Smokey Black Bean and Lentil Soup

Here is the link to the original recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes (I used 16 oz of home canned tomatoes)
• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 4 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, divided (I used homemade veggie)
• 3 cups water
• 1 (14 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (I  didn't use this)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan set over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Add garlic, smoked paprika and bay leaves and saute for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, lentils, 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth and 3 cups water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer half of the lentil mixture, half of the black beans and 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined, but not pureed. It should be a chunky texture.
5. Pour the blender mixture back into the lentils in the saucepan, along with the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth and remaining black beans. Stir and reheat over medium heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Vegan Gingerbread

Ninja Ginga' Bread from The Urban Vegan 1/4 cup coconut oil (I used canola) 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup dark corn syrup 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp rum extract (optional) - I used Captain Morgan spiced rum Few drops orange oil (I used some orange zest) 1 1/2 cups spelt flour (I used All-Purpose flour) 1/4 cup teff flour (I used AP flour) 2 heaping tablespoons soy flour (I used AP flour) 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder (Hershey's brand not processed with nuts) 2 tsp espresso powder (did not add to Melissa's) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon powdered ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp salt Confectioners' sugar for dusting. 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan. 2. In a large bowl, with electric mixer, cream together oil, applesauce, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, vinegar, extracts, and orange oil until smooth. (Depending on the temperature, the coconut oil may not totally dissolve. This is normal.) 3. In another large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, about a cup at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 4. When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Polenta

6 cups water 3 T. oil (I used olive oil) 1 1/5 tsp salt (can use less) 2 cups polenta (use Bob's red mill) 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Simmer together for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick. Pour into oiled 9x13 pan. Cut into squares after it cools. (If you serve immediately, you might not need to cook to thicken so long - just make sure the grains are soft.)

Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad

From Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi
 Serves 4
2 lbs carrots
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium green chiles, finely chopped (I used one jalapeno with the seeds)
1 scallion, finely chopped
1/8 tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T chopped preserved lemon (I used zest of 1 lemon)
Salt (important to use some salt)
2 ½ cups cilantro leaves, chopped (I used about 1/4 cup cilantro leaves)
½ cup Greek yogurt, chilled (I left this out too)

Peel the carrots and cut them, depending on their size, into cylinders or semicircles ½ inch thick; all the pieces should end up roughly the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender but still crunchy. (Takes less than 10 minutes to get soft, I’ve noticed!) Drain in a colander and leave to dry out. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion for 12 minutes on a medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Add the cooked carrots to the onion, followed by all the remaining ingredients, apart from the cilantro and yogurt. Remove from the heat. Season liberally with salt, stir well and leave to cool. Before serving, stir in the cilantro, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of oil and garnished with extra cilantro. Can be served warm or cold.