Slow Cooker Mung Bean and Red Lentil Dal

I feel like January is flying by, and I want to slow it down. Why the rush, 2016? I am certainly excited for different projects and opportunities coming down the way, but I also want to cherish those day-to-day moments that make me most happy. The quiet, dim winter mornings, the lingering over the kitchen table, the cozy evenings on the couch, I want those all to stay around a bit longer. 2016, however, seems to have other plans. To keep up with the moving and shaking, I turn to this hearty, nourishing dal that becomes something quite magical in the slow cooker.

Traditionally, dal refers to a spiced legume-based dish, often seasoned with Indian aromatics such as turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, and a whole host of other goodies. For as many different spice variations that exist, there are almost as many different legume options. From split red lentils (masoor dal) to black lentils (urad dal), split chickpeas (chana dal) to split mung beans (moong dal), and the list goes on. Despite these differences, everyone seems to agree that dal should be rather mushy, as in, there is even a special whisk that exists to completely stir the dal into a mushy oblivion.

I admit that I take a few liberties with this dal. I use legumes, some traditional Indian spices, and embrace the beyond al dente texture of dal, but I get a little creative to turn this dish into something you could serve to people you are trying to impress. I originally mixed red lentils with mung beans the first time I made this because I had just a handful of each, but I found l loved the textural contrast between the softer red lentil and more substantial mung bean. Grated carrot and coconut milk add a mellow sweetness, and tahini and soy sauce get swirled in at the end for a rich umami boost. Why tahini? Namely because I find an excuse to put it in everything, but also because I love the rich creaminess it lends. I tried simplifying the recipe by just tossing in all of the spices in the slow cooker without taking the time to bloom them, but I found that the extra 2 minutes warmed in the oil made a noticeable difference to the depth of the dish.

Please do not get intimated by the ingredient list, as much of the process is hands-off. And your reward? Days and days of rich, nourishing dal full of fiber and protein-rich legumes and anti-inflammatory properties. This freezes beautifully, so portion out a few days worth and then pop it in the freezer for easy reheating when it is just too cold to venture out of the house.

Dal is not a glamorous food, no matter how you serve it. I am not promising an eye-catcher of a dish, but I think my additions elevate it a notch or two. 

Slow Cooker Mung Bean and Red Lentil Dal

1 1/2 cups mung beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
3 carrots, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 serrano pepper, seeds removed
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
3 cardamom pods
2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee (olive oil will also work)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds (optional but delicious)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
6 cups water
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons tahini
salt and pepper, to taste
lots of fresh cilantro, for serving
plain yogurt, for serving

In a slow cooker, add soaked mung beans, red lentils, tomatoes, onion, carrots, garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, turmeric, bay leaf, salt, and cardamom.

Heat oil or ghee in small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add fenugreek, ground coriander, and chili powder and stir for 30 seconds to allow spices to bloom. Add to slow cooker, stir in water, and stir everything to coat. Cover with lid and allow to cook on low for 10 hours. Lift lid and stir once during cooking process to make sure everything coats evenly.

When done, remove bay leaf and serrano pepper. Transfer 3 cups of mixture to blender, add coconut milk, tahini, and soy sauce, and blend until smooth. Return mixture to slow cooker and stir to combine. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree some of dal in slow cooker when adding remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with cilantro, plain yogurt, and a grain of your choice. Enjoy! Makes 10-12 servings. 

Broccoli Soup with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

I have another soup here for you. You know, just in case you need a little warming from the inside out. Or just in case you need some convincing to eat more vegetables...a New Year's resolution, perhaps? If eating more vegetables was on your to-do list, I am hoping to make that goal a bit easier and even delicious.

This is no ordinary broccoli soup. I grew up eating a rendition of broccoli soup that, despite being totally scrumptious, negated any potential nutritious benefits I could have gotten from eating broccoli in the first place. Cream certainly has its place here and there, but when your soup starts to match the eggshell-hued ceramic diner cup it is served in, you should think about switching up your order now and again. While my ten-year-old self devoured every last drop of that soup...with a tag-along grilled cheese because that is what ten-year-olds do, I think my adult self would call it quits a few spoonfuls in. For my arteries' sake, of course.

This soup certainly retains a beautiful earthy green color with just little specks of red sprinkled here and there from the pesto. There is a smidgen of dairy in my grown-up broccoli soup compared to most versions, but it is still rich in flavor. I rely on chickpeas to help thicken, and a quick sun-dried tomato and basil pesto to bring it some punch. The meatiness of the tomatoes and toasted walnuts lend a real savoriness to the pesto that, when swirled into the soup, elevates it a notch or two...or maybe even three. For textural contrast, I reserve some broccoli florets that I cut into bite-size pieces and steam just until bright green and tender, tossing them into the pureed portion just before serving. Sprinkle with some Parmigiano-reggiano or whatever nice sharp, salty cheese you are craving that day, and dig in.

Broccoli Soup with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of red chili flakes
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled, and chopped, and crowns cut into bite-size pieces (reserve 2 cups florets)
1 cup drained chickpeas
3 cups water
1/2 recipe Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, recipe below (about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmigiano-reggiano or other sharp cheese, for serving, optional

Heat olive oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute 5-7 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add garlic and chili flakes and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add broccoli stems and all but 2 cups of florets. Toss in chickpeas. Add 3 cups water, a generous pinch of salt, and heat until boiling. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 10-12 minutes or until broccoli stems and florets are soft and easily mashed with a fork. Puree mixture in blender or using an immersion blender right in the pot. Return to pot and swirl in pesto. 

Meanwhile, steam remaining florets in pot fitted with steamer basket or in shallow water for about 5 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove from heat, and toss florets into soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with any desired cheese, if using. Enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
1/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano or Parmesan cheese
zest and juice of 1/4 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon water
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle for a coarser texture. Season to taste. Makes about 1/2 cup.
 

Curried Carrot Soup

I thought I would say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016 with a recipe that sums up how I approach healthy cooking day in and day out, year in and year out. This Curried Carrot Soup is a no-fuss, nourishing, delicious, and despite all of its simplicity, beautiful bowl of goodness.

Certainly some of the things I whip up in the kitchen require quite a few steps- I am looking at you Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline Truffles- but then again, those lengthier processes can be a bit meditative. This soup, on the other hand, is for the majority of days, when I am cooking not for the process, but for the finish line. One pot and a mere 25 minutes, and dinner is served.

I share this soup with you because it celebrates what I strive to show in every recipe post here on the blog- nutritious food that is also.....wait for it....delicious. Yes, lick-the-wooden spoon-and-perhaps-even-the bowl-delicious. I often hear people announce that they fall into two categories, that is, they "live to eat" or that they "eat to live." Being a member of the first camp implies that you eat only to enjoy, to savor, to indulge. While subscribing to the second statement implies that you eat for sustenance, out of necessity, because your body needs those vital nutrients to function. This soup, fragrant with curry and subtly sweet with coconut and a zing of fresh lemon and ginger, proves that you can have it both ways; you can eat to enjoy while nourishing yourself from the inside out. This soup just tastes good. The fact that it happens to be really, really good for you is just sort of icing on the cake...or avocado on your toast if we are going with the healthy theme.

Alright, I will get to the recipe soon enough, but one more thing that made me want to finish the year off with this soup is that it is gorgeous without even trying. It is like those girls who wake up with just enough smudge of eyeliner from the night before, throw their hair in a loose ponytail, and toss on those cool jeans and that cozy sweater and just walk out the door. Needless to say I have never been one of those effortlessly chic types, but I like to channel that vibe in my food. Looks sell, and this is even more important in healthier dishes, when "plant-based" conjures up images of lettuce-noshing rabbits. In this soup, I let the natural beauty of the ingredients speak for themselves, without a mask of a heavy sauces or cloak of condiments. The golden orange comes from the carrots and curry powder, and it is just the tiniest bit tempered by the coconut milk. Cilantro, just roughly chopped, and lightly toasted coconut get dusted on for a little contrast and to compliment the southeast Asian flavors. Beauty in a bowl this is.

While the soup is perfect served alongside a grain of choice or a nice whole grain bread for an everyday dinner, think about serving it as a little shooter for your next party. I promise they will want the recipe.

Curried Coconut Soup

1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 pound carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch coins
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup water
1 cup coconut milk (I used homemade full-fat)
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1/4 lemon, zested and juiced
pinch of cayenne powder (optional, if you like a bit of spice)
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped fresh cilantro, optional garnish
toasted unsweetened coconut, optional garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add carrots, curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saute until curry becomes fragrant, about 30-45 seconds. Add water and stir, making sure carrots are submerged. Bring mixture to boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes or until carrots are easily mashed with spoon.

Either transfer mixture to blender or using an immersion blender right in the pot, blend mixture until desired consistency is reached, adding coconut milk as you blend. Add freshly grated ginger, lemon juice and zest, and cayenne powder, if using and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm on low heat on the stove top until serving. Garnish with cilantro and/or toasted coconut, and serve. Enjoy! Makes 4 bowl servings or 12 shooter servings. 

Sweet Potato, Kale, and Wild Rice Soup

Thanksgiving is upon us! I spent the better part of Saturday making our Thanksgiving menu and organizing the grocery list to reduce the frenzy potential at the store. I like to organize the list by aisle- super time-saver. I put all of the recipes we are going to make in a single document, adjusting the quantities based on how many servings we need. This makes list-making easier AND there is no guesswork when divvying up the recipes to relative who want to help cook. Yay for a family of cooks!

So what is on our menu? I am lucky that my family is open to trying new things each year. There are certain ingredient must-haves, but most anything goes within those boundaries. For example, there is always turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cranberries, some sort of pumpkin dessert, plus way too many other desserts that we decide on at the last minute. My Mom also loves to make Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing and break out a can of super smooth jellied cranberry sauce to make it totally American.

My Mom is in charge of our turkey- she is an expert at the whole brining thing- and the gravy, so I will find out what she has in store come Thanksgiving day. Mashed potatoes are getting the slow cooker treatment for the first time, green beans will be mixed with my Miso Mushrooms (minus the white beans), Brussels sprouts will roast with pears, cranberries will simmer with some citrus and bay leaves, carrots will get a maple and cumin glaze, and pumpkin pie will merge with coconut pie for the dessert we have so far. There is also going to be a fall salad in there somewhere, you know, just as an appetizer to our vegetable-filled feast.

What are you making for Thanksgiving? Any family favorites?

As much as I love planning Thanksgiving, the days leading up to it can be hectic. Work, travel, grocery shopping, etc. This is where this soup comes in. It is a perfect pre-Thanksgiving soup- simple to make, nourishing, not too heavy, but comforting enough for this cooler weather.  Because around these parts, the temperature just plummeted.

This recipe was featured over at Be Well Philly with two other sweet potato recipes from the awesome Lindsey Kane and talented Grace Dickinson. You can check all three recipes out here.

Miso Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic

I do not know a single soul who does not like roasted garlic. It takes all of the harshness out of the vampire repellent and mellows it into a soft, spreadable, slightly sweet and earthy treat. The hardest part really is turning on your oven. It is virtually a foolproof recipe that results in an impressive flavor bomb. For this recipe, I recommend roasting more garlic than you need since you already have your oven on, and then use the rest to spread on a crusty multi-grain bread or slather on pizza. Really good stuff.

I combine roasted garlic here with another favorite- tomato soup. But I dress the tomato soup up a little bit with pumpkin and miso, another umami-packed ingredient. I got the idea for the roasted garlic and miso addition to tomato soup from Emily Stoffel's Buttered Miso-Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic + Togarashi posted originally on Gourmande in the Kitchen. Emily writes at another fabulous blog, The Pig & Quill. It just seemed like a yummy and rich combination that would not weigh you down. She tops hers with a lovely butter but I decided to blend in just a tablespoon at the end.  When added this way, it adds a pleasant lightness.  The seasonal pumpkin pumps up the nutrient level and adds extra creaminess and heft without extra fat.

You could serve this alongside grilled cheese or cheesy toast, but with the miso touch, I recommend serving it alongside some brown rice or another grain to round it out.

Miso Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic

2 heads roasted garlic, cloves removed (see note below)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons miso paste (I used white)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter + salt and pepper to taste

Combine roasted garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil miso paste, canned pumpkin, and tomato paste in medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until mixture begins to darken and become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Add water and canned tomatoes, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, then reduce to simmer. Allow to cook for 15 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, and carefully blend until desired smoothness is reached. An immersion blender can also be used. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

Note: To roast garlic. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the very top portion off of two heads of garlic, exposing most of the cloves. Place garlic heads on foil, drizzle 2 teaspoons olive oil over top of exposed cloves, and sprinkle salt over each head. Close the foil up and roast garlic for 50 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool before squeezing cloves out of papery skins.