Mujadera

 One-Pot Mujadara with Leeks and Greens

Total Time: 35 min  | Servings: 12 to 16 servings (Scaled 2x) 

Ingredients:

2 cups black lentils

4 leeks, white and light green parts only, roots trimmed

1 1/2 tablespoons salt, more as needed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 bay leaf

2 cinnamon stick

8 cups trimmed and chopped spring greens (chard leaves, spinach, kale, mustard or a combination)

Directions:

Place lentils in a large bowl and add warm tap water to cover by 1 inch. Let soak.

Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise; run under warm water to release any grit. Thinly slice leeks crosswise.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer half the leeks to a bowl to use for garnish and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Stir garlic into the pot with the remaining leeks and cook for 15 seconds until fragrant. Stir in rice and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, allspice and cayenne; sauté 30 seconds.

Drain lentils and stir into pot. Add 4 1/4 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Rinse greens in a colander and spread damp leaves over lentil mixture. Cover and cook 5 minutes more, until rice and lentils are tender and greens are wilted. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with reserved crispy leeks.

Nutrition:

Fat: 7 grams

Calories: 228

Saturated Fat: 1 gram

Unsaturated Fat: 6 grams

Sodium: 209 milligrams

Sugar: 2 grams

Fiber: 4 grams

Carbohydrate: 34 grams

Protein: 8 grams

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014804-one-pot-mujadara-with-leeks-and-greens?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&fbclid=IwAR1m-SjTD0nJf2jblUTgwWq4ZYvW1VbRHciZDZE8LUukTzDwYWDgsV9pwi0

Lentil bolognese

 Lentil Bolognese

★★★★★

Prep Time: 10 mins  | Cook Time: 45 mins  | Servings: 12 (Scaled 2x) 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onion, diced

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme (or use more oregano)

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

300g of tomato paste

6 cups (1440 ml) vegetable broth

2 cups (370g) lentils

1/2 cup (64g) walnuts (or pecans), crushed finely

2 (14.5-ounce/410g) cans of crushed tomatoes

Flat-leaf Italian parsley or fresh basil, chopped or slivered (optional)

Directions:

Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. 

Stir occasionally and cook the onions until a light brown fond starts form on the surface of the pan, about 5 minutes. 

Continue cooking the onions, adding more water every few minutes and stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the onions are softened and golden brown, 9-10 minutes. 

Next, add the garlic, then the herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently and cook for 60-90 seconds.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes to caramelize, stirring very frequently, until it’s darker red in color.

Pour in the broth to deglaze the pan, stirring any browned bits on the bottom of the pot and stirring the broth into the tomato paste to combine. Add the lentils and walnuts, and stir to incorporate. Heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and sticking.

If using crushed tomatoes, you may need to add a little water or lower the heat as needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Reserve a ladle or so of pasta water (may not need it). Drain the pasta but do not rinse it.

Taste the bolognese for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped parsley or basil

Note: If you're not serving all of the bolognese at this time, transfer the amount of bolognese sauce you'd like to eat to the pasta pot. Add the hot cooked pasta, turn the heat to medium, and toss to coat. Store the leftover bolognese sauce separately in the fridge.

Source: https://rainbowplantlife.com/10-ingredient-vegan-red-lentil-bolognese/#recipe

Vegan Szechuan Tofu and Peppers

 Vegan Szechuan Tofu and Peppers

Ingredients:

2 blocks (16 oz) firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

2 red bell pepper, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces*

1 green bell pepper, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces*

2 medium onion, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces*

Avocado oil as needed for frying

4-6 scallions, chopped diagonally, to serve

For the szechuan sauce:

⅔ cup tamari sauce

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp chili garlic sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil 

1 tsp black pepper 

2 tsp granulated garlic

2 tsp ground ginger

¼ cup water 

Directions:

To Make the Crispy Tofu:

Slice a drained and press block of tofu crosswise into 8-10 rectangles of about 1/2" thickness. 

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange tofu rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes until the top surface starts turning golden, then flip and cook 5-7 minutes more.

Slice each cooked tofu rectangle into bite-sized pieces, set aside.

To Make the Szechuan Sauce:

In a small bowl or a measuring cup, whisk cornstarch and tamari sauce until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients, chili garlic sauce through water, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

To Make the Vegetables:

While the tofu is cooking, chop peppers and onions into 1/2-inch cubes. 

Once the tofu is done baking in the oven, preheat the skillet on medium-high. 

Add 1 tsp oil. Add cubed peppers and onions, toss well, and cook quickly to get some of the pieces slightly charred around the edges, about 2-3 minutes. 

Take the vegetables out and set aside. 

To Finish:

Reheat the same skillet you cooked peppers in over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of oil. Add tofu cubes, and immediately pour in the Szechuan sauce (be careful as it may start splattering).

Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. 

Once the sauce has reduced by half, add peppers and onions. Toss well, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until most of the liquid evaporates, and each piece of tofu and vegetables is covered with sticky golden-brown glaze.

Serve topped with chopped scallions

Adapted from:  

https://www.veganrunnereats.com/11667/szechuan-tofu/

Vegan Lu Rou Fan 滷肉飯

 Lu Rou Fan – Braised Tofu Rice Bowl ‘素滷肉飯’

★★★★★

Prep Time: 10 mins  | Cook Time: 20 mins  | Servings: 9 (Scaled 3x) 

Ingredients:

3 lb [1191g] firm tofu pressed, drained & mashed

12 oz [390g] mushrooms chopped 

4 tbsp minced garlic 

1 1/2 onion finely chopped

9 tablespoons [54g] green onions chopped

4 1/2 cups of water

cornstarch slurry mix 3 tablespoons corn starch with 0.5 tablespoon of water

oil for cooking

salt to taste

Seasoning:

9 tablespoons tamari

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon white pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chinese five spice powder

3/4 cup [180g] Chinese cooking wine Michiu

3 star-anise

3 cinnamon stick

1 1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Directions:

Drain and press tofu for 15 minutes. (put between two plates with paper towels and use the dutch oven as a weight)

Heat up wok for 2 minutes

Add mashed tofu and add 2 tbsp of avocado oil until golden brown and crispy. 

Push the tofu to the side of the pan (add in more oil as needed to prevent sticking)

Saute mushrooms and onions until cooked through

Add in the chopped scallions and garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until garlic is aromatic

Season with white pepper, 5 spice powder, sugar and then stir to combine

Add in the tamari sauce, michiu, water, and bring mixture to rolling boil

Continue to cook until sauce is reduced to two thirds/half

Taste test and add salt accordingly. 

Add cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce by stirring constantly over low medium heat

Source: https://woonheng.com/vegan-lu-rou-fan/#wprm-recipe-container-1154

Halal guys copycat vegan chickpea and rice

 Halal Cart Chickpea and Rice (Copycat)

★★★★★

Prep Time: 30 minutes  | Cook Time: 20 minutes  | Servings: Yield: 12 servings (Scaled 2x) 

Ingredients:

For the Rice:

4 tablespoons country crock

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cups extra long-grain or basmati rice

5 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tsp kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper each

lettuce 

45 oz chickpeas

Directions:

For the rice: Melt the butter/oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven then add the spices and cook until you can smell them, stirring into the butter.

Add the rice and stir to coat.

Cook, stirring frequently for 4 minutes until the rice is toasted.

Add the broth and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring mixture to a boil.

Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing.

Remove from the heat and rest without opening the lid for 15 minutes.

Add chickpeas washed and drained and mix final mixture

Source: https://dinnerthendessert.com/halal-carts-middle-eastern-chicken-and-rice/

White sauce to go with it 

Halal Cart-Style White Sauce

★★★★★

Prep Time: 10 minutes  | Cook Time: 10 minutes  | Servings: 3 1/2 cup (Scaled 2 1/3x) 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups or 392g vegan mayonnaise

1 1/6 cups or 303 g plain vegan yogurt

2 1/3 tablespoons / 35 ml distilled white vinegar

2 1/3 teaspoons / 11.7 ml freshly ground black pepper

2 1/3 teaspoons sugar

1 1/6 teaspoons dried dill

1 1/6 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/6 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions:

Stir mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, pepper, sugar, dill, garlic powder, salt. 

Sauce can be made 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and chill.

Source: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/halal-cart-style-white-sauce

My favorite dal recipe

 Priya’s Dal

Servings: 16 

Ingredients:

4 cups lentils dried

4 Bayleaf

4 teaspoons ground turmeric

4 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons lime juice

For the seasoning:

8 tablespoons olive oil

8 teaspoons cumin seeds

4 dried red chilies.adjusted for children

pinch of red chili pepper

Directions:

In a large pot over high heat, combine the lentils, bay leaf, turmeric, salt, and 8 cups of water, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high, get the lentils a stir, and insert a large long handled spoon into the pot to break the surface tension to prevent boiling over.

Cook with a spoon, still inserted into the lentils are soft, but still retain their shape and then make sure resembles a thick soup, 20 to 30 minutes

Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes

Add lime juice and set aside

Make the seasoning:

In a small pan over medium, high heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the cumin and cook until they sputter and brown immediately remove the pan from heat and star in the dried chilies red chili powder.

Add the seasoning to the cooked dal and mix thoroughly