10.29.10--Lunch

I'm having "brunch" right now...leftover Autumn Harvest Soup. But in the fridge* at work I've got the last of some lentils and rice that I cooked up this week.

Lentils are definitely a staple at our house. They have a huge variety of vitamins and minerals and are a great source of protein, not to mention fiber. I recall having an issue digesting these before I went vegan, but I don't really have problems any more.

I sometimes follow a recipe for lentils, but I've gotten the hang of throwing everything in a pot and letting it go. That's important when you're trying to make a bunch of delicious lunch food to last a week. So here's my general  guide for making really delicious lentils.

First, slice up a large onion and start that in a med/large pot with olive oil. While that is cooking, crush a few cloves of garlic to get the skins off and then either leave them crush or mince them. I like to add them later because I cook things hot and always end up burning garlic. Which is a no-no.

In Indian cooking, you generally add the spices at this point. I like to add a decent amount of cumin (1-2 tsp), pinch of turmeric, marjoram, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, you name it. You would be fine with just cumin, but play around with some other spices. Unless you accidentally shake cayenne into the pot without the lid on it, you probably can't go wrong.

Stir in the spices, and then add lentils. It's a good idea to rinse the lentils and sort out any stones--yes, STONES! I'm notorious for serving my sweetie bean with rocks in it. So really, sort your beans.

I add about 2 cups of lentils, which will give you a lot of food, but it is the perfect lunch to bring to work, as long as you don't have co-workers complain about aromatic food (seriously, I don't complain about their nasty Lean Cuisines...). Then add about twice as much water. I generally add the water gradually, because I like the lentils a bit al dente. Simmer the mixture for about 40 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender. Serve on top of rice, and add a dash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a bit more cumin and nutritional yeast. The vinegar is a trick from my host father in Madrid, Evelio. He made lentils a LOT. And he meditated, so I like to take cues from him. Try it...you'll like it...

*My lentils are NOW in the fridge. Turns out, though, that I left them on the counter last night. I had a huge container and ate half yesterday. I must have forgotten to put it away because when I came in to get tea this morning, it was out on the counter. Am I worried? Absolutely not! One of the best things about being vegan is that your food doesn't rot or grow nasty germies. Okay, it will get moldy after a while, but eating a plant-based diet means that your food isn't rotting at amazing speeds and carrying scary diseases. Because it's not a carcass or bodily excrements. Awesome? Yeah, totally. Bon apetit?