Red lentil dhal

How do you spell dhal / dal / daal? I vary back and forth but seem to favour dhal. I couldn't tell you why though and I am not aware of a rationale for one spelling over another.

However you spell it, dhal is a classic lentil dish and a recent addition to our regular meal rotation. I started making it as an alternative to the spiced carrot and red lentil soup that everyone in the house still loves, but which I got a bit sick of having every week. This dish is a great alternative that is still a hit with Mini Bite and Mr Bite (and me) but is a bit simpler to make, and nicely versatile in that you can pair it with rice or bread or even enjoy plain.

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Easy lentil, spinach and tomato puff pastry triangles

I have previously posted a recipe for Indian-spiced lentil and vegetable pastry puffs. Today's post is basically a simpler and quicker version of that recipe. These lentil-filled triangles are not as extensively flavoured as their Indian counterparts but they are still very enjoyable.

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Lentil potato cakes (version 2)

I have shared a recipe for lentil potato cakes before. This one makes a few tweaks to the original and offers much better photos! I am pleased to update my Recipe index with this new version.

My previous recipe involved cooking the cakes on the stove top in a frying pan. This version bakes them in the oven instead, which frees you up to do other things while the patties are cooking. I also used dried green lentils for these, although if you prefer the tinned variety it would be easy to swap back to using a tin. Dried red lentils would be nice too.

The potato cakes are seasoned with nutritional yeast, paprika, coriander, parsley, lemon and tahini. Most of these are regular seasonings in my kitchen and they come together beautifully here. The patties work well on top of salad but could be included in a burger for an even heartier meal. They are complemented nicely by chutney or tomato sauce, but will stand up on their own if you are condiment averse.

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Cocoa and paprika split peas

In the spirit of reducing food packaging and preparing ingredients in advance, I cooked up a batch of yellow split peas on the weekend. Some have been eaten plain or simply, but this cocoa and paprika mix gives a more adventurous variation. Borrowing from the concept of a mole sauce, the split peas are flavoured with cocoa powder, paprika, cinnamon and tahini. If you are in the mood for something spicy (oddly for me, I wasn't) then a dash of chilli powder would be a great addition too.

I enjoyed this with a new bread discovery - Polish sunflower seed sourdough bread - but the mix could also top rice or quinoa, fill a wrap, or balance out some sweet potato fries. Indeed, it is tasty enough to be eaten plain if you so desire.

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Lentil and apricot tagine

I may be taking liberties with the term 'tagine' here, as I do not have a tagine dish and this is not a traditional North African recipe. Tagine-stew is probably a more accurate term. Whatever you call it, the dish is enjoyable and combines vegetables, lentils and dried apricots to pleasing effect.

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Red pepper and lentil bolognese

I have previously shared an aubergine and pepper bolognese that offers a satisfying mid-week (or anytime) vegetable-packed meal. This red pepper and lentil bolognese is a worthy alternative. I paired this version with pasta spirals instead of spaghetti and really enjoyed the result. I know pasta shapes don't matter that much, but somehow they change the feel of a meal and I think this one suits spirals!

 

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Mint and paprika butter bean salad

I would struggle to nominate a single favourite legume, but butter beans would definitely make a top 5 list. They're a large, cream-coloured variant of the lima bean and I love their soft, fluffy texture. This salad allows their texture and flavour to shine whilst throwing in some other classic summer ingredients: corn, tomatoes and mint.

I made this salad during the week, as part of a meal to welcome my parents. They have been in the UK (from Australia) for a couple of weeks now but arrived at our place mid-week. It's been great to show them our new home and the local area, and of course to catch up on family and Australian news.

When I made the salad I served it with various other meal components, including boiled baby potatoes. These pictures show the leftover beans and potatoes in a single dish and as they paired very well together I would readily recommend the mix. Otherwise, the bean salad could be added to a wrap, served with greens or paired with a grain base of choice.

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Slightly creamy lentil potato curry

Later this week I will be sharing a dessert recipe featuring coconut cream. As many of you know, the solid half of a tin of coconut cream is perfect for making vegan and raw desserts. But what does one do with the remaining half of the tin, the coconut liquid? One option is to make this curry.

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Winter vegetable and kidney bean stew

This is not a recipe that will win points for beauty, innovation or excitement. It is, however, a recipe that may win you over with its hearty but nutritious simplicity. You probably have all the necessary ingredients to hand and it is budget-friendly to boot.

Sometimes, dinner is about what the cupboard can provide with minimal fuss. It is always a bonus when those meals are fuss-free but taste-filled and this was definitely such an example. It isn't radically different to other stews I have shared, and I have no doubt you make similar things yourself, but I'm a big believer in sharing the simple dishes as well as the complex ones. The flavourings in this come from oregano, paprika and maple syrup - as well as the vegetables themselves, of course. I know I'll be pleased to have the recipe to refer to again in the future.

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Mexican couscous bowl

I'm not sure how a week has passed since I last sat down and opened Blogger. 2016 is certainly proving to be another year where time flies by. It's also hard to believe we're at the end of January!

I was pleased this week to find the time to make vegan lamingtons, in honour of Australia Day last Tuesday. I took a large plate of them to work and they disappeared in a startling fashion. I think I've converted more than a few Londoners to the delights of lamingtons.

With busy days and often long ones too, I've been glad of more easy meals (let's face it, I'm always glad of easy meals). You can make this couscous bowl in hardly any time and it will fuel you through whatever the day throws at you. Unlike most of my bowls, the bulk of the vegetables come separately - mix up a green salad to pair on the side - but you'll still be taking in a mix of vegetables, protein and carbohydrate with every mouthful.

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Lemon and paprika lentil salad

My parents are visiting from Australia at the moment, having flown into London on Wednesday evening. My Mum was in England not long after we moved (last August/September) but it's the first time I've seen my Dad in a year. It was lovely spending yesterday with them.

Given our one-bed flat situation, their two nights in London were based in a hotel in Greenwich, not too far from where we live. I took yesterday and today off work (joy!) and had a great time playing tourist in Greenwich yesterday. We went to the National Maritime Museum, Queen's House, and painted hall and chapel in the Old Royal Naval College site. We also walked through the Greenwich foot tunnel to look back at Greenwich from the north bank of the Thames.

Greenwich from across the Thames

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Middle Eastern spiced bean and date ragout

There was a reason I featured Moroccan tagine in my Vegan MoFo posts last year: I rarely make middle Eastern food despite being intrigued by it. 

Today's dish borrows from the tagine I made last year, but features a hefty dose of impromptu creativity too. I doubt it's the best ragout ever made and I make no claims to its authenticity (I am using 'middle Eastern' loosely!). However, I enjoyed it and am keen to record it for future reference. I particularly liked the dates and the balance of vegetables relative to beans relative to spices.

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Ethiopian food - injera with spiced red lentils

I have wanted to make Ethiopian food for ages. It seems to have become a bit of a 'thing', or at least a cuisine I have seen featured more in recent years. There are even some vegan Ethiopian stalls around London's weekend markets. Possibly I should have tried their offerings before I attempted to make Ethiopian at home, but as it is, I jumped straight in. I don't know how authentic my results were, but they certainly gave a different dish to anything I'd eaten before!

Those of you who are familiar with Ethiopian no doubt know that the above plate is not particularly authentic. Injera flat bread is usually used to scoop up food, or as a 'plate' for the meal, rather than as a wrap. The background vegetables (kale, carrot sticks and red pepper) are also a little out of place. Still, the focus of the dish was thoroughly in Ethiopia, and I am hoping you won't begrudge me some hastily assembled vegetable sides!

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Jerk spiced sweet potato fries with lemon-paprika lentils

Are you familiar with jerk seasoning? Our new neighbourhood has a strong Caribbean influence, so Jamaican dishes are common and jerk chicken is available on every other corner. Obviously jerk chicken doesn't hold much appeal to me, but the spice mix itself is full of things I like: chilli, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, lime and pepper, amongst other things. You could make the spice mix up from scratch, but I opted to pick up a prepared version from the supermarket. It is spicy, salty, a little sweet (the mix I bought has some added sugar) and very moreish. When the spice mix is paired with sweet potato fries, the result is very moreish!

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Spiced pancakes with tomato and basil beans

I shared my first UK snack recipe last week, and today I am pleased to share my first main meal recipe. (It is typical, of course, that the dishes came in that order.) These spiced pancakes with tomato and basil beans are perfect for summer or winter, and make the most of fresh, vibrant ingredients.

I used a pre-made curry powder mix in the pancake batter, but you could mix and match spices to suit your tastes or what you have on hand. A combination of cumin, turmeric, coriander and/or black pepper would do the job nicely. For the bean mix, fresh basil would be best, but obviously dried could be substituted if necessary. Similarly, fresh tomatoes would be ideal if they are in season, but the tinned equivalent provides an easy stand in for when they aren't.

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Chickpea pancakes with a lentil-vegetable filling

I'm sure I'm not the only one to live with a person who does't love legumes. Mr Bite will tolerate them, most of the time at least, but they are definitely seen as something that I like and he does not.

Burritos and quesadillas are one way that I can dish up legumes (usually black beans in those examples) and be met with delight, rather than mild despair. I am pleased to say that this dish is another.

Chickpea pancakes with a lentil-vegetable filling

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Black bean and beetroot burritos

This recipe is so simple that I nearly didn't post it. It's also very similar to our standard burrito (or quesadilla) dinners. The differences? Instead of kidney beans or black eyed peas this features black beans, and instead of grated zucchini this features grated beetroot.

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Vegetable soup with split peas and caraway seeds

This soup is, on the one hand, just another vegetable soup. You'll have seen, made, and eaten similar dishes before.

On the other hand, it wondrous and joyful and worth taking the time to get to know. 

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Lunchbox challenge: Vegetable-packed stir fried rice with beans

Cate's February challenge for 'Anyone Can Cook Vegetarian Food', over at Cate's Cates, is lunchboxes. When I saw this at the start of the month, I was quite excited. As you might guess from my obsession with small Tupperware-like containers, my personality aligns nicely with lunchboxes. They are organised, structured, and contain food. What more could one want?

It is actually a minor source of regret that I don't have anyone to pack a lunchbox for. Mr Bite makes his own work lunches, and doesn't take a lunchbox per se. Also, he pretty much has the same thing every day. The closest I can get to excitement is baking him biscuits to swap in for the commercial biscuits that he would otherwise take for afternoon tea.

Packing lunch for myself isn't as fun as making up a package for someone else...unless I have a lunchbox challenge to think about, and then it becomes a little more enjoyable.

So, thank you, Cate, for providing me with a lunchbox focus for this month at least!

My lunchbox challenge recipe is a vegetable-packed stir fried rice with peas. To round this out, I packed up a lunchbox with fruit (a plum and a nectarine), raw almonds and goji berries, and some of that vegan pebble road.

The stir fried rice recipe was made up as I went along, so it is fortunate that it turned out as well as it did. There is star anise in the mix. It is easy to make. It is delicious cold. In all, it is perfect to make ahead and then take to work, school, or just have at home for lunch the next day.

Ideally, this would be made using rice that has been cooked ahead and cooled. However, if you're like me, that may not be possible or you may not be organised enough to manage it. I didn't, and this still worked fine.

Vegetable-packed stir fried rice with beans

Makes 2 lunch-sized serves
Vegan

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Ingredients

Generous 1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 star anise flower

~1 tsp olive oil

2 shallots (or spring onions, or 1/2 a brown onion)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 small capsicum, diced

1 small carrot, diced
~1/8 white cabbage, finely chopped or shredded in a food processor

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, black eyed peas and/or white beans (I used 1/4 cup each of chickpeas and black eyed peas)

Method

Cook the rice according to packet instructions, but with the addition of the star anise to the saucepan. When cooked, set the rice aside to cool (if time permits) or to sit while you cook the vegetables.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and saute the onions until tender. Add the capsicum and carrot and stir fry briefly, about 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, soy sauce and rice and mix through well. Stir fry over low heat for a further 3 - 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas / black eyed peas, mix through, and then remove from heat.

This can be served immediately, but is delicious served cold.

Submitted to Cate's February lunchbox challenge for 'Anyone Can Cook Vegetarian Food'. 

Do you make work lunches or packed lunches for anyone else? If so, do you take a lunchbox or just random assortments of food? 

Despite my enjoyment of this challenge, I will confess to my work lunches more usually being of the random assortment variety than the neatly packed lunchbox variety!

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Black eyed beans with couscous and chipotle mango sauce

You may remember that six months ago, Mel of Veganise This! kindly sent me a smoky, flavour-filled package. Her gift included liquid smoke, smoked paprika, chile chipotle powder, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These ingredients have provided me with a lot of kitchen fun, as well as the ability to make her tofu bacon properly. Tofu bacon is still one of my favourite tofu preparation methods, and I can't see myself tiring of it anytime soon.

Recently, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce have become available in Perth. I've now seen them at two separate supermarkets, and this increased availability has allowed me to experiment more with their use. When ingredients are hard to find, and consequently precious, I became very cautious in how I use them. When they can be replaced more readily, I branch out and start putting them in dishes even if I'm not certain how things will turn out.

Last week, I had chipotle peppers to hand, a mango needing to be used, black eyed beans soaked, and an opportunity to make a dinner for myself that wouldn't be eaten by Mr Bite (he was having chicken). The result was one of the nicest meals I have had to date this year.

The base of this meal is simple: couscous, black eyed beans, vegetables, and some pineapple on the side. The key component is definitely the sauce, which incorporates 2 chipotle peppers, some of the adobe sauce in which they came, and fresh mango. It takes the meal from basic to wonderful.

If you like spicy flavours and a bit of heat, I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did!

Black eyed beans with couscous and 

chipotle mango sauce

This sauce can be used with other dishes

Sauce adapted from the chipotle-mango BBQ sauce at Iowa Girl Eats

Serves 4

Vegan

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Ingredients

For the base -

2 cups cooked black eyed beans

1 cup uncooked couscous

2 carrots, finely sliced

1 red capsicum (pepper), finely sliced

1/2 cup chopped pineapple, fresh or tinned (optional, but enjoyable)

For the sauce -

1 medium fresh mango, finely chopped

2 chipotle peppers with 2 tsp adobo sauce

1/2 small onion, peeled and diced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 - 2 tbsp maple syrup

Method

In a large bowl, add 1 cup boiling water to the 1 cup couscous and whisk with a fork. Cover with a tea towl and set aside, fluffing with a fork after 5 minutes.

Roughly chop the chipotle peppers, and then combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to boiling point, then reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, stirring regularly.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the carrots and capsicum in the top half of a vegetable steamer (you could also stir fry them in a non-stick pan, if you don't have a steamer). When the vegetables are nearly cooked, add the black eyed beans to heat them through. Just before serving, add the pineapple to heat this through.

Combine the couscous, black eyed beans, vegetables and pineapple on a plate. Top with the chipotle mango sauce and serve.

I ate this for dinner, and then I ate the leftovers for lunch on consecutive days. I think I could happily have eaten it for lunch and dinner and snacks all in a single day, and only the desire to make it last prevented me from doing so. Mango and chipotle seem to be very good friends, and I think this will be on regular rotation from now on.

I am sending this to Ricki's Wellness Weekend 17th to 21st January 2013.

Do you use chipotle peppers regularly?
What are you like with 'rare' ingredients - do you use them immediately or ration them with caution?

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