Sweet Potatoes and Lentils, IN the Crockpot!

January settles in around us, and there have been days in which we've reached nearly -30 with the windchill. How does a bowl of hot stew sound? Pretty good to me. Crockpot, do your thing.

Don't get too hung up on exact measurements. If you put in a little more or a little less of a particular vegetable, it won't make much difference. Just enjoy the process, and enjoy the results. I rough cut all the vegetables -- as opposed to dicing with precision -- to get them into the crockpot ssssssssuper fast. Things to do, people to see, you know how it is. Actually, just more play time with my son.

The resulting stew is really everything a stew should be: full bodied, full flavoured, mellow, yummy, comforting, and delicious.



ingredients:


2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups small lentils (green, masoor, dupuy)
1 cup sliced dried mushrooms (crumbled up) (I think they were shiitake or something bigger ...
5 cups water


coarsely chopped:

3 cups sweet potatoes
2 cups diced carrot
2 cups diced celery
300 g spinach diced


3 cups napa cabbage, chopped small

4 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
handfuls fresh herbs -- I threw in some very large sprigs of rosemary and oregano


500 g broccoli florets


directions:

1. turn your crockpot on, and set the timer if you have one. I think medium heat for 6 hours should do the trick.
2. layer in the ingredients as follows: coconut oil, garlic, onion, mushroom pieces, lentils, celery, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, sea salt, cumin, chili powder, water. Herbs.  Lots of herbs. Now. Later. Herb it up.
3. throw on the nappa cabbage.
4. when the stew is cooked, add in the broccoli and let the residual heat cook it up once you've turned your crock pot off, or cook it for a little while but not too long.
5. think of all the friends you'd like to feed with this yummy stew, and remember how lucky you are to have them.


You can serve this with a loaf of freshly baked bread, or some savoury muffins. Or whilst wearing a hula skirt and a kind of absent-minded smile. Your choice, really. I know what I'd choose, but that's just me.

Actually, we ate our with savoury corn muffins and top hats -- spats optional. No elephants in attendance this time.

Soup with Coconut milk and Lime Juice -- vegan and delicious

This is kind of a big cheat loosely based on a list of ingredients for soup someone once said was their fave. I made it up as I went along, and have cheated pretty much the whole way. 

But, if you don't mind me saying: yummy


This was one of those times when my reckless experimentation proved wholly successful.


For my husband it reminds him of his favourite green curry from up the street, but sans heat. For me it's just a complex melding of many many flavours into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Yay!! I love alchemy.

making the broth:

ingredients:

12 cups water

dried shiitake mushrooms sliced 1 cup

dried kombu -- 1 piece 6  inches by 8 inches

add

sea salt and black pepper

fennel seed

peanut butter 2 tbsp

coconut milk 1 can

lime juice 2 tbsp

salt 

black pepper

chili powder or chile pepper flakes

directions:

1. In a large pot place a large sheet of kombu (dashi kombu -- a kind of seaweed for making broth) and a cup of sliced dried mushrooms

2. add sea salt, black pepper, and fennel seed, and 6+ cups of boiling water

3. simmer for 1 hour and then let sit until it cools

4. remove the sea weed and the mushrooms, and strain the broth

5. to 6 cups of strained broth add 1 can (400ml) coconut milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter (smooth), 2 tbsp lime juice, and salt and pepper/ chili powder to taste

to serve the soup:

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets in small pieces

1 1/2 cups steamed gluten -- cut into small pieces. You can substitute tofu if you prefer 

1 cup bamboo shoots sliced

1 cup water chestnuts sliced

1 1/2 cups nappa cabbage sliced into small pieces
1/2 cup carrot sliced

4 tbsp each green onion, basil leaves, and chilantro leaves finely chopped

To serve:

1. Bring the finished 6 cups of broth to a simmer, and adjust seasoning with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Feel free to add chili pepper flakes if you don't have a three year old

2. add nappa cabbage and carrot pieces and simmer for 10 minutes

2. add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and gluten

3. let simmer for 10 more minutes
4. add broccoli and simmer for 5 minutes

5. add basil leaves, chilantro leaves, and green onion, turn off the heat and let sit 2 minutes

5. serve, making sure you get some of each of the goodies into each bowl.

It really is pretty darn fabulous.