Quick and Easy Lentils and Beans!
Lentils and beans may not sound exciting but this is a really tasty dish that packs a punch! And if you double the recipe like I do it makes a great staple to keep in the freezer for those days when you need a good meal but just don’t feel like cooking. I recommend serving it with a nice green salad and crusty bread but it’s also great as a meal in itself.
Adapted from Anne Lindsay’s Speedy Lentil and Bean Casserole recipe in Lighthearted Everyday Cooking. I have added several ingredients including red and yellow bell peppers which are added near the end so they add a nice crispy texture and a splash of fresh flavor and color.
Did I mention that our kittens are growing like crazy! They are as sweet as ever, and have more than doubled in size from when we got them. I’ve posted some recent pictures in case you’re interested. 🙂
Makes approx 4-5 servings.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large diced onion
2 stalks of celery sliced
1 cup shredded carrot
2 cups cooked white kidney beans
2 cups cooked lentils*
2 cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1/2 diced red bell pepper
1/2 diced yellow bell pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
Pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese to taste (optional)
* To make 2 cups of cooked lentils you will need approx.1 cup of dry lentils. Some grocery stores also carry canned lentils although I have yet to find them in a U.S. store. If you’re using dry be sure to rinse them first. I used green lentils.
In a large pot cook the onion, celery and carrot in olive oil on medium heat until onions are transparent.
Add beans, lentils, tomatoes, red peppers, yellow peppers, thyme and pepper.
Mix together and cook for several minutes until well-heated.
Sprinkle with grated cheese if desired. Serve with salad and fresh crusty bread.
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Top Ten of 2012 – Favorite Recipes of the Year!
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe another year has passed! As I do every year, I have been reviewing my accomplishments for the year and planning for 2013. There is just something about starting the new year with new goals and a fresh start!
So in keeping with the “year-in-review” theme, I thought it would be fun to do a round-up of the top ten recipes I made in 2012. These are the recipes I would rank as the most delicious of the year!
Wheat Berry Salad with Strawberries and Dried Cherries
Canada Day and 4th of July Carrot Cakes
Caribbean Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Thanks for following Veggie Yogi! It has been a fun and delicious year! I wish you all the best in 2013!
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Asian Rice-Noodle Salad with Cashews
I’m finally back! It has been a really busy fall. My church bought a new building, and I learned a ton about building renovations. It was a lot of fun, educational, and an incredible amount of work! Dwayne and I ate out a lot. There simply wasn’t time to cook! But now I’m ready to get back to the kitchen and do some homemade vegetarian cooking!
This is an adaption of a recipe that was published in the Toronto Star by Jennifer Bain in December. The recipe was for Edamame-Carrot Rice Noodle Salad, but I didn’t have any edamame, sesame oil, sesame seeds or rice vinegar so I switched out many of the ingredients with what I had on hand. It still turned out to be very tasty. I hope you like it too. Feel free to switch out the ingredients with what you have on hand! 🙂
One thing I would recommend now that I’ve made it, is to break up the rice-noodles before cooking them since they are somewhat difficult to eat when they are left full length. Sprouts would also be an excellent addition.
Makes approx. 6 servings.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Approx. 4.4 oz or 125 g of rice noodles
1 cup julienned* snap peas
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned yellow pepper
1 1/2 cups of cashews
3 tbsp cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame or olive oil
* Julienned = cut into thin strips
Break the rice-noodles into smaller pieces and cook them in boiling water for about two minutes.
Rinse rice noodles in cold water and then place them in a large bowl. Add snap peas, carrots, yellow pepper, and cashews.
In a separate container whisk together vinegar, soy sauce and oil. Mix together with the noodle mixture.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them and serve with chopsticks!
Veggie Yogi 