Miles and I have been trying to consume less meat lately. No it’s not just because we’ve turned “Californian,” it’s mostly because meat is just so darn expensive. And there are health benefits to not eating as much meat. Anyway, it’s been a fun challenge trying to find yummy vegetarian recipes. I’ve actually found quite a few we like. Here are just a couple we really like and are bordering on being in love with. Not really, but you get the point.
Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry
This one is awesome, just ask Hope.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
( I used minced ginger from the jar)
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 bay leaf
1 ½ cups red lentils (Red lentils seem a bit hard to find so you might have to look at some sort of specialty store. They sell them near us at Wholesome Choice. Let me just tell you that red lentils are way better than your average lentils! You must give them a try to rid yourself of all your preconceived notions about this wonderful legume)
Directions:
1. In a saucepan or kettle, bring 3 ½ cups of water to a boil.
2. In a large saucepan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, and 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the sweet potato, ginger, garlic, curry powder and bay leaf and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the boiling water and stir in the lentils. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the lentils break down and the sweet potatoes are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Season with salt.
4. Serve with warm pita bread. Serves 4.
The second recipe also calls for sweet potatoes, so it would be smart to include both of these meals on your menu for the weeek.
Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
2 cups water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (suggest peeling then boiling the potatoes. Don’t microwave them like I did—it was a mess)
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.
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