Tag Archives: Vegetarian

Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burgers

Posted on May 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

Lentil Burger

Indian food rarely lacks for flavor.  Packed with exotic spices and chutneys, the dishes brim with colors and culinary delights.  This dish is no different.  And better yet, this dish won’t send you scurrying to exotic markets or stores; all of the ingredients are staples of most pantries and refrigerators.

A vegetarian and Indian take on the classic American burger, this Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burger packs a healthy punch.  Sandwich it between two toasted buns and adorn with a little mayonnaise, and this vegetarian burger is bound to please.  Serve alongside roasted sweet potato fries or, for the sake of regional consistency, prepare a side of Aloo Gobhi Masala.

A word of warning: this recipe Continue reading →

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Posted in Entrees

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Kasha Varnishkes

Posted on July 10, 2012 | 3 Comments

This is one of those recipes from the old-country, dating back – literally – over a thousand years.  But that doesn’t make it a relic, some phonograph gathering dust in the attic, that’s brought down once a year so that grandchildren can marvel at the sound-machines of yesteryear.  This recipe is nothing more than last year’s iPod, ready to figure into the regular rotation of modern life.

This recipe has all the attributes of a modern meal.  Continue reading →

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Vegetarian Tofu Chili

Posted on December 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

As the Holidays come to an end and the weather turns from cool to downright frigid, a warm bowl of chili becomes all the more inviting.

While I was in Cincinnati, I made a version of that city’s namesake chili.  In that effort, I used ground turkey to thicken the chili and give it that hearty depth.

This year, Caitlin and I have been striving to eat less meat, all Continue reading →

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Posted in Entrees, Soup

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Weeknight Spaghetti with Roasted Butternut Squash

Posted on November 6, 2011 | 3 Comments

This meal answers that important, incessant, weekday question.

After braving our respective routes — Caitlin, the Red Line, I, the Beltway — we arrive home around 7:00 p.m., tired from the day’s activities.  After a quick moment of reprieve, we often head down to the apartment gym to get some much-needed exercise.

Once we’re back upstairs, the question rears its head.  The question that creeps into our minds every night, demanding an immediate answer.  The question is bandied about Continue reading →

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Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Posted on July 10, 2011 | 4 Comments

Veggie burgers have a come a long way.

I can remember going to a BBQ and watching the hamburgers and hot dogs come off the grill.  That moment where the football game ends and the conversations stop, and people line up to grab their meal, before shuffling over to the condiment bar.  And then, like some back-alley, black-market transaction, someone casts their eyes over the party, slips a furtive hand into their purse, and hands the chef a frozen pattie from plastic baggie.  The veggie burger.

But no more.  Continue reading →

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Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

Posted on March 8, 2011 | 7 Comments

Choosing a recipe can sometimes feel like putting together a baseball team.  It is the home chef as general manager.

In each field, the objective is the same — to please the folks at home by offering them a winning dish while remaining within the allotted budget.  The objective is straightforward.  As is the theory behind it:  acquire the best ingredients, assemble, and serve warm.

But this process is never as straight forward as it seems.  Expensive ingredients, like high-priced free agents, may Continue reading →

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Vegetable Fried Rice

Posted on January 9, 2011 | 4 Comments

For the new cooking year, one of my goals is to make more dinners.

I’ve become very comfortable with side dishes, breakfasts, appetizers, and dessert, but sometimes I lack the motivation to make a full-fledged entrée.  When I first started cooking, I didn’t think I’d ever use the word “comfortable”  to describe how I felt in the kitchen.  But now that certain cooking styles and methods Continue reading →

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Grape Leaves

Posted on December 16, 2010 | 3 Comments

There is a certain joy to the art of discovery.

Four years ago, I rarely, if ever cooked.  But then I discovered that it was something I really enjoyed, and that it could bring me pleasure.  I found cooking to be fun and relaxing, irrespective of the process or outcome.

And cooking is only one example.  We all have those moments of individual discovery, of learning of a new love or skill, place or interest.  Scanning the radio and stumbling upon an artist that inspires.  Picking up a paint brush and finding an innate command of the canvas.  Walking along the street and feeling the vivacity and charms of a heretofore undiscovered neighborhood.

Most recently, I discovered books on tape.  I have always enjoyed fiction and reading.  I have pleasant memories of lying awake, in bed, reading – at various times Continue reading →

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Posted in Appetizers, Entrees

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Lentil Tabbouleh

Posted on June 22, 2010 | 2 Comments

The Palouse region along the Idaho-Washington border is lentil country.  In field after field, the tiny, green-coated legume covers the land.

The Palouse region counts roughly 200 miles of land, and is home to over 3,000 family farms.  Between them, these farms account for nearly 90 percent of the lentils grown in this country.  But sadly, few of these lentils ever find their way onto American plates or palates.  Nearly the entire lentil crop is exported – to countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, and India -  countries that appreciate the culinary qualities of the lentil.

And the lentil is worthy of appreciation.  Unlike beans, lentils cook quickly and do not require soaking.  They pair with almost any dish, and Continue reading →

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Posted in Salad, Sides

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Lentil and Penne Soup

Posted on March 1, 2010 | 4 Comments

Some days you feel like a home-cooked meal.  But most often, that time is after a long day at work, when you least feel like spending the remaining hours of the evening waiting in a checkout line.

That was me the other day.

Walking to my car, lips chapped and cheeks red, I just wanted to head home, where I could kick my feet up and turn on the television.  I was in no mood to bundle up, break out a grocery list, and trudge through the aisles.  After all, Jon Stewart and a warm apartment were waiting.

So when I got home, I flipped on the DVR, and checked Continue reading →

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Posted in Entrees, Soup

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