Simple Lentil Soup

I enjoy making soups. When I make lentil soup I like to start with dry lentils and rehydrate them. This allows me to hydrate them to the texture of my choice. The lentils in this soup have a some substance to them; they are a bit softer than "el dente". The longer the soup is cooked, the softer the lentils. If you prefer very soft lentils, start with cooked lentils rather than rehydrating them

This lentil soup does not take much time to make after the lentils are rehydrated. I usually rehydrate and lentils, beans, or peas that I use in recipes over night or while I am sleeping. The active cooking time for this recipe is about 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

·      1 1/2 cups dry lentils (rinsed and drained) + 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth + 1 bay leaf

·      Place in an airtight container over night or through the course of the day to rehydrate. This yields 3 cups of hydrated lentils.

·      4 TBSP olive oil

·      1 onion

·      4 large carrots

·      1 tsp ground cumin

·      4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

·      Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

·      Dice the carrots and onion and place in a soup pot with the olive oil

·      Sautee until onions are translucent

·      Add the rehydrated lentils, bay leaf, and 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth and bring to a boil

·      Reduce heart and cover. Stir from time to time.

·      Cook until carrots are tender – about 20-30 minutes depending on size they were cut.

·      Remove bay leaf prior to serving or storing in an airtight container.

Sweet Potato Soup

Soups are a great addition to a meal or can be a meal themselves. When I traveled to Poland, I was presented with a soup at each meal. Eating a soup as a first course was satisfying and resulted in eating a smaller main dish. Sweet potatoes have been plentiful at the farmer’s market so I decided to make soup!

Ingredients:

3 LBS sweet potatoes

2 onions

2-4  cloves garlic…depending on size

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

2 inches of ginger root

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent

Chop the sweet potatoes into even cubes (1/2 inch or so) then add to the onion/garlic mixture and saute for another 15-20 minutes

Add broth and water and bring to a boil

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover

Cook about 30 minutes until sweet potato is soft

Puree

Juice the ginger and add to the pureed mixture

Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve:

Top with sesame seeds or gluten free breadcrumbs

Top with tarragon sprigs

Serve with cheese and crackers or a sandwich

Chili: Customizable Cold Weather Comfort Food

As the nights become cooler, I get inspired to create soups to have for dinner. Chili is an easy to make meal that tastes better the second and third day as the flavors marry.

This Gluten Free YogaLean chili recipe is a vegetarian chili. There are a variety of methods for preparing chili and serving suggestions. Find the method that works for you based on your preferred flavor profile and desired protein source. It is advisable that you make the base protein beans or meat and not combine both. The combination of proteins is a challenge for most digestive systems.

Chili takes no time if you are using canned beans. Chili takes patience and planning if you are rehydrating. I rehydrate as I sleep, you could rehydrate during the day. Once the “inactive” time is over, the cooking time is about 2 hours till the beans soften (1 hour if using canned beans).

Vegetarian Chili Base Ingredients:
3 cups of dry kidney beans or 6 cans of beans drained
1 bay leaf
4 cans of diced tomatoes (I used garlic and olive oil flavored tomatoes)
1-2 cups of vegetable broth
1 onion diced small or 2 shallots
4-8 cloves of garlic – diced – depending on size
Peppers – Jalapeños or Anaheim chilies – 2-4 depending on your interest in HEAT and the size of the pepper
Chili powder
Cumin
Optional Vegetable Additions: Corn, bell pepper, or zucchini

If you wish to use meat:
Modify STEP 1 of the recipe to “Sauté the meat with the diced garlic/shallot and garlic. (Use 2-4 TBSP Olive oil if using a LEAN protein - suggested option if you wish to add meat- like ground turkey)

Vegetarian Chili Base Recipe:
STEP 1: If you are not rehydrating the beans, open the cans and drain them and move on to STEP 2.
Ingredients:
• I used 3 cups of DRY kidney beans – you could use 6 cans of beans (drained) if you do not want to rehydrate the beans
• 6 cups of liquid (I used 3 cups of water and 3 cups of low sodium vegetable broth)
• 1 bay leaf (discard after rehydration)
If you are rehydrating the beans:
• Rinse the beans and add the beans, liquid, and bay leaf to a covered container. Let sit over night so the beans absorb the liquid.
STEP 2:
1. Sautee onion/shallot and garlic in 2-4 tbsp of olive oil in a soup pot until translucent. Add the beans, hot peppers, cans of tomatoes, 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth and spices. Start by adding 4 TBSP of chili powder and cumin. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover.
2. Stir from time to time. Add additional chili powder and/or cumin 1 TBSP at a time if you wish more heat.
3. After the chili has been cooking for an hour, add additional vegetables you wish – evenly diced.
4. Cook until beans are tender. Add an additional can of tomatoes or cup of broth if needed.
5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Gluten Free YogaLean Serving Suggestions:
I have experienced numerous serving preparations for chili in people’s homes or restaurants. I have seen a dollop of sour cream on top of the bowl of chili, a mound of shredded cheese, crackers, bread sticks, corn chips (Fritos most often), and tortilla chips.

To make your chili a healthy, yet satisfying meal, I suggest pairing it with Gluten Free crackers if you desire a crunch, gluten free corn bread (I like Bob’s Red Mill, or a gluten free roll (Scharr makes great ones).

To cut the heat after the meal, you can enjoy a few dates. (I get mine at the Farmer’s Market from Futterman Farms – they do ship product) or have a cup of sweet tea like Good Earth’s Sweet & Spicy.

Pesto – Walnut Style

I love making homemade pesto when my garden produces a bumper croup of basil. I have made traditional pesto with pine nuts and have experimented with using a variety of other nuts to create my sauce. I have also experimented with creating pesto sauce with a variety of greens like carrot greens and arugula. Playing with food and testing recipes is something I enjoy.

This recipe for BASIL Pesto is made with WALNUTS instead of pine nuts. Recently the bulk walnuts have been on sale at the local grocer and I have been purchasing quite a bit of them. I try to take advantage of sales on foods I enjoy and find recipes to use those products when they are plentiful in the store. I try to shop economically, while also shopping to find the products that are organic and/or local.

Textures are important to me when I eat. If textures of sauces determine whether you eat them or not, consider the following: a thicker pesto is made by adding more basil and/or reducing the oil and, conversely, a thinner pesto is a result of less basil or more oil, or both.

Base Ingredients:
Basil – 3 cups rinsed and patted into a measuring cup
Garlic – 5 pieces
Cheese (Italian Blend, Parmesan, or Pecorino Romano) – 1 cup
Nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, or cashews) 1/ 2 cup
Olive Oil – 1 cup

Increase your recipe as needed based upon the volume of basil you are using. For the pictured recipe, I had 6 cups of basil from my garden!

Instructions:
Add ingredients to ingredients to a VItamix, food processor, or blender. Blend until a thick liquid is formed.
Store pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator…it will keep up to three months.

Vegetable Soup with Sorghum

As the nights get a bit cooler, it is satisfying to make a warm soup to enjoy for dinner. Soup and fall seem to go hand-in-hand. I made a few changes to a tried-and-true recipe so that it could be enjoyed as a vegetarian meal or using chicken. I added sorghum for its high fiber and protein content (it is a complete protein) rather than use noodles or rice. Enjoy this YogaLean recipe!

Base Ingredients and options:
2 cups sorghum (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
6 cups of liquid – I use 3 cups of water and 3 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
1 onion (shallot or leek can be used instead)
6 cloves of garlic
2 celery stalks
4 tbsp olive oil
4 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes
4 medium carrots
4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Sesame seeds for garnish
Chicken – if you wish to add as protein
OPTIONAL: Add additional root vegetables such as parsnip or rutabagas

Instructions:
• Begin by hydrating the sorghum in the 6 cups of liquid. If you put it in a covered pot on medium and stir from time to time it will take about 30 minutes to cook.
• While the sorghum is being re-hydrated cut the vegetables into small pieces (as uniform in size as possible).
• Add oil, onion, garlic, and celery to a pot and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir from time to time.
• Add remaining diced vegetables, bay leaf, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes or until vegetables soften.
• When the soup and sorghum are done, add the sorghum to the soup pot and discard the bay leaf
• Serve with sesame seeds for garnish.
• OPTION: Add chicken if you wish to add meat to the vegetarian soup. Cook the chicken separately and add to the bowl at serving time.

Teff Protein Muffins

In my efforts to find additional ways to integrate Ancient Grains into my diet, I have been experimenting with using TEFF in recipes. Teff is a versatile grain that has a low glycemic index and is high in fiber but low in fat and sodium.

The Teff Protein Muffins recipe is a revision of a recipe that uses oats. I find that oats are a main component in many gluten free products and look to find alternatives so that I provide my body with a variety of nutrients.

I make the Teff Protein Muffins as muffins so that the “skirts” hold them together. They could be made as drop cookies if you do not mind a cookie that is not firm. My husband and I eat them as snacks after a workout; as an alternative to a granola bar.

Base Ingredients (with options)
1 cup teff (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup of pitted dates (I get mine from Futterman Farms)
1 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp vanilla flavoring or 1 scoop gluten free vanilla protein powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder or Nutella (Nutella makes a sweeter final product)
1 sleeve DECAF coffee (I use Starbucks as it is a DARK ROAST)
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup milk of your choice (I use Almond Milk)
1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup unsweetened coconut
OPTIONAL: 1 cup of raisins

Instructions:
STEP 1: Cook the teff and water in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir from time to time. This should take 10 minutes.

STEP 2: Let teff rest for 10-15 minutes. While it rests you can begin to preheat the oven to 350 and prepare the rest of the ingredients:
In a Vitamix or other food processor blend the dates and milk
Add the date/milk mixture to the teff and stir to combine
One at a time, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine
Add the mixture to muffin tins lined with “skirts”

STEP 3: Cook for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.