dinner

Southwestern Lentils and Brown Rice - Instapot Recipe

Southwestern Lentils and Brown Rice
Adapted from plateandpairings.com

Yesterday I had some lovely chicken bone broth that I had made in my Instapot. I had never made bone broth in my Instapot so I did what I usually do and Googled it. Well, one thing lead to another, as it often does when Googling, and I found a beautiful recipe for Southwestern Lentils and Brown Rice at plateandpairings.com.

The author had adapted the recipe she had discovered and I decided to adapt it further based on what I had in my kitchen and ingredients that nourish me. I had lentils, rice, and yellow squash. I didn’t have some of the other ingredients, but I didn’t let that stop me!

My suggestion to folks just starting in the kitchen; relax, breath, start with a simple recipe, be willing to make a mistake, and have fun. If that still sounds overwhelming, reach out, I will be happy to help.

Southwestern Lentils and Brown Rice - Instapot Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 garlic cloves minced and allowed to sit 10 minutes

  • Olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot

  • 1/2 red onion finely chopped

  • 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped

  • 1-2 yellow squash cut into bite sized pieces

  • 1 cup basmati  brown rice

  • 1 cup  lentils

  • 3 cups vegetable broth

  • 1 can petite diced fire roastsed tomatoes 15 oz.

  • 1 ½ tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp turmeric

  • 1 tsp Hatch chili powder

  • 2 tsp dried oregano

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper

  • Plain yogurt and avocado slices for topping

Directions

  • Set the Instapot to saute and once it reads Hot, add the olive and add onion, bell pepper and saute until onion is transparent.

  • Add the squash and minced garlic and saute 2 more minutes.

  • Add cumin, turmeric, chili powder, oregano, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add liquid from tomatoes and broth to total ½ cup and stir, scraping all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

  • Add rice, lentils and remaining broth. Set to manual and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes then release remaining pressure.

  • Remove cover and stir. You may add more broth if would like your dish to be a little more soupy.

  • Serve in bowl and top with a dollop of yogurt and avocado slice.

Non-Instapot Recipe

If you do not have an Instapot, use the same technique with a pot on the stove to sauté the vegetables and deglaze the pan. Once the lentils, rice and broth has been added, cover and allow to simmer on low medium heat 30 minutes or until the rice and lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

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An Antioxidant Rich (& Delicious) Holiday Menu! (with vegetarian recipes)

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What are you cooking this holiday season?

I designed this delicious holiday menu with a healing and anti-inflammatory twist for my patients. Feel free to pick and choose or cook up the whole menu! This menu will also please the vegetarians in your life or be a wonderful compliment to your meat dishes.

As always please let me know what you think!

Yours in Wellness,

Lynda

Antipasto Tray

  • Mixed olives

  • Grapes

  • Blue Cheese

  • Gruyere

  • Parmesan

  • Australian Water Crackers

Cranberry Sauce (gluten free, vegan)

  • 1 small package cranberries

  • Zest of 1 orange

  • 1 small apple grated

  • 3 Clementine oranges, juiced

  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • ¼ teaspoon allspice

  • ⅛ teaspoon cardamom

  • ½ cup maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a sauce and simmer until the cranberries burst. If sauce becomes too thick, add a small amount of water.

Apple Pie-Spiced Walnuts (gluten free, vegan)

By Rebecca Katz https://www.rebeccakatz.com/recipe-box/apple-piespiced-walnuts-and-raisins

  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 cup walnuts

  • 3 tablespoons raisins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl and stir to combine. Add in the walnuts and stir with a spatula to evenly coat the walnuts with the spices. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 8 minutes, until you can begin to smell them. If adding raisins, toss them with the warm walnuts.

COOK’S NOTE: As soon as you start to smell that heavenly aroma wafting from the stove, it’s time to remove the nuts from the oven. They will continue to cook as they cool.

The raisins will plump up as they are tossed with the warm nuts. Take a handful and eat these with sliced apples for a deconstructed, unbaked apple pie.

Chimichurri Sauce (gluten free, vegan)

  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more

  • 3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

  • 1 Fresno chile or red jalapeño, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

  • 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, garlic, shallot, and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil.

Serve over roasted Butternut Squash and Purple Sweet Potatoes.

Acorn Squash and Green Beans with Cumin and Garam Masala (gluten free, vegan)

  • Ghee to cover the bottom of your pan

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala

  • 1 acorn squash, peeled and cubed

  • ½ lb green beans

Warm the ghee in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds and garam masala, warm until fragrant. Add the cubed squash and green beans and coat with oil and spices. Add a splash of water and cover with a lid. Allow to steam until squash is tender.

Spaghetti Squash Latkes

  • 1 medium spaghetti squash (you’ll end up with 4 packed cups of cooked spaghetti squash

  • 1 red bell pepper diced

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • ¼ cup  chopped fresh parsley

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon thyme

  • Pinch of black pepper

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and roast cut side up at 350 degrees until tender. Allow to cool and rake strands of squash out with a fork.

Beat egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss squash, bell pepper, flour,and egg mixture in a bowl. Use an ice cream scoop and put mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until browned.

Triple-Chocolate Date Torte (gluten free)

From The Longevity Kitchen, Rebecca Katz

  • ½ c pitted dates (about 3 oz) cut into quarters

  • ½ c water

  • 2 tablespoons dark maple syrup

  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  • ¼ cup walnuts

  • 1 cup almond flour

  • 1 tablespoon natural,

  • unsweetened cocoa powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 organic eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 3 ounces dark chocolate (68-75% cacao content), finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon cacao nibs, sliced almonds, or a combination

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of an 8 inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Put the dates, water, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring often until the dates are tender and the water is absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Put the walnuts in a food processor and pulse just until finely ground. Be careful not to over process, or the walnuts will turn into an oily, sticky paste.

Put the ½ cup of ground walnuts in a large bowl (no need to clean out food processor). Store and leftover walnut meal in a resealable bag in the freezer for another use. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and toss and crumble with your fingers until the ingredients are completely combined and the mixture lump free.

Pulse the date mixture in the food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil, then the eggs, one at a time, and finally the vanilla,, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl once or twice. Add to the walnut mixture and stir with a rubber spatula. Fold in the chopped chocolate.

KITCHADI (Indian rice and lentils) - Gluten Free

Ingredients

For the rice and lentils:

3½ cups water

¾ cup dry/uncooked brown basmati rice

¾ cup dry/uncooked red lentils

1 teaspoon ground cumin ***

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (these are spicy; optional)

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

For the vegetables:

1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

1½ teaspoons finely chopped garlic (about 2 medium cloves)

1 teaspoon finely grated or chopped fresh ginger

3 cups water ½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½­inch chunks

(about 1½ cups)

1 medium yam, cut into ½­inch chunks (about 2 cups)

2 ribs celery, sliced (about ⅔ cup)

1¼ cups cooked peas (if frozen, thaw a little with warm water)

4 cups coarsely chopped greens (I like curly kale)

Instructions

  1. Bring the water, rice, lentils, and spices (cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cardamom, and cloves) to a boil in a soup pot over high heat, uncovered. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

  2. About 15 minutes before the rice and lentils are done cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of water in a large frying pan over medium ­high heat. Once the water starts to sputter, add the onion, and cook while stirring for 3 minutes, adding a little water, as needed. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook while stirring for 1 minute.

  3. Add the 3 cups of water, potatoes, yams, and celery to the frying pan, and return to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium ­low, then cover and cook for 7 minutes. Stir in the peas and greens, then cover and cook for 3 minutes more, or until the potatoes are tender.

  4. Stir the cooked vegetables into the pot of cooked rice and lentils.

Notes: If you don’t want to bother with all of the individual dried herbs and spices (cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cardamom, ground cloves), you may replace them with 2 to 3 teaspoons of your favorite curry powder.  If you’re not in the chopping mood, you can also make a meal of just the lentils, rice, and herbs and spices after cooking them all together in step 1.

Original Recipe: http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2012/04/03/kichadi/

Cruciferous Black Beans & Vegetables (gluten free/vegan)

Black Beans

Ingredients

  • 6 cloves fresh garlic minced or chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onion diced
  • 1 cup organic red, orange and yellow pepper
  • 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
  • 1 15 oz. can of Black Beans drained in colander
  • 1/2 tsp organic ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 cup Organic Cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
  • 6 Pickled Mild Jalapeños
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Heat vegetable broth in saucepan, covered.
  • When it comes to a light boil, add onion, and peppers, cover with lid and cook for about 8 minutes. Stir a few times.
  • Add garlic, black beans, chili powder, cumin, sea salt, cracked black pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
  • Turn off heat. Add cilantro and EVOO and pickled jalapeño. Keep covered on stove.

Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 1/2 red onion sliced
  • 1 ½  cups Organic Broccoli Florets
  • 1 cup organic kale shredded
  • 2 cups organic red cabbage shredded
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • Sea Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice or grain of your choice

Instructions

  • Layer your steamer with onions first, followed by broccoli florets, shredded cabbage and kale. Cover and steam 5 minutes or until bright green. (Do not over cook these beauties or else you lose the bioactive known as Sulforaphane.
  • Transfer to bowl and add EVOO, Lemon Juice, Salt and Cracked Black pepper to taste
  • To assemble the bowl, layer rice, beans, and vegetables. Top with avocado slices, salsa, cheese, sauerkraut or kimchee

 

Original recipe: https://dorignacs.com/summer-mediterranean-recipes/