypt lately since the news coming out of the Middle East is intense to say the least. Since, lately, the news has been all bad, I wanted to share something amazing to come out of Egyptian culture - Koshary. Koshary is a staple street food in Egypt and is beyond delicious.

"Koshary originated in the mid 19th century, during a time when Egypt was a multi-cultural country and the economy was booming. The lower-class' usually limited pantry became full with a myriad of ingredients: lentils, rice, pasta, chickpeas, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, oil, etc. At the end of the month, families would usually have a little left of everything, so families would use it up by putting it all together into a tasty dish."*

This recipe is a little time consuming, but the results are worth it!

Ingredients:

2 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed**

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 (16 ounce) package ditalini pasta

1 1/2 cups short-grain rice, rinsed

cold water, to cover

1 1/2 cups dark brown lentils

water, to cover

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes**

1 tablespoon oil (canola, olive oil, vegan margarine)

3 cups vegetable stock

1 (3 ounce) can French-fried onions

** I doubled the amount of chickpeas and crushed tomatoes and I think it was just the right amount. You can adjust that according to your taste.

    Directions:

Combine the chickpeas, vinegar, coriander, cayenne pepper, and cumin in a resealable bag or container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in refrigerator while prepping remainder of dish, shaking occasionally.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the ditalani pasta in the boiling water until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Combine the rice with enough cold water to cover; allow to soak for 20 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, combine the lentils with enough water to cover in a pot; season with salt and pepper. Bring the lentils to a boil and cook at a boil until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion and garlic in the hot oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, and maintain at a simmer while preparing remainder of dish.

Add the oil to a pot over medium-high heat. Add the rice to the oil, increase heat to high, and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the vegetable stock over the rice; bring to a boil. Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Mix the rice and lentils together on a large serving platter. Spread the cooked ditalani over the rice and lentil mixture. Serve with the marinated chickpeas, the tomato sauce, and the French-fried onions as condiments.

* From Wikipedia

Ingredients:

2-3 servings of pasta

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

8-oz sliced mushrooms (2-3 cups)

1-1.5 cups canned diced tomatoes, to taste

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/4-1/3 cup nutritional yeast, to taste

1.5 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in your pasta and cook until Al dente, about 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until translucent.

Stir in the sliced mushrooms and diced tomato and cook for another 8-10 minutes or so over medium-high heat, until some of the water cooks off.

Stir in the fresh basil, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes. Add salt to taste. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so and adjust seasonings to taste if desired.

Drain pasta and add back into the pot. Stir in the pasta sauce, heat, and serve immediately with garlic or crusty bread if you’d like.