mediterranean lentils and rice!

my step-sister has been on a quest to recreate a mediterranean lentils recipe from an old restaurant. i have no idea if this is anywhere close to what she is looking for, but i googled 'mediterranean lentils,' and this is one of the few things that came up that looked healthy and that wasn't a soup - so this is for her. i really liked it - the next time i make it i would include even more raisins than 1/3 cup. this suggestion would only work if one likes raisins. if not, you'll probably want to go for something else....

one thing that's a big bonus about this recipe is that its CHEAP! one onion? that's nothing. and everyone should already have cumin and cinnamon hiding in their cabinets already.

and lentils are, like, a dolla. that's it. and so is the rice you'll be cooking on the back burner. if you can't spring for fancy veggie broth, boil water and add a broth cube to mix to the lentils. speaking of which, here is the soupy mess before half an hour of simmering...

and after. its true that you have half an hour to do nothing but occasionally stir lentils. what to do with the time? might i suggest motown dance party. you could start with 'money: that's what i want' and sing ironically to the lyrics: "the best things in life are free, but you can give them to the birds and bees. i need money. (that's what i want.)"

then you add fun things tomatoes and raisins...

and let the whole thing blend...

and serve over rice. nice.

orange-glazed tempeh and citrus collards!

the menu for dinner last night was orange-glazed tempeh and citrus collards with raisins redux with quinoa on the side.

i'm a big fan of tempeh, and found this recipe on the lovely (1o1 cookbooks website). if you know the website, you'll know that the title doesn't lie - it features recipes from different cookbooks. so, i think its fair to also direct you to the originator of this amazing recipe: (jude blereau's 'come home to eat: whole food for the family').

and the collards are from 'vegan soul kitchen,' by chef bryant terry.

the quinoa was from a box that i cooked with veggie broth :)

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what attracted me to tempeh recipe was the fresh OJ. i really don't think you can ever go wrong with it:

mix it with lovely things like ginger, mirin, garlic, and maple syrup, and *presto* you've got the basis for sauce!

which you will eventually use for your tempeh, pictured here. i should probably mention that, when cooking, it is always useful to make a shopping list. like i did. because then you avoid forgetting things. but sometimes, you go to the store and they don't have things, like ginger and tempeh (yes, is the second time the store didn't have ginger. there is a conspiracy at work). and then you forget this, so you run to the health store and beg for ginger as you are starting to cook. and then ten minutes later your curse yourself when you realize you must go back because you...you. forgot. the. tempeh.

then comes the warming of the oil and the frying of the tempeh. side one:

side two. for the record, turning little bits of frying tempeh is messy:

here comes the orange sauce, which then reduces for ten minutes:

and, while all this frying business has been going on, there's also been collard prep happening:

the collards cook for around 8 minutes:

and then suspend cooking in an ice water bath. mine looks like a swamp:

then, due to the wonders of cooking, you cook them again. saute them with raisins and garlic and a finishing touch of fresh orange juice (you see a trend here).

and, plate the whole thing with quinoa, which has also been quietly cooking in the background this whole time, because i am awesome.

the verdict.

this tempeh was one of the best things i've ever eaten. it tasted exactly like orange chicken. or, i guess orange chicken really owes itself to fresh orange juice and the fact that it is fried. but, even though this is a bit 'fried,' its still a lot better for you than orange chicken. if you want a tempeh treat, this is it. i surprised myself. absolutely delicious.

and even though my favorite collards are the cider vinegar infused things that stink up your kitchen, these were a nice, supportive side. score!