Though I’m an omnivore, I eat vegetarian (or even vegan) most of the time, so that I can afford to buy the most sustainable, delicious, pasture raised meat and poultry from local family farms. For protein, I rely on legumes and eggs.

I’m going to share one of my favorite dishes, mujaddara, with you. This popular Middle Eastern dish basically consists of three ingredients that you can find anywhere (lentils, rice, and onions).

It’s simple, quick, healthy, super green, tasty, versatile and here’s maybe the best thing about it: It’s really, really cheap. I priced it out once and the tab came to 40 cents a serving. I like to serve this as a one-dish meal with sautéed greens on the side.

This recipe will make 4 to 6 servings. Leftovers formed into rough cakes and fried with an egg are very enjoyable. Enhance with chopped parsley or cilantro and your favorite hot sauce or harissa, if you like.

There are many versions of this dish, with the rice and lentils cooked in varying proportions. For best flavor, make sure you salt a little at different stages. Here’s how I make it.

Mujaddara

2 large yellow onions, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup regular brown lentils
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
Salt

Dice one-half of one of the onions and slice the remaining onions very thinly.

In a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid, over medium high heat, warm one tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Stir while cooking until it begins to brown. Add the lentils and rice, along with 3 cups of water and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are brown and very caramelized. You truly want them on the verge of burnt. This is what gives the dish flavor. This will take about the same amount of time as the lentils and rice take to cook.

When the rice and lentils are tender, turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to steam. Serve with the caramelized onions on top and a dollop of yogurt if you like.

Buy organic whenever possible!

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

It’s soup weather again. High protein, tasty lentils make an eco-friendly and satisfying meatless meal. Plenty of vegetables make this soup balanced. And lentils don’t take long to cook, so this can even work as a weeknight dinner. The lemon and spinach give this soup a bit of a Mediterranean flair. If you like, it’s nice garnished with a sprinkle of feta or other Greek cheese.

This recipe makes a pretty large batch of soup so you can take the leftovers to work the following day. If you like the lentils to remain intact without breaking down, use French green lentils. If you don’t mind a less defined lentil, brown lentils are more common and more economical. Both make a great soup.

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

Serves 6

8 cups water, chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups green or brown lentils, picked through and rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 pinch dried oregano
1 bunch spinach, washed and stemmed
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the water or broth and lentils in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until mostly tender, but still whole, about 20 minutes. Salt to taste.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until warm. Add the onion, celery, carrot and pepper, along with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one to two minutes. Add the herbs and some freshly ground pepper and stir. Remove from heat, and add to the soup pot with the lentils and broth. Bring to a simmer and add the spinach. Simmer for 15 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Use organic ingredients and organic and local vegetables whenever possible.

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Image: Maggie Hoffman

It’s already blustery and rainy in Northern California so it’s time to break out the cold weather recipes. Here’s a healthy, easy, customizable vegetarian or vegan minestrone that allows you to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Beans make it a stick-to-your-ribs and healthy winter meal.

The beans can cook unattended, leaving you free for other tasks. You can cook the beans ahead and refrigerate them in their cooking liquid for up to 4 days. The soup can be finished quickly and easily on the day you plan to serve it. You can also make extra beans. (Cook a whole pound!) and use them throughout the week in salads and other dishes. To assure the “freshest” dry beans buy them from a farmer at your farmers’ market or from the bulk bins in a busy grocery store.

Serves 4

For the Beans:
1 cup dried Cannellini Beans, soaked overnight or for several hours (time allowing)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped (optional)
Salt

Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion, garlic, and celery (if using). Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the beans of their soaking water and add them to the pot. Cover the beans with cold, filtered water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover partially and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, from 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cooking time can vary wildly depending on the age of the beans.

Add salt to taste when the beans are nearly soft.

For the Soup:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 to 6 cups bean broth, vegetable broth, water or combination
1 bay leaf
2 to 3 cups diced or chopped vegetables (can include carrots, fennel, green beans, zucchini, greens like kale or spinach, potatoes, etc.)
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Parsley pesto for serving (recipe below)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the previously cooked beans, reserving the broth. Measure the bean broth and add water or vegetable broth to come up to 4 to 6 cups total (depending on how many cups of vegetables you are adding and how thick you like your soup). You can always start with 4 cups of liquid and add more if you like. Add the liquid to the pot with the cooked vegetables and then add the bay leaf and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower to a steady simmer.

Add the cut up vegetables, starting with the firmest ones first like carrots, potatoes, and fennel. Cook these until nearly soft, then add green beans, zucchini or other medium-firm vegetables. When those are nearly soft add the greens and tomatoes, or other short-cooking vegetables, along with the reserved beans. Cook until all the vegetables are tender and the flavors are blended, adding more liquid if you want, for a total cooking time of around 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pounded parsley pesto. You’ll need a mortar and pestle, or if you prefer, you may use a food processor.

1 garlic clove
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
Olive oil to taste

Put the garlic clove in the mortar and add a pinch of salt. Pound it to a smooth paste and add the parsley little by little, pounding it down until it is finely chopped. Add the olive oil to your desired consistency. Alternatively, grind the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and add the salt and parsley. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl with a spatula. Drizzle in the olive oil while running until you have a smooth paste.

Check the soup for seasoning and serve in warmed bowls topped with a drizzle of parsley pesto and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if desired)

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Buy local and organic ingredients whenever possible.

Image: foodistablog