No equipment needed recipes: Part 2
Social media and hearty red lentil stew!
Hey foodies, I’m dropping in real quick today with another recipe and post from my No-Equipment-Needed Plant-Based Recipe Series. Part 1 Chickpea Egg Salad Sandwich is here.
This series was inspired by the misconception that plant-based cooking requires expensive equipment and ingredients, and/or extensive culinary know-how. And that’s simply not the case. You can make delicious, easy meals that deliver big on nutrition without dropping a stack of cash or losing an afternoon in the kitchen.
But it begs the question, where does this idea come from? Why is cooking without meat or cheese such a daunting task to some?
I’d argue it’s familiarity. It’s what most of us grew up with and change is challenging. Change asks us to reconsider how we’ve been doing it and demands that we get uncomfortable, at least for a little while.
Embarking on something new can feel like scaling a mountain, like an uphill battle that requires considerable effort and investment. But the metaphorical plant-based mountain is more like a hill, maybe just a speed bump. What you see on social media – the homemade tofu, spouted grains, dehydrated kale chips – is an entirely different journey, one you might explore someday but certainly not necessary for everyday life.
Accidental Doom Scrolling
Which brings me to social media and the good intentions that can go wrong.
The assumption has been that more information, facts, and figures will lead to improved, happier, easier lives. Yet, social media inundates us with options and advice, leaving many of us feeling paralyzed by indecision and comparison. We become complacent and discouraged rather than empowered, and I've noticed this trend accelerating in the plant-based community.
It’s not breaking news that social media can have a negative impact on our psyche, we’re all aware of this by now. But sometimes it’s not the most obvious content that can make us feel, well, bad.
Recently in my own feeds (which I’ve been careful to curate) I’ve seen posts asking me to question whether I’m eating the best antioxidant-packed berry, or if I’m maximizing the cancer fighting compounds in my cruciferous veggies, or if I’m putting the wrong leafy greens in my smoothie. It seems a lot of the plant-forward dialogue is moving away from “every little bit counts” to “if you’re not up on the latest and greatest, you’re doing it wrong'“. If it’s not perfect, it’s not worth doing.
I can’t help but shed light on the not-so-great side of this messaging.
There is a fine line between encouragement/recommendations and alarmism/fear tactics. One is supportive and empowering and the other relies on anxiety or guilt to influence behavior. This is an incredibly complicated topic, one I’m still exploring myself but it’s worth addressing.
This type of communication, even from well-intentioned experts, is designed for algorithms, aiming for clicks and shares. Or at least to grab and retain attention. Yes it’s educational and sometimes inspiring, but it can also be discouraging, like you’re never quite getting it “right”. And if you’re unfazed by any of this, amazing!
Every Little Bit Counts
Let me remind all of us that many studies have proven that small changes like replacing even a single portion of meat with legumes or adding just a half cup of veggies to your dinner plate or walking for even 10 minutes a day can have meaningful and positive impacts.
The only wrong way with anything is if you’re striving for perfection. Because it does not exist. I’ve been around this block too many times.
Yes, there's always room for improvement, but here's the thing: you can have a great diet and lifestyle and still be open to learning and evolving. You can accept and like where you are and be excited about moving forward.
So, if you're on the journey of bettering your diet and taking care of yourself, bravo! Balancing everything in life is tough, and the fact that you're here reading this shows your commitment to yourself. You are doing it!
Plant-based cooking? With the right mindset, it can be life changing!
Can it be hard and complicated and expensive? Sure, but so can any type of cuisine!
This recipe series is all about easy and delicious and celebrating our health one meal at a time.
Magic Lentils
In the name of easy, today we’re focusing on split red lentils; one of my all-time favorite ingredients.
These little red wonders are like the Swiss Army Knife of the legume family. They’re useful, convenient, and versatile making them an essential pantry item, not to mention they’re super good for you!
First convenience. Unlike their other legume counterparts, lentils cook quickly and don’t need to be soaked beforehand. They’re ready in 15 to 20 minutes and don’t require any forethought or planning. Just boil them in water or broth and they’re ready!
Second, versatility. Red lentils have a mild flavor that pairs well with any other ingredient, but the real magic is in their texture. As they cook and soften, they absorb liquid and have a thickening effect making them perfect for stews, soups, and casseroles.
Third, lentils are nutritional blockbusters. They’re high in fiber and protein. Just one cup of cooked red lentils has 15 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein. WOW! Consuming lentils has been associated with benefits for heart health, diabetes, gut health, cancer prevention, blood sugar control, weight loss, and satiety.
Lastly, red lentils are cheap. Where healthy and cheap intersect, count. me. in!
This mushroom stew showcases all the above.
It’s quick and easy and convenient and cheap. I’d add cozy, warming, and flavorful as well.
I hope you love this one as mush as we do!
Stay tuned for Parts 3 and 4!
HEARTY MUSHROOM RED LENTIL STEW
Makes 4 to 6 servings
This is a hearty, flavorful stew that’s warming and super filling. Here we use split red lentils to thicken the stew but they also make this recipe a nutritional powerhouse providing gut-healthy fiber, protein, and iron.
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon ground sage
Pinch red pepper flakes or to your preference
Pinch black pepper or to taste
3 tablespoons (12 g) nutritional yeast
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces (454 g) button mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
2 tablespoons whole wheat or spelt flour (brown rice flour for gluten free)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 medium sweet potato, peel on or off, chopped into ¾ inch (2 cm) cubes
1 cup (190 g) split red lentils
1 (15 ounce/425 g) can tomato sauce or passata
5 cups (1.1 L) low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1 bay leaf
Sea salt to taste
Optional: 2 cups (50 g) baby spinach, chopped kale leaves, or swiss chard leaves
HOW-TO
In a small bowl mix together the spices (thyme through red pepper flakes), black pepper, and nutritional yeast. Set aside.
In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery with ¼ cup (60 ml) of water for 10 minutes. Stirring often and adding water as needed to prevent burning.
Now add the garlic, mushrooms, spice and nutritional yeast mix, and tomato paste. Stir and sauté for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms brown and shrink. Resist adding more than a couple of tablespoons of water here as the mushrooms will release their own juices. Now add the flour and mix to coat all veggies, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Pour in the tamari or soy sauce and vinegar and stir to combine, again scraping any stuck-on bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add the sweet potato, red lentils, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes until the lentils are completely cooked and the stew has thickened. Stir often. If you like a looser stew, you can add more vegetable broth as needed. Remove the bay leaf and stir in your greens of choice and cook for another minute or until wilted.
Turn the heat off and let the stew rest for a few minutes.
Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper if needed. Serve and enjoy!
NOTES
This stew will thicken once cooled. When reheating, feel free to stir in a little extra vegetable broth or water.
Printable Recipe
Notes
Leftovers: You can keep this stew in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers are great paired with warm cooked grains or steamed leafy greens. A crisp green salad would be a nice contrast as well.
Herbs: If you have fresh herbs, by all means use them! Use 2 tablespoons of both fresh thyme and minced fresh rosemary.
Potatoes: You can use white potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. Peel or leave the peel on and dice into ½ inch cubes.
Lentils: Swapping dried green or brown lentils for the red lentils in this stew won’t work. If you don’t have red lentils, you can use already cooked (or canned) brown or green lentils but the stew will be more like a soup.
“Perfect is the enemy of good.”
AMEN and HALLELUJAH for your words. Eating and living a whole food plant based life is to be joyful❣️