ethiopian bbq lentils, minty kale, and celeriac remoulade over quinoa

This meal started with an impulsive purchase of celeriac, a root vegetable related to celery. I just finished reading "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan, which was fantastic, and have been working on reducing my processed food intake. 17,000 new foodlike substances are released every year and they're not doing us very much good. I admittedly get excited about some of the new vegan food items. However, I'm going to focus my excitement on vegetables, fruits, and grains that I haven't yet experienced. Although the new vegan marshmallow Dandies are incredible...

I scoured the internet for a tasty celeriac recipe and happened upon one. From there, I designed a few dishes I thought would complement it well. I was very satisfied with the individual dishes and how they interacted, so I recommend trying them out! We've been eating it for four days and we're not sick of it yet!

Ethiopian BBQ Lentils

2 c lentils
3 c water

1 c water
2 carrots (chopped)
1 c tomato sauce (I recommend Susan's homemade sauce, but work with what you've got)
1 T red wine vinegar (herbed recommended)
1 T olive oil
1 T berbere (mix yourself or purchase)
1 1/2 t tamarind concentrate (probably not necessary)

1 T molasses (sorghum)

1 T paprika
1/2 t salt

Clean and wash the lentils, picking out any pebbles or dirt. Toss the lentils and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Let it simmer until most of the water has boiled off, around 20 minutes.

Add another cup of water, the carrots, and the tomato sauce. Actually, you might as well add everything else at this point as well. I don't really have a recommended berbere recipe, but it's a crucial part of the dish. If you don't have a mix or all of the ingredients, add as many of them as you can! Cook for another 20 minutes or so until the water's gone and the lentils and carrots are well cooked. If the lentils are burnt and sticking to the pan, you've gone too far.

Minty Kale

We picked up some local Red Russian Kale at the co-op! I also picked some mint that was invading our garden. Soon, I can pick up invading dill weed from around the garden too!

olive oil
1 onion
~4 cloves of garlic (chopped)

1 bunch/4 cups of chopped Red Russian Kale (other varieties , collards, or spinach would work as well)
1 T mint
1 1/2 t dill
1 1/2 t lemon juice

Sautee the onions for a few minutes until they are translucent. Add the garlic. Let them sautee for a few more minutes. Add the kale. Let it cook until it shrinks down to a manageable level. Add the mint, dill, and lemon juice. Cook it for a few minutes, then put it on low while the rest of the food is cooking.

Celery Remoulade

Follow this recipe: http://veganyumyum.com/2007/11/celery-remoulade/


I went a little wild style with the food processor, so it was more of a mash than a slaw, but it was still delicious.

I really enjoyed this veggie and I hope you do too! Next up is rutabega, so please post your favorite rutabega recipe.

Quinoa

I kept the quinoa basic and let the other dishes shine.

3 c water
1 1/2 c quinoa

Let the water boil (in a pot). Slam the quinoa in the pot and let it cook until it has absorbed the water. Fluff it with a fork occassionally for best results.

We also topped it off with a nice piece of focaccia bread from Basil's Harvest.