Spicy Red Lentil Dal

I like recipes that are simple. I’m realizing that more and more about myself. I should rename this site Simply Scrumpdilly Vegan Dishes (with gravies or sauces and a side). Because that’s what I’m into: simple, vegan, sauce or gravy-type meals. My realization was affirmed last night after I made something that took too much time. I had to make a paste, rub it all over tofu in the morning before work, let it sit for 8 hours, then chop, dice, simmer for 45 minutes, then add more ingredients, and you know what? Meh. It was MEH!

So here is freakin’ GOURMET and so easy. So simple! It’s a simply scrumpdilly vegan dish that is guest-worthy! Thanks KristinAthena for turning me onto this dish about two years ago. I’m still lovin’ it, and I bet the scrumpdillies will too.

Spicy Red Lentil Dal (from Vegetarian Times)*

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry red lentils
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp. lime juice

Bring broth and lentils to a boil in a pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until lentils are tender. Cover and remove from heat.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute 5 minutes. Add cumin, turmeric and coriander and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the coconut milk and lentils, cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in lime juice. Serve over rice.

*This recipe moves fast, so have everything ready to go once your lentils are cooked.

Two-Sisters Chili (steamin’ hot)

I named this recipe Award-winning Two-Sisters Chili, because it has won an award, and because I have two sisters, one of whom gave me this recipe. I also like the name Two-Sisters, because my version* of Two-Sisters chili uses two of the Three Sisters or the MesoAmerican Plant Trilogy**.

The award for this chili was bestowed upon me by the omnis at my office when they voted it second place in our annual chili cookoff. And we don’t categorize our chilis at work. All the chilis get equal treatment vegan or not. So imagine an office full of omnis and what they’d probably prefer in a chili. The only one to beat out this Two Sisters had meat and beer in it. That’s how damn good this chili is! It took a freakin’ Guinness to beat it out in a contest. Damn good!

Award-winning Two-Sisters Chili

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup corn (frozen or fresh) or carrots (chopped or shredded)***
2 large tomatoes (or 1 can whole tomatoes, with liquid)
1 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cans red kidney beans, with liquid (or 2 cans kidney and 1 can other bean, like pinto or black)

Heat olive oil in large pot on medium heat. Add onion and garlic, saute for 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add corn or carrots, continuing to saute until soft. If using fresh tomatoes, add here and cook until softened. Add vinegar, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and stir until well-mixed and mimics a thin paste. If using canned tomatoes, add here. Add beans. Stir well, turn heat down to medium-low and continue cooking for 30 minutes. May cook longer, but turn heat down to low after 30 minutes. Serve over rice.****

*My sister’s version called for carrots; I prefer corn instead, so I gave you the option. Both add a sweet contrast to the spicy chili.
**I learned maize, beans, and squash to be the MesoAmerican Plant Trilogy. When I taught geography, I taught it as the same. I never heard of Three Sisters until I encountered it outside of academia.
***I used corn instead of carrots, as I mentioned already and as the picture shows.
****I can’t figure out if it’s a family thing or a Louisiana thing, but I’ve always preferred eating my chili over rice. So does my sister.

Garlic Sesame Kale

Oh boy. My brain is all over the place tonight. Should I start posting by theme? Like tonight could be the start of the side dish theme. Or should I continue posting by whatever random item I’m cooking at the moment? I don’t know. I haven’t decided, and I’m all over the place.

I’ll tell you one thing I do know. This Garlic Sesame Kale is a side dish that might just upstage your main attraction. I tasted something similar at our local food co-op and decided that I should try recreating it myself. I love that this side is rich in calcium and might be good for my skin. But the main reason you should try this is because it tastes hella good.

Garlic Sesame Kale

1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced or crushed
4-6 cups kale, wash, shake excess water off (do not dry), then separate from stems
Splash soy sauce or splash vegetable broth or salt to taste

Heat sesame oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and cook until seeds start to turn darker in color. Add garlic, stir until well-mixed and cook for about 30 seconds. Add kale, cover, and steam for 10-12 minutes. When kale has softened, add salting agent (soy sauce, vegetable broth, or salt) and toss well until leaves are covered with garlic and sesame seeds. Heat for 30 more seconds. Serve.

Bridal Shower Dessert Table

I offered to help throw a bridal shower for Midge (friend and scrumpdilly reader). My main task was the dessert table. Bake, bake, bake, I did for over 14 hours.

72 cookies for gift bags (lemon butter cookies, molasses cookies, and swirled sugar cookies)
60 cookies for cookie dish (molasses cookies and swirled sugar cookies)
54 cupcakes (chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting lined with blue sugar, lemon with lemon buttercream frosting and raspberry fruit gem)

2 vegetarians
1 vegan (me)
21 omnivores who didn’t know the difference; all goods were a huge hit!

I had a great time baking. And an even better time reflecting on it afterwards.