Lucky Lentil Soup

These days, when people ask me what's new, I talk about two things:

1. Bullet journaling.
2. Buying grains and legumes in bulk.

And when I say bulk, I mean BULK. Forget a pound or two of beans in a Ziploc bag from the co-op. I'm talking 25 pounds of green lentils in a brown paper sack from Azure Standard.

With all those lentils in the basement and all that snow outdoors, of course lentil soup is on the menu. And throw in the black-eyed peas leftover from another recipe, why not.

Hei-Do Tofu

When I was a child, my mom used to make a delightful stir-fry called Ma-Po Tofu. It was an especial treat because it had pork. My mom cooked mostly vegetarian throughout my childhood, so this was a notable departure from the norm (stir-fry with tofu was well within the norm).

Last month, I had a hankering for that same Sichuan dish, so I clicked through the first search result Google gave me: Ma-Po Tofu recipe from Epicurious. The result was satisfyingly similar to my memories, so I filed it away for a repeat.

And that repeat came last night. I contemplated the black beans thawing in the fridge and thought, "I can pretend that's pork." And thus Hei (black) - Do (bean) Tofu was born.

Hei-Do Tofu with a side of bok choy.

Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf-Salad

This year for Easter, I offloaded my typical bread baking duties to my kitchen scientist husband and concentrated on a toothsome salad. I riffed on a pilaf recipe I'd made a couple times recently, because, you know, never try something new when you're cooking for 22 adults and assorted tots.

This recipe is adapted from Veganomicon, the only cookbook I cook out of consistently (even though I'm not vegan.) It's saucy and spicy. Buy it, I dare you. 

Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf-Salad

Ingredients.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
• 2 tsp garlic and ginger, minced (2 cloves of garlic works, too)
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground (if you are feeling ambitious, toast the whole seeds first and grind them yourself)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed (not ground, let's keep some texture folks - remember, this is a toothsome salad)
• Freshly ground black pepper, some to lots
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (and maybe even soaked, why not)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15-oz can of the same, drained and rinsed)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 carrot, shredded
• Fresh cilantro, some to lots, chopped (stems too!)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions.

1. In a small pot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for 2 more minutes.
2. Add the cumin, coriander, pepper, salt, and tomato paste. Saute for another minute.
3. Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat until the mixture is simmering, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the broth. Stir whenever you are feeling impatient and want to check on the absorption progress.
5. Remove from heat and cool, perhaps overnight. Before serving (whenever it's convenient, really), stir in the carrot and cilantro. Sprinkle the vinegar and stir again. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Slow-Cooker Lentil Lasagna

At the beginning of January, I heard about slow-cooker lasagna twice in the same week. Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon, a sign of the season, ooooooor do I just spend too much time on social media platforms?

@Fruits_Veggies A1 just made Lasagna in my slow cooker it was sooo good #SlowCookerCreations

— Rita (@TommiesMommy14) January 6, 2016

The idea simmered in my mind as I worked my way through two pans of disappointingly dry experimental manicotti, and came to a full boil this disruptively snowy day in February.

Piles of white dwindle in the kitchen as the white piles grow outside. #prepday #slowcookerlasagna #minnesnowta

A photo posted by Hannah J (@jastrd) on Feb 2, 2016 at 1:41pm PST

I found a recipe on Real Simple, and then modified it to include more veggies and one of my favorite legumes. "It's edible," my dad said, his standard line for any dish containing beans. Tastes better than my li'l Samsung camera phone makes it look. And is not at all dry.

A photo posted by Hannah J (@jastrd) on Feb 2, 2016 at 5:17pm PST

Slow-Cooker Lentil Lasagna

Ingredients. 

•  2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes, drained 
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp dry oregano and 1 tbsp dry basil, or whatever combo strikes your fancy
• salt and pepper 
• 1 15-oz container ricotta 
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 8 oz standard lasagna noodles (not no-boil) 
• 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach
• 4 small carrots, grated 
• some amount of cooked brown lentils*
• 8 ounces mozzarella, grated

* I cooked a pound, dolloped away, and froze the rest. You could also use red lentils.

Directions.

1. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan or Romano, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In yet another medium bowl (sorry!), combine the spinach and carrots.
2. Spoon 1/3 cup of the tomato mixture into the bowl of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Top with a single layer of noodles, breaking them to fit as necessary. 
3. Add half the spinach/carrot mixture. Dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture, a third of the remaining tomato mixture, and some amount of lentils. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella. 
4. Add another layer of noodles and the other half of the spinach/carrot mixture. Repeat the dolloping procedure with the other ingredients. 
5. Finish with a layer of noodles and the remaining ricotta mixture, tomato mixture, and mozzarella. Set the slow cooker to low and cook, covered, until the noodles are tender, about three hours. Let rest 10 minutes before serving to your parents and housemate.

Have you made slow-cooker lasagna? 

Mayan-Inspired Corn Pone

This recipe was inspired by a childhood favorite of mine from Laurel's Kitchen: Tennessee Corn Pone. I wanted to make something that would complement acorn squash with a cranberry stuffing.

Acorn squash and onion from Mhonpaj's Garden CSA.

I also wanted to incorporate the pumpkin puree that was on the Spouse House "Nom Nom Me" list. So I fiddled with the spices, adjusted the cornbread topping, and voila!

Mayan-inspired corn pone. I was overly judicious with the spices - this could have used a lot more oomph in  the flavor department - but it's a gentle introduction to the pumpkin-pinto bean-corn world of Mayan cuisine.

Mayan-Inspired Corn Pone
Serves four hungry adults as a main dish.

4 c pinto beans, cooked
2 c black beans, cooked

2 tsp canola oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp allspice
5 cloves, ground
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt

2 c cornmeal
2 eggs
2 c milk
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp allspice

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9"x13" baking pan.
2. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet and sauteed onions until soft. Add garlic and saute one minute more.
3. Add the spices; stir well to coat. Cook another minute or so.
4. Add the beans and enough of the cooking water to nearly submerge them. Let heat through and simmer while you prep the topping.
5. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk and pumpkin puree and whisk thoroughly.
6. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and fold in with quick, light strokes.
7. Pour the beans into the prepared pan. Pour the cornmeal mixture over it evenly.
8. Bake until golden brown, or a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Just a heads up - some people strongly prefer / only eat this dish with salsa.

Nutty Wordy Wednesday

I mentioned in a previous post that my plant-loving friend Amanda helps me think about how the function of a plant part affects its nutrient content. I also put quotes around "nut" in referring to peanut butter, sunflower butter, etc. I know tahini is from sesame seeds and peanuts are legumes, but what makes a nut a botanical nut?

Nuts 2 by Steffen Zahn

The Nut: a one-seeded hard-shelled fruit. Includes chestnuts and hazelnuts; excludes almonds and walnuts (drupes).

The Legume: the fruit of a plant in the Fabaceae family. Includes peanuts, soy, peas, and carob.

The Seed: a small embryonic plant: embryo, nutrient supply, and coat. Angiosperms are enclosed in fruit; gymnosperms are not. Includes cereals, legumes, and nuts.

Seeds are the botanical basket that contain plant protein and oil sources. True nuts are fewer and farther between than I'd imagined. And nutrient profiles are all over the map. For example, chestnuts have an ω-6:ω-3 ratio of 9; hazelnuts, 90. Another - kidney beans sit at 0.6; and garbanzo beans at 26. All the more reason to eat a variety of plant foods!

"Nut" Butters and You

I met Amanda when we both worked in Dr. Chery Smith's Community Nutrition Lab; she as a Ph.D. student, I as a research assistant. To pursue research more up her alley, she switched to the Plant Biological Science program, but we're still friends. In fact, her focus on plants helps me think about how the function of the plant affects its nutritional content. For example, root tubers store nutrients to survive one year to the next, so they will contain a lot of starch for energy.

At a decidedly nutrient-poor and calorie-dense brunch at Bonnie's Cafe this Sunday, Amanda inspired me to consider the relative benefits "nut" butters, specifically sunflower seed butter and peanut butter and their respective omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. We want a low ω-6:ω-3 ratio because ω-6 fatty acids are inflammatory, but Americans tend to consume diets with a high ratio due to low vegetable and fish intake and high seed oil intake.

Not content with a simple comparison of two food items, I pulled together data from six different butters and five parameters, using the USDA's nutrient database as found here. Most desirable numbers are in green, least in red.

Selected nutrient contents of selected "nut" butters

per oz (~1.5 tbsp)	Almond	Cashew	Sunflower	Sesame	Peanut	Soy*
Protein:	4.2g	4.9g	5.5g	4.8g	7.0g	5.3g
Fiber:	1.0g	0.6g	N/A	2.6g	1.7g	2.3g
Calcium:	75.6mg	12.0mg	34.2mg	119mg	12.0mg	~45mg
Iron:	1.0mg	1.4mg	1.4mg	2.5mg	0.5mg	~0.3mg
ω-6/ω-3 ratio:	28:1	48:1	476:1	57:1	181:1	7:1

* Estimated from I. M. Healthy SoyNut Butter's nutrition label.

This chart does not make sunflower butter look very good: negligible fiber, middling calcium, and an atrocious ω-6:ω-3 ratio. Peanut butter takes the lead in protein content, ties cashew butter for last in calcium, and has the second highest ω-6:ω-3 ratio. Sesame seed butter (tahini) does quite well with top scores in fiber, calcium, and iron - too bad it tastes so bitter. 

And the winner in the fatty acid category is... soy. Surprised? What "nut" butter(s) do you eat, and why? And why do I keep putting "nut" in quotes?

What I'm Excited About #1

Includes the following:

• Tour of the St. Paul Public School's central kitchen this Thursday


• Lesson plans I'm designing, aimed to increase cruciferous vegetable consumption


• Heirloom beans I purchased yesterday from Paula Foreman (Jacob's Cattle Gold and Orca)


• Order I got last week from Whole Farm Coop (pretty soon I won't have to shop at all!)


• Focus group I'm attending next week that's NOT organized by me


• An Eat4Equity I can finally attend!

And last, but not least, Mike Mason's Halloween party.
Photo of orca beans by Ataradrac.