lentil and brown rice casserole

ok, ok. It sounds about exciting as dishwater. Let me assure you, this is tasty, easy and cheap!

3/4 cup of dried red lentils
3/4 cup of brown rice
can of tomatoes - 14 or 28 oz. I like diced.
chopped onion (if you insist. lol)
1/2 tsp each of basil and oreagno
3 cups stock (use less if putting in more tomatoes, more like 2.25 cups)

mix in large casserole dish. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours - stir it every 1/2 hour or so. Remove lid and sprinkle with 3/4 to 1 cup grated cheese and broil uncovered until cheese melts. Delish! Goes well with a salad and bread.

Spice Cake with Raisin Sauce

CAKE:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup sour milk (add a couple drops of vinegar to regular milk)
1 & 3/4 cup flour
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp soda.

Bake at 350 for approx 25 min.

FILLING:
mix with 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 cup raisins
1 tbsp flour
butter the size of an egg.

Boil until thick, and add 1 tsp vanilla.

My Aunt usually doubles the filling to ice the cake with. If you bake the cake in two layers, the cooking time is a bit less, and be sure to put filling in between the two layers of the cake. This was a favourite of my Dad and his twin brother for their birthday for many, many years...

Leek & Potato Soup

The friend of a friend was making this on Sunday, and it was sooo delicious. (This is a best guestimate of the recipe, as was described to me.)

4 leeks, white parts only, sliced
4 potatoes, diced
salt & pepper to taste,

Place sliced leeks and diced potatoes in a pot, cover with water, add salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are well cooked. Mash, partially or completely, in pot. Stir in butter (as little or as much as you want!), or opt for adding some (tablespoon, maybe?) of olive oil.

Enjoy!

Was particularly delicious with dark bread, and raw vegetables...

Lentil Shepherds Pie

I love red lentils and sweet potatoes. This dish combines both AND is fast, inexpensive and vegetarian. Red lentils are cheap - like under $2 a bag, and that goes for 2 + meals. Sweet potatoes are generally on sale in the Fall. What's not to love?

1 cup lentils
1 Tbsp grated ginger (you can sub 1/4 tsp powdered, but it's not as good)
1 tsp cumin
14 oz veg. broth (you could sub chicken and make it not veg)
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 c. water
Combine in skillet, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Then remove bay leaf

Meanwhile:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 lbs sweet potatoes (cubed into 1 inch pieces)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
Heat oil in pot, add curry and pepper. Then toss in sweet potato, salt and water. Bring to boil, reduce, cover and cook until potatoes are tender - about 15 minutes.

Once sweet potatoes are done, mash them and spoon over the lentils

Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup

Ohmygoodness! This was amazing!

Adapted from Sarah Kramer's La Dolce Vegan

2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp or so onion powder
saute in oil in large pot

Then add:
1 good sized sweet potato, diced in small cubes
2 medium sized potatoes, diced in small cubes
4 cups stock (veggie or chicken)
1 cup red lentils
1.5 tbsp of red curry paste (can find in jars)
sprinkle of salt and pepper

bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until veggies are tender and fully cooked

Stir in one (or two) 14oz cans of coconut milk
(the cheaper milk - baking grade - is generally a bit cheaper, and thicker so it goes farther)

You can puree the soup up, but it's awesome as is.

Serve this with a salad and bread. My son ate three helpings. So good.

Pink Pizza

My middle child asked me for "pink pizza" a couple of weeks ago. I was left scratching my head, as I've never heard of such a thing. I pondered a couple of different ways to approach this request, and finally came up with an option today.

I was doing an inventory on our freezers this week, and discovered that I had bought an abundance of freezer waffles, probably when Extra foods had them on at $1 a box. Waffles are now the new pizza crust!

Toast up waffles
top with cream cheese mixed with jam (you could buy flavored cream cheese, I just didn't have any)
Add on strawberries

Voila! Pink Pizza.
Enjoyed by 2 out 3 children. Number 3 was not as impressed, as apparently she no longer likes berries in any format. Shrug.