Lentil Salad w/ Cucumber & Cabbage

This is a hearty lentil salad filled with refreshing cucumber, crunchy cabbage, celery, and pepitas. It cooks up in 30 minutes flat and is a great as a side, abed leafy greens, or used as a filling in corn tortillas!

I'm always trying to work more lentils into my diet. Short of smoothies and desserts, if I can remember, they go into everything! Kind of like turmeric in that regard. Spaghetti? Check. Soup? Check. Salad? Check. Tacos? Double check!

Speaking of food...the food monster...also known as Bailey (Bob), has been coming to work with me for the past couple of weeks. The naughty little fella decided it's the most brilliant thing he's ever discovered to open the oven and gobble up all the nut and seed muffins I thought I was "Bob-proofing" in there. A few days later, he opened the fridge while we were at work and ate half a tub of Earth Balance and an absurd amount of red miso paste. A balanced diet? Umm...not so much. Check out Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to keep up on all his shameful adventures.

Bob gets walked three times a day while I'm at work and I love to bask in the sun and smell the fresh air throughout the day. The leaves are almost out in full-force up here in Alaska and late-spring finally has that distinct fragrance of freshly blooming birch leaves. Bob enjoys it too. I think he is glad to feel included when he comes to work with me. In the morning he waits on the porch until I exit the house, so I don't forget to bring him. 

It think it's helped him cut down on licking his foot a bit too; sometimes I still catch him when I go to walk him though. He has a lick granuloma on his back leg near his paw. Has your dog ever had one of these? He's had it for years. It comes and goes and I swear we've tried pretty much everything, and have been to several vets! Have you found anything that seemed to help? 

Lentil Salad w/ Cucumber & Cabbage

Recipe by Katie @ Produce On Parade

This is a hearty lentil salad filled with refreshing cucumber, crunchy cabbage, celery, and pepitas. It cooks up in 30 minutes flat and is a great as a side, abed leafy greens, or used as a filling in corn tortillas!

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown lentils, dry
• 2 cups water
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and ribboned
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• ½ small cabbage, shredded
• ¼ cup pepitas
• ¾ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground paprika
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to low and cover. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.
2. While the lentils cook, add the cucumber, celery, and cabbage to a large serving bowl. Toss to combine then add the pepitas and the cilantro.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and stir in the garlic.
4. Add the cooked lentils to the veggies and pour the dressing over the mixture. Stir very well to combine.
5. Serve warm or cold, using a slotted spoon. It’s great as a side, on top of leafy greens, or in corn tortillas!

Learn A New Word In Dutch

Exciting --> opwindend (op-vind-denz)

Expand Knowledge 

This is a very interesting piece from NPR regarding what's next for animal welfare and how our opinion on how we treat animals is changing because of, well, science!

Spiced Lentil Soup with Roasted Beets & Delicata Squash

Stressful times call for your favorite recipe to help ease distress. This is mine. I make many versions of this spiced lentil soup and this one did not disappoint. 

I did take half a second to ponder the decision of putting delicata squash into soup. It was aging rapidly though and I knew I had to use it as soon as possible. If it was an epic fail, well, that would be okay I decided.

Delicata squash in soup is absolutely amazing. The roasted meat is tender and sweet, while the peel is just slightly chewy and caramelized. It's a really wonderful addition. The roasted beets in the soup dyed it a deep magenta, the longer it sat. I'm going to be putting delicata in all my soups now!

“Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people. ”

— Cesar Chavez

You need this soup in your life. Maybe as a dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas? It would be perfect! 

Spiced Lentil Soup with Roasted Beets & Delicata Squash

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This is one of my favorite soups. Based with creamy coconut milk, red lentils mingle with roasted beets and caramelized delicata squash. Spiced with tantalizing aromatics like cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Notes: Feel free to leave out the beets if you’re anti-beets. Any lentil can be used to the cooking time may need to be increased if not using red lentils.

Ingredients

• 2 medium whole beets, scrubbed and ends trimmed
• 1 delicata squash, washed and diced
• ½ Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup dry red lentils
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (I like unrefined)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• Sprinkle of crushed red pepper
• Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 15 oz. can of full-fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp. vegan sugar
• ½ tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap the whole, scrubbed beets loosely in tinfoil. Place on a baking sheet. Toss the diced squash in olive oil and scatter on the same baking sheet. Roast at 400 F for about 30 minutes. Stir the squash at 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer the squash to bowl for later and turn over the beets. Allow the beets to cook for an additional 15-30 minutes, until fork tender. Remove when done and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, bring the lentils and vegetable broth to a boil, stirring occasionally. Make sure to watch it or it could boil over. Reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then, remove from heat.
3. In a medium frying pan, heat the coconut oil over low. Add the onion and garlic and sauté a few minutes. Next, add in the turmeric through and including the nutmeg, stirring well and scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Sauté for about 8 minutes, until the onion begins to brown.
4. Once lentils are done, add the coconut milk through and including the salt to the lentils and broth. Also, add the squash and the onion mixture. When the beets are cooled, dice and add to the soup. Stir well to combine.
5. Serve hot, garnished with broccoli sprouts like me (if you wish!)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 00:45
Total time: 01:00
Yield: 6 servings

SAVE MONEY!

I buy my canned coconut milk here.

It’s only $2.20 per can vs $4 per can at my local grocery store Fred Meyer!

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More Lentil Soup Recipes

Remarkable Root Soup

Thai Lentil Sweet Potato Stew

Copycat Amy's Lentil Soup

Creamy Spiced Coconut Lentil Soup

Look who's all snuggled up like a bug in a rug! Bob doesn't appreciate the crashing wind. Still not a single flake of snow. I'll keep you updated. I heard on the news, it'll be a new record for southcentral Alaska in November for snowfall...or lack thereof. So depressing, you guys.

Good Deed of The Day

This story is insane. The cast of Walking Dead is apparently so completely grossed out by all the fake bloody flesh, gore, and cannibalism on the show that the entire cast is going vegan and vegetarian! Check out the whole store here. 

Dutch Word of The Day

Insane --> krankzinnig (crank-zin-igh)

Asian Lentil & Mushroom Lettuce Cups

“‘I educated myself on factory farming and cruelty to animals, and realized that what was on my plate were living things, with feelings. And I just couldn’t disconnect myself from it.”

— Ellen Degeneres

Amen Ellen. Amen. Lettuce cups are so fancy. I always feel like I should be at Paris Hilton's baby shower or something whenever I encounter them. Yes, I'm aware she doesn't have a baby (right?)...just go with me on this one. Do you feel that way too or am I total weirdo?

They're pretty darn fabulous. I love how they'll cradle anything at all you desire to stuff them with and lettuce is well, pretty tasteless so really the sky's the limit here with regards to flavor options.

I received a massive bag of mushrooms from a Costco run and I was at a loss of what to do with them. As always, I pondered how I could combine them with legumes. I knew lentils had to somehow be incorporated into my mushroom quandary. And so, these lettuce cups were born.

Delightfully light but still hearty, with a scrumptious Asian twist from soy sauce, fresh ginger and cilantro, as well as sesame oil and rice wine vinegar these are sure to be a hit.

Asian Lentil & Mushroom Lettuce Cups

Serves a crowd

Notes: I used half split red and half whole green lentils. If using split then there's no need to strain the water and you'll need more TVP, but if using whole lentils they'll need to be strained. Start with 1/2 cup and add more TVP as needed to achieve the desired consistency. 

Ingredients:

• Sustenance
• 2 cups lentils, dry
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 3 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced 
• 1/2 cup TVP, dry 
• fresh lettuce leaves (I like butter, but romaine would work as well)
• fresh chopped cilantro, as garnish
• sesame seeds, as garnish
• Sauce
• 1/4 cup liquid amino acids (or soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. sesame oil

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the water and lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Then, reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the water has either evaporated (split lentils) or they are tender (whole lentils). If using whole lentils, strain and return to pan. 

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large rimmed frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for at least 10 minutes, until they become fragrant, dark, and all their water has evaporated. Add the cooked lentils to the mushrooms. 

For the sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the lentil/mushroom mixture and stir over low heat (reserve a bit to pour over the cups if you like). Add the 1/2 cup of TVP and stir well to combine. Add more as needed to achieve the desired consistency. 

Serve the mixture in the washed lettuce cups and top with additional sauce, fresh cilantro, and sesame seeds.

German Word of The Day

Lettuce --> Kopfsalat (copf-saw-lot)

Good Deed of The Day

Let's put to bed the stereotype of whether or not vegans get enough protein. Finally! Watch the video here, and spread the word yo.