Enchilada Pasta (WFPBNO)

I'm sorry I didn't have a post for last Saturday. I had Covid and was really not up to cooking. I feel much better this week and have a delicious, quick  pasta dish to share. I used rigatoni for this but in hind site it's really too big. It was delicious but I think it would be easier to eat and more pleasant to look at with a slightly small pasta. Just use what you have in your pantry. The flavors are so much better as leftovers, the seasoning really have time to marry in the leftovers. This made 6-8 servings depending on how hungry you are. Leftovers are delicious and reheated on the stovetop nicely. 

• 1 pound pasta, use a shape that will grab and hold onto the sauce
• 1 sweet onion, cut in half and then sliced think
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into think strips
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced thin (remove seeds if you want mild)
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup prepared lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 package reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 6 cups vegetable broth

In a Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons water. Once hot add garlic and onions and cook  until translucent.

Add bell pepper and jalapeno and saute.

Add black beans, lentils and tomatoes. Stir well.

Add broth. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Add pasta, stir and bring back to a boil.

Add taco seasonings. Stir well. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer with lid slightly ajar.

Stir frequently so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and cook covered for about 15 minutes.

Stir again and recover. Let sit for 5-8 minutes for pasta to soak up some broth and thicken.

Serve with a garnish of parsely or cilantro it you want. 

Since the broth is a little soupy I served this in a deep bowl. A slice of garlic bread would have been lovely with this.

Enjoy!!!

Lentil Sweet Potato Taco Bowl (WFPBNO)

 Y'all I have discovered canned lentils. One of my local stores has them on a regular basis; the other never has them. They make preparing dishes with lentil SO fast and easy. If you have the time by all means use dried lentils and prepare them. But, this is the quickest way to get some yummy lentils in a dish. If you want to try this dish be sure to have some cheese sauce on hand or make it first. For this recipe I used the Fork Over Knives Queso Sauce (it's amazing and a link is below). Serves 2

• 1 can lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium/large sweet potato, baked until cooked through and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon chipotle pepper
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa
• 2 cups organic romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Forks Over Knives Queso Sauce
• Salsa, jalapenos, scallions to garnish

Before you begin be sure you have a cheese sauce you enjoy and get that sweet potato in the oven to bake. Add lentils (rinsed and drained) to a saute pan with all the spices and salsa.

Stir and cook 5-7 minutes until heated through. Stir occasionally.

Once everything is ready assemble your bowl (all of my bowls were in the dishwasher) or plate. Add chopped romaine lettuce to one side. Then around the edge add the lentils, halved sweet potato, avocado, tomatoes, extra salsa and your cheese sauce. Garnish with whatever other 'taco' things you like.

Enjoy!!!!

Red Lentil Chili (WFPBNO)

I have seen several red lentil chili recipes and decided to toss the parts of each that I live and came up with this beauty. This is so flavorful, makes enough for 6, so we had leftovers, which reheated easily. I made this on the stove-top in my Dutch oven  but I'm sure you could saute your onion and pepper in the InstaPot and then use it as a slow cooker. 

1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder (divided)
2 tablespoons ground cumin (divided)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 15-ounce cans fire-roasted (with garlic) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water
3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (let it sit out as you prepare the chili to thaw)
Garnish: avocado, diced sweet onion, fresh sliced jalapenos, cilantro, Frank's hot sauce

Add 1/4 cup water to Dutch oven and heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Saute 3-4 minutes until onion starts to become transparent.

Add jalapeno and garlic; stir well and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, smoked paprika. Cook 1 minute.

Now add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir well and bring to a low boil.

Once boiling add lentils. reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes adding more water if you think it's necessary.

Add kidney beans, black beans, corn, the last tablespoon of chili powder and cumin. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes until the flavors marry. Stir occasionally and add more water if you think it's getting too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

I garnished my bowl with cubes of avocado, Frank's hot sauce and chopped sweet onion.

Enjoy!!!

Goulash

I haven't made or eaten Goulash in forever, but I saw a picture in a magazine and knew I could make this WFPBNO. It is a little heavy on the tomato, next time I make it I think I'll use only 1 can of tomato sauce and fill the can with water and add it for volume.

• 3 smallish yellow onions, diced (if your's are large use 2)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (14.5 oz) tomato sauce (I had Organic)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable Better Than Bouillon
• 1 can brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, small dice
• 1 tablespoon of the sauce only from a can of Chipotle Peppers
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, saute onions and garlic in a splash of water until translucent.

Add red bell peppers and give it a good stir. Add another splash of water if needed. Cook about 5 minutes until peppers are softening.

Add lentils and mushrooms. Cook about 7 minutes. The mushrooms should release some liquid. If needed add another splash of water.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, bouillon, soy sauce and bay leaves. Stir well.

Let cook about 10-12 minutes and be sure it is boiling. Then add the noodles.

Stir so that the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pot. I had to stir constantly since my pasta really wanted to stick. You can lower the heat, but keep it at a boil.

Once the noodles are done (check your package for cooking time). You are ready to eat. Be careful it's very hot.

I added a shot of Frank's hot sauce to mine, not a lot but I just love the flavor of Frank's.

You could also make this in a slow cooker. Just let it go for a few hours and add the pasta about 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!!

Lentil and Spinach Soup

This hearty soup is full of vegetables and flavor. You probably have everything to make a big pot right now. I cooked this on the stove top but you could just toss everything in the slow cooker and set it on low for 6-8 hours.

• 32 ounces no or low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 cup brown lentil, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 can no sodium diced tomatoes
• 4 cups baby spinach
• freshly ground black pepper

In a large soup pot combine the first six ingredients (broth through garlic) and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium- high  heat. Reduce heat and simmer covered 25-30 minutes until lentils are done.

Stir in zucchini, cumin and oregano. Simmer, uncovered about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and spinach. Stir well.

Taste and add black pepper, if needed you can add more cumin and/or oregano.

 
This soup has amazing flavors. I topped mine with a little nutritional yeast before serving.

Enjoy!

Tomato & Lentil Soup

Even though the weather has been warm I still want soup in November. I made BLT (B was Fakin' Bacon tempeh) for lunch and knew I wanted soup with it. So here's a tomato soup that leans heavy on the lentils.

• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 cup lentils (I used brown)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cups no-chicken bouillon (I used Better Than Bouillon)
• 2 cups water
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish: vegan Parm cheese

Saute the onion, garlic, celery, carrots in about 1/4 cup water until softened. Add more water if it all evaporates.

Stir in cumin, coriander, lentils and tomato paste.

Add bouillon, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover with lid slightly ajar. Cook 15-20 minutes until lentils are soft. Stir occasionally.

Use an immersion blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper if needed.

I served this with half a BLT (bacon tempeh, lettuce, tomato sandwich) but if you are not having a sandwich with it you could serve with croutons.

Enjoy!!