Speedy Burritos

I invented these the other night when I "didn't have any food in the house." I really liked them, and a couple of days later my 9yo son asked when we could have them again, so I think they were a hit. ☺

• 2-3 c cooked rice (I used 2 1/2 c water & 1 1/4 c plain white rice, but adjust amounts for what type of rice you use)
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained (pinto or refried would work too) Obviously you could use dry beans but they would have to be cooked which takes several hours. Lentils would work also and they cook much faster than dry beans.
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or stewed tomatoes, or 2-3 fresh chopped tomatoes, or even 1 can tomato sauce)
• about 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• cumin
• chili powder
• garlic powder
• 8-10 tortillas (I used whole wheat ones)
• optional--1-2 pieces chopped chicken or 1 can chicken meat or 1/2-1 lb ground meat (I didn't use meat and don't think it needs it.)

Put the rice in to cook.
In a large pan (I used a cast iron saucepan) saute the onion in a little oil until it softens. Saute meat with onions if you're using it. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and spices to taste (I use 2-3 Tbs of each). Add rice when it gets done. Mix it all up, then put in tortillas, roll them up, place them in a large baking pan side by side. Sprinkle cheese over the top of everything.
(Alternately, layer tortillas and stuffing in the pan more like a lasagne, then sprinkle cheese over the very top. My large pan was in use so I used a smaller deeper pan, and layered like this.)

Vegetarian Nachos

Instead of ground beef this uses lentils or pinto beans. When seasoned the same way, they taste quite similar. (please note that all spice amounts are approximated, as I have never measured them...)

makes enough for a 9x13 pan of nachos

• around 3 cups Tortilla chips
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 or 1 1/2 cups cooked (or canned) lentils or pinto beans (they have to be soft) I like to use leftover lentils/beans if I have them
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp garlic power*
• 1 Tbs ground cumin*
• 1 Tbs chili powder*
• *(spices can be replaced with a half packet of taco or other mexican seasoning if you want, but I prefer to use separate spices so I can customize the proportions)
• optional--a few drops of tabasco sauce
  

Spread the chips in the pan.
Put ketchup and spices in with the lentils and blend well (use a blender or an electric mixer). Drop the mixture in blobs around on the chips.
Sprinkle cheese over the top of everything.
Cook on 350 for about 10 min or until cheese is melted and everything is warm. To keep chips crunchier, use a higher temperature for a shorter time.

Mujadarrah and Masala

I got this recipe from my friend here. It's actually Arab, but when made with the spices it's very reminiscent of Indian cuisine.

It's a lot like the simple lentils that I make, only with some ethnic spices and sweet caramelized onions on top. It's the same ingredients, but it's a very different meal. We liked it!

I just wanted to add my recipe for masala (nope, you don't have to buy the fancy spices, you can use combinations of your own!

MASALA
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Simple Lentils

This is a favorite of mine. It's very simple, pretty fast, and really really good for you. It can seem a little bland (Hubby admitted to being scared of it the first time he saw it!) but in fact it's quite filling, and reheats very well.


Rice (I use a white/brown blend, 1c boiling water to 1/3c rice, cover and simmer 20min)
Lentils (about 4cwater to 1c lentils, cover with a vent and simmer 15-25min)
Grated Cheddar Cheese
BBQ sauce or ketchup

optional additions: garlic powder, salt, onion (cooked in with rice or lentils, or sprinkled on later), tomato, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Just layer it up, and dig in! We like LOTS of cheese.

Lentil soup

I have to say, in the most serious of tones

"Don't knock it till you try it!!!"

This is one of my favorite soups. I got it from America's Test Kitchen, so I've put their original recipe here, but in the blue are my 'tweaks.'

This takes about an hour to cook, but much of it is just 'let it simmer' time, so it's not actually that labor intensive.

Lentils du Puy, sometimes called French green lentils, are our first choice for this recipe, but brown, black, or regular green lentils are fine, too. I use plain old cheap brown ones and it tastes fine to me! Cooktimes are slightly shorter. Note that cooking times will vary depending on the type of lentils used. Lentils lose flavor with age, and because most packaged lentils do not have expiration dates, try to buy them from a store that specializes in natural foods and grains. Before use, rinse and then carefully sort through the lentils to remove small stones and pebbles. The soup can be made in advance. After adding the lemon juice in step 2, cool the soup to room temperature and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To serve, heat it over medium-low until hot, then stir in the parsley.

INGREDIENTS
3 or 4 or 5 slices bacon cut into 1/4-inch pieces cut it before you cook it!
1 onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 carrots , peeled and chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3 cloves /1 Tbs garlic , minced I do about 3Tbs. We like garlic.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander or cilantro, or nothing (I never have coriander around)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, or chili powder, or double the amount of paprika, or nothing at all
1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 ounces), drained
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried
1 cup lentils (7 ounces), rinsed and picked over
2 teaspoon salt don't skimp--I usually cut down the salt in recipes, but ths soup needs it.
ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or just a little more broth or water
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or good homemade bone broth that you've frozen or canned
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves or not, cuz I'm just not fancy like that!

Here is my pretty picture of how I cut the bacon (with scissors, over the pan)

Fry bacon in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't drain off that beautiful bacon fat! Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne; cook until fragrant, a
bout 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Another pretty picture! This is usually the part where the smell makes me begin to drool. No need to resist this very natural urge! Simply try to keep said drool out of the soup, and press forward!

Stir in lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vegetables are softened and lentils have darkened, 8-10minutes.
Uncover, increase heat to high, add wine, and bring to simmer. Add chicken broth and water; bring to boil, cover partially, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes; discard bay leaf.
Puree 3 cups soup in blender until smooth (or dump into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer), then return to pot; stir in lemon juice and heat soup over medium-low until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and serve, garnishing each bowl with some of remaining cilantro.

By leaving out the bacon and using veggi broth, it would be easy to adapt this to be a vegetarian meal. Please though, use some fat in place of that bacon greast--you'll need it!