Lentils…how to cook…single serving, and more

I thought I’d share my recent experiences with lentils:

I researched lentils, and every source says to cook lentils one part lentils to one and a half parts water or broth.  The amount of time needed to cook the lentils varies, I’ve found.  Green lentils are the most common kind, and the ones I buy in bulk take about 45-50 minutes to cook.   Some types of green lentils take somewhat less.   I guess it depends on the source.    Boil the lentils and water together, then lower the heat and cook.  Watch the lentils and “test” them to see if they’re to your liking.  Make sure you don’t cook them more than you want.  Add water if needed.

If you buy lentils in bulk they are cheaper than if you buy them packaged.  Either way, they say it’s a good idea to wash and sort your lentils before cooking.  This is because they may contain stones.  I don’t do this because I’m just plain lazy or stupid; however, I have yet to encounter a stone.

Lentils are high in fiber and protein, and another nice thing about lentils is that they take much less time to cook than dry beans.  Also, they are versatile, and have a nice flavor.  They are fun, too.  You can season them a different way every time you eat them.  You can add different veggies, or even fruit, believe it or not.   You can make them into soup or stew.  You can eat them hot or cold.  You can probably eat them in a sandwich, though I have yet to try this.

Here’s something I have for lunch frequently.  This dish serves one:

RICE AND LENTILS FOR ONE

1/4c lentils
1/4c brown rice (I use medium grain)
Maybe 1/2t curry
A dash of Mrs. Dash Table Blend (optional–I always include this)
1 bay leaf (optional–I generally don’t include this, but every time I have, I have used a bay leaf that has accidentally broken in half, so I have used only half of a bay leaf)
1t garlic-flavored olive oil
6-7oz water or more–experiment and you will know exactly how much you will need for your lentils, rice, cooking method, and taste

Cook the rice and lentils with the bay leaf for 45-50 minutes.   Keep an eye on the mixture and add water as needed.  You will notice that when these are cooked, the lentils have floated to the top.  Add the curry, stir and allow to sit for a bit.  Then add Mrs. Dash and oil.  If the dish is a little cooler than you’d like, cover and pop it in the microwave for a very short time and then stir.  Enjoy.

This mixture will easily fit into a 10-oz thermos, but no matter what I have done, I haven’t been able to keep the mixture piping hot in the thermos even for two hours.

TMI MAYBE: Those of you who are regular readers of my blog know that last Wednesday I had a molar extracted and I have been very limited as to what foods I can eat.  I have to be very careful that nothing ends up in the “hole” left by the tooth (and gets stuck there).  Regular cooked lentils are out of the question.  Also, hot foods are not allowed for the first week or so following a tooth extraction.  So if I’m going to eat lentils, I have to overcook them to the extreme and then cool them.  This means preparing them way, way ahead of time.  I use two parts water to one part lentils, cook them forever until the water absorbs and the lentils are without a doubt mushy, stir them well to ensure that this is the case, and then allow them to cool.  I took a giant leap and added thinly sliced banana this morning.  Yes, banana.  It was morning, after all.  It was time to have banana on my cereal.  I didn’t know how to season this mixture, so I didn’t.   You know, it wasn’t bad.  As you regular readers know, I am a very weird person.  Aren’t we all a little strange, in our own ways?

Have a nice day.

A single-serving of thick-cut oats: my current cooking method

I know I previously posted my method for cooking a single serving of thick-cut oats, but here’s my current tried-and-true method.  I will provide a link at my previous post to this post so people googling it will know.

Put 1/4 cup thick-cut oats in a 2-cup glass measuring cup
Add water to 3/4 cup (suggestion: use filtered water)
Add 6T dry milk, stir.  Put in the microwave, cook on HIGH, covered, for about a minute, watch closely.  When the mixture boils, stop the microwave.  Then, heat it on the very lowest setting, covered, for 50 minutes.   Go give the dog a very long walk.
When finished, add 1t butter, a small amount of sunflower seeds, a handful of raisins, and 2T wheat germ.  All these things you are adding are optional.  Stir.  Add a tiny bit of water until the oatmeal is the right consistency for you.  Stir quite a bit.  Stir more.  Eat.

Delicious Stew – totally vegan – a recipe by Julie Greene

I put this stew together at 2am and it turns out to be about the best stews I have ever tasted.  Better than meat.  It came to me quite by accident and rather quickly and instinctively.

Here’s the story behind it:

Warning: a bit TMI.  Humor alert as well.  I decided to cook up a recipe distributed among friends I know on the Internet, a circle of women friends of mine scattered around the East and West Coasts who are very dear to me.  We were all sold on this recipe, which I can’t post here, because it is not original to me and I don’t want to plagiarize.

I used spices from the Harvest Food Co-op in Cambridge, MA, where they are sold in bulk and are very fresh, much fresher than what one finds in the supermarket.  Most of the other women were using supermarket spices.  My result: a very, very spicy dish.  The seasonings: 1-1/2 t coriander powder, 1-1/2 t  cumin powder, 1/4 t cayenne powder, 1 c cilantro, chopped, a teaspoon of salt, and two minced cloves of garlic.  I might be leaving something out, but you get the idea.  With super-potent spices…you guessed it…the result was powerful indeed!  Still, it was edible, for sure, as I can tolerate spicy food, but I would have been a little embarrassed to serve it to guests.

I awoke at 2am in shock.  What was this odor?  Oh my god!  Had I–forgotten to shower?  Everything–me, my sheets, my pillowcase, my nightshirt, my comforter, the air around me–reeked of BO!  How could I stink so bad?  Surely, this was a shower and laundry emergency at 2am!  I couldn’t tolerate my own body!  And my own bed!  Did I smell this afternoon, too?  I ran to check my shirt.  Sure enough, my shirt smelled of BO, too.  Everything smelled of BO.  Had I in fact ruined my bed–permanently?  Would I have to replace the futon?  Oh, no!

But slowly, I realized what the odor was.  I had embarrassed myself.  The smell wasn’t me.  It had gotten on everything, yes, but the smell didn’t originate with me.  It was the huge amount of cumin I’d bought, not huge really, but it seemed huge enough to do this damage; that’s for sure.

I had to get rid of this odor.  Otherwise, it would be permanent, or so I thought.  I figured Febreze was out of the question.  So I asked myself: What food could I boil up whose smell would mask the cumin?

Celery.  Definitely.  Cooked.

I chopped the celery into nice small pieces and put it in boiling waster.  Then I told myself: Why not make a stew?  I added the other ingredients.

Here are the ingredients:

2 stalks celery, sliced to quarter moons
2 or maybe 3 handfuls very small mini-potatoes, do not chop, peel, or slice
1 handful frozen carrot coins
About three fresh scallions
1 apple, cubed
1/4 cup whole barley
1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 generous shakes nutmeg (yeah, I used supermarket brand)
2 shakes salt

Very simple.  Put all ingredients in a bunch of water, and boil for a long time, like ten minutes, then simmer for about a something like 45 minutes at least.  Mixture should be quite thickened once cooked, like a stew.  Allow to cool reasonably before refrigerating, so that it won’t burn your fridge.

I haven’t a clue whether this stew can be frozen or not as I haven’t tried doing so yet.

To see the rest of my recipes, click on the category, “recipes,” on the sidebar to your right.

How to cook a single serving of thick-cut rolled oats – instructions by Julie Greene

NOTE: I now make this oatmeal a little differently: Click here for new instructions, if you’re curious.

This is the best oatmeal I have ever eaten.  I have cooked thick-cut oatmeal nearly every morning, have experimented considerably, and have come up with these instructions that make perfect oatmeal every time.  Feel free to vary as desired.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup thick-cut rolled oats
Roughly 2/3 cup skim milk – varies according to how thick you like your oatmeal
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1/2 ounce raisins (one of those “little boxes”–I think it’s 3 tablespoons)

I would suggest using a pyrex 2 cup measuring cup with a handle if you have one, but you can use any 3 cup or quart size microwave  safe bowl to cook your oatmeal.  You will also need the type of microwave oven that has a very low heat setting.  My microwave has nine heat settings.  I use setting #1.  Microwave ovens vary considerably; use your own judgment.

Start making this oatmeal immediately when you wake up.  You will see why in a minute.

Place oatmeal in microwave-safe container.  Add just enough milk to cover it.  Place in microwave and heat on high for about a minute until mixture just boils.  Stop microwave as soon as it boils, and make sure it doesn’t boil over.  Then, set on very lowest setting, and cook for 25 minutes.

Walk the dog.

When you come back, the oatmeal will be very thick.  Be careful removing it, and set it on the counter on top of a hot pad so the counter won’t burn.  Stir in the remainder of the milk.  The mixture will then be very thin.  Place back in the microwave.  Heat on high for about a minute, as before, and stop the microwave as soon as it boils, then heat on the very lowest setting for another 25 minutes.

Take a shower.

Remove the oatmeal from the microwave.  The mixture will be somewhat thickened, but not quite cooked all the way.  Do not be alarmed.  Stir in butter, raisins, and sunflower seeds.

Do not skip this next step:  Stir for about two or three minutes.  Then, allow to cool, uncovered, for another three minutes or so.  Now, the oatmeal will be completely cooked!

Enjoy your breakfast.  Remember to chew the sunflower seeds thoroughly to get the full nutritional value.  A delicious breakfast is a great way to start the day.  I’m finding that out.

Barley and Lentils Casserole: A recipe by Julie Greene

I invented this about a week or two ago.

EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN CASSEROLE #1: BARLEY AND LENTILS

Ingredients:

1 cup dry hulled (not pearled) barley

1 cup dry green lentils

1 cup fresh coarsely grated Romano cheese

1 large clove fresh garlic, pressed

1/4 teaspoon fresh powdered ginger

1 stalk celery, diced 1/2 inch

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms

4 scallions, chopped medium

2/3 cup nonfat cottage cheese with pineapple

About 1/2 cup tomato soup or tomato and red pepper soup of your choice

About 3 tbsp whole sesame seeds

Cook the barley by boiling it with 2 cups water and then allowing to simmer on very low heat until done, about 45 minutes.  Cool in the refrigerator.  Cook the lentils in 2 cups water by boiling vigorously, uncovered, for three minutes, then simmer on low heat, covered, for 20 minutes until done.  Taste-test the lentils and make sure they are to your liking.  Do not overcook.  Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the lentils and barley.  Add the cheese, garlic, and ginger.  Mix very well.  Add the vegetables.  Fold in the cottage cheese, and add just enough soup to make the mixture hold together.  You may need more than 1/2 cup.

Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan.  Distribute the mixture evenly in the pan.  Top with sesame seeds.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool, covered, for ten minutes.  Enjoy.

Shepherd’s Pie: A recipe by Julie Greene

I am going to start posting my recipes.  I just made this tonight.  I made it with marinara sauce, not soup, but I think it will be better with soup.  Here’s the recipe:

Shepherd’s Pie

1 cup lentils

4 cloves garlic

5 potatoes

About 3 T butter

About a pound lean ground turkey

A small top of broccoli

2 or 3 scallions

4 or 5 mushrooms

About 6 oz non-tomato vegetable soup (cream of broccoli, mushroom, etc)

2 slices cheddar, or American cheese

About 3 T sesame seeds

Boil the lentils in 2 cups water for 4 minutes, lower heat and simmer 20 minutes with pressed garlic, add 1/2 cup water if needed to finish cooking, do not overcook.  Remove from heat.

Cut up potatoes, do not remove skins, and set over vegetable steamer to cook.  Keep over medium high heat.  Remove from heat when finished.

Begin cooking turkey in cast-iron pan, chopping up with spoon to separate.  Remove from heat when cooked.

Put potatoes into a bowl and add liquid from meat, and also add butter to potatoes.  Mash.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a 9 x 13 pan, coat with soup.  Add meat.  Cut the flowers off the small head of broccoli, and distribute evenly over the meat, then chop the scallions and also distribute over the broccoli.  Slice the mushrooms and do likewise.  Spoon the potato on top and spread with a firm spatula over the top so that it evenly covers everything.  Chop the cheese finely and distribute on top.  Evenly coat with sesame seeds.  Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Serve hot.  Serves 6-8.