Most of the time when I just “come up” with a recipe it doesn’t turn out great; a good bit of the time it ends up horrible.  Every great once in a while I hit a home run.  This is definitely a must-try home run if you like lentils and it’s an EASY one pot meal.  I’m certain you could play around with these ingredients and make many variations!

Ingredients (makes 8-10 servings)

• 1.5 – 2 cups uncooked lentils (rinsed)
• 5-6 carrots (roughly sliced)
• 5 cups vegetable broth (I like unsalted)
• 4 medium onions (roughly chopped)
• 5-6 red potatoes (roughly chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bunch green onions (chopped, for garnish)
• 1 lemon, sliced (1 slice per serving)
• salt and pepper to taste

In a LARGE saucepan (this is a one pot deal) combine carrots, onions, and garlic and cook over high heat until onions are mostly cooked (about 8 minutes).  Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, bay leaves, oregano, coriander, cayenne, and salt and pepper.  Cook to a boil, reduce and simmer covered for 40 minutes.  Garnish each bowl with chopped green onions and the juice from a single lemon slice (important!)

I LOVE curry and before I went plant-based I cooked it hundreds of times.  Tonight I made a plant-based curry for the first time and loved it.  As a matter of fact I ate it so quickly I forgot to take pictures :(.  The good news is I have just enough for lunch tomorrow so I’ll add them tomorrow.  Here’s the recipe I came up with but I feel like this is one you can REALLY play around with in about every aspect and it will still turn out good.  It’s really amazing how the coconut extract replicates the coconut milk “taste” to a point where you’ll wonder why you ever used coconut milk in the traditional recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 1/2 cups cooked) of your favorite brown rice (I used a brand of organic basmati rice I found at Wal-Mart)
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large green pepper, sliced
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)
• 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets (I like large chunks because they will break down some during cooking)
• 3 tsp red or green curry paste (make sure you find some without oil, I used Thai Kitchen brand), note “Golden Curry” brand has tons of oil – stay away from it!
• 2 cups of your favorite Almond or Soy Milk (I like Almond)
• 1 tsp coconut extract (I found this at Publix)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional, I didn’t add them but will next time)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• pepper and additional curry powder to taste (I added some HOT madras curry powder cause I love the heat and the taste)

Brown rice takes FOREVER to cook correctly, start it an hour or more before dinner.  I am fortunate enough to have an awesome family that bought me an Aroma Rice Cooker/Steamer with a brown rice setting that cooks brown rice perfectly every time (even if it does take an hour).

In a large saucepan saute your garlic in a tablespoon of water (or veg broth), just for a minute or so.  Then add your onions, green pepper, jalapeno, and cauliflower.  Saute over med/high heat until everything is starting to get tender (about 6-8 minutes adding water or veg broth if needed, but normally your onions will have enough water so you don’t need it).

In a separate container roughly mix your almond/soy milk and curry paste together.  Reduce your heat to simmer and add the mixture to your saucepan along with all the other ingredients.  Stir well until all the ingredients are mixed (you can add more almond/soy milk if you feel like the curry is too thick).  Once everything is mixed well, add the frozen peas and simmer for 15 minutes.  Enjoy over brown rice!

Enchiladas are a staple for me and I’ve made a ton of variations.  This particular recipe is probably my all-time favorite and it’s all my own.

Enchilada Sauce (if you want to make your own)

• 2 medium tomatillos, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 cup water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 4oz can of green chiles
• 1 tsp of your favorite plant-based hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired consistency (add more water if needed)

Black Bean Enchiladas

• 1 package of whole wheat no-oil tortillas – I use LaTortilla Factory Smart & Delicious 100 Calorie Tortillas (this is the only oil-free brand I am aware of which is typically available at Publix or online here: www.latortillafactory.com/view/products/100-calorie-tortillas/
• 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (your favorite plant-based brand or use the recipe above)
• 1 large or 2 small onions
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 15oz cans no-salt or low salt black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 15oz can of no-salt/sugar or low salt/sugar whole kernel corn
• 1 4oz can of green chiles
• 1 8oz package of mushrooms
• 6oz of extra firm tofu (cubed) – optional
• 1/2 15 oz can of black olives (sliced) – optional
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast – optional
• 1/2 cup cilantro and your favorite salsa – optional as condiments

Preheat oven to 350.  Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms in a large saucepan over medium to high heat until cooked (I add the onions first, then garlic, then mushrooms).  Add water or enchilada sauce as needed to keep from sticking (onions usually can saute with no extra liquid due to their water content).  Once cooked (onions should be translucent) combine in a separate bowl with black beans, green chiles, corn, and tofu (optional) and mix thoroughly.

In a large glass baking pan (or whatever pan you can find that will easily hold 8-10 enchiladas) pour enough enchilada sauce in pan to cover the bottom of the pan.  Fill and roll each tortilla shell with filling and place in the pan.  Top with the remainder of the enchilada sauce, green chiles, and nutritional yeast (optional).

Cook at 350 for 20 minutes (for crispy shells extend cooking time as desired).  Top with cilantro and/or your favorite salsa!