the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 9: curry lentil stew.

so when i started this whole poverty luxe kitchen feature, my intention was to show off new recipes, but as things went on (can you believe were already on post number 9? i cant), i realized that there were quite a few recipes waaaaaaayyyyy back in my archives from back when i was a little tiny baby blogger (and poor food photographer) that deserve to see the light of day (and a flattering portrait). 

first up im bringing back my recipe for curry lentil stew. maybe this seems like an odd choice for memorial day weekend since its basically summer now and all that, but honestly, this recipe is pretty relevant for us where we are right now, seeing as 1. were getting to the time of the year where james is working a lot more (and out of town a lot) so quick, healthy dinners are the main focus of our meal plan, and 2. were about to have a baby so im starting to get really concerned about getting the freezer stocked up so were prepared in case of bedrest or a slow recovery. 

this recipe has pretty much been on our regular dinner rotation since james and i first got married since easy, cheap, and makes a TON of food. i started with a recipe i found in this book (which, by the way, is fabulous and one of only three cook books i own), that i modified over time to include more veggies (cause why not), and changed the proportions a bit to better accommodate cooking in bulk (this recipe freezes/reheats beautifully so its one of the few things that i habitually make in bulk). 

so are you ready to make some lentils? lets go!

curry lentil stew. 

(serves 8+ on its own, even more if you serve it over rice)

heres what you need: 

1 pound of dried lentils (i typically get these in the bulk bins at sprouts or at the dollar store)

7-8 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons curry powder (note: this can be expensive, but i totally wrote a post about how to save money on spices)

4 medium russet potatoes (or two of those insanely huge baking potatoes)

3-4 carrots

3-4 ribs of celery

salt and black pepper to taste

heres what you do: 

in a large pot, combine the lentils, stock and curry powder and bring to a boil. 

once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot and cook the lentils (which should be bubbling gently, NOT a rolling boil) for about 15 minutes. 

while the lentils cook, peel and chop your potatoes, carrots, and celery, into bite-sized pieces and add them to the lentils at the end of the 15 minutes. 

stir the veggies in and continue to cook everything with the pot completely covered and undisturbed for about ten more minutes. 

check your lentils to make sure theres still enough liquid (add more if necessary), and (if needed) add salt and black pepper to taste.

 

cover and continue to cook for about 5-10 more minutes until the veggies are cooked through. 

serve as is, or over steamed rice. 

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 5: chickpea and brown rice soup.

im going to be completely honest here: researching recipes when youre gluten free is total lamesauce. typically youre faced with one of two options: you can either search for specifically gluten free recipes and being assaulted with a barrage of kale and quinoa and "skinny" this and "paleo" that until you silently weep because youre pregnant and have a family to feed and you need recipes for actual food. OR you can browse "normal" recipes for inspiration and try your best to figure out if its even un-glutenable before getting tired and just making something that you already know will work (and be safe to eat). 

this soup though, happens to be my first full-blown success with the latter option. i had originally found this soup on pinterest and thought it looked/sounded fantastic. quick, healthy, filling, and CHEAP, basically everything i look for in a weeknight dinner, with the added bonus of involving garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas). alice LOVES garbanzo beans. it can be really difficult to get her excited over a new dinner, but not quite so much if it has her favorite beans prominently featured in it. 

the only problem with the original recipe was the orzo. orzo is definitely not gluten free. maybe somebody out there makes gluten free orzo but i wasnt really willing to put in the extra effort (and money) to find out when, you know, rice is pretty similar to orzo. and already gluten free. and 99 cents a pound. what could possibly go wrong here? not much, actually. the first time i made the soup i just followed the recipe verbatim, just substituting the rice for the orzo and while it was ok, it wasnt quite right. the rice soaked up WAY too much broth and i found it a little lacking in the flavor department. so i took a few notes and made a few adjustments and the next week: perfection. i think we have a new favorite soup on our hands. 

so are YOU ready to have a new favorite soup? i think so: 

chickpea and brown rice soup. 

(makes approximately 8 servings)

heres what you need: 

1 onion

3-4 cloves of garlic

olive oil

salt, pepper, dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf to taste

3-4 carrots

3-4 ribs celery (i tend to err on the side of more because who doesnt want more veggies?)

1 can of garbanzo beans (or two cups of cooked beans if you make your own)

3/4 cup brown rice

2 quarts vegetable stock + 2 cups of water

1/4 cup lemon juice

heres what you do: 

finely chop the onions and garlic and sauté with olive oil on medium-high heat in a large soup pot. 

when the onions become translucent, season with salt, pepper, and herbs (i dont really measure i just do what smells nice), and continue to cook until the onions start to brown. 

chop the carrots and celery into small pieces and stir them into the onions and garlic, cooking for another minute or two. 

add the garbanzo beans, rice, stock, water, and lemon juice and bring soup to a boil. 

cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until rice is fully cooked (add more water if necessary depending on how much the rice swells). finish off with a little more lemon juice if desired. 

and thats it! now you have a perfect quick and easy soup!

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 3: vegan black bean chili.

jusssstt in case we have any new readers/while were still sort of on the topic of this sort of re-brand happening here i would just like to reiterate: the poverty luxe kitchen is a new recurring segment where i talk about food, recipes, kitchen hacks, etc., and how they relate to the poverty luxe lifestyle. as of right now its still in its baby stages (though you can read vol. 1 and vol. 2 to catch up if you so desire), but im still really, really excited about the direction this is headed in already. 

now without any further ado, lets talk about chili. even though here in los angeles were dusting off the bathing suits and getting ready for spring time, the internet has made me aware that this is very much not the case in the rest of america. so chili seemed like a good topic for this week. 

i like chili. im pretty sure i always have. its spicy, its hearty, its easy, and its total comfort food. the thing is, it usually comes from a can, which can be great for price and convenience, but isnt always so great in terms of nutrition and accommodating my dietary limitations. but it doesnt have to come from a can. you can totally make it yourself and its super awesome and cheap and not even hard. 

this recipe, like the majority of recipes in my mental library, has evolved quite a bit over the past few years since i started making it: first i had a recipe for a blended black bean soup, then i got lazy and stopped blending it, then i started cramming vegetables in it as an attempt to be healthier, and finally, i was like "hey this soup is basically chili" so i added more spices and now its basically always on our meal rotation. 

why? because its delicious, duh. also, its super, super cheap and basically entirely consists of stuff we usually have lying around. also also, this recipe makes a huge ass pot of chili that i can portion and freeze and feed my family a good five or six times before we run out and its time to make it again. also also also, it has the added benefits of not only being gluten/soy free (actually it can be entirely allergen free if you omit the corn), AND vegan. so if youre ever faced with a situation where you have to cook a meal for someone with impossible dietary needs, youre welcome. 

i think ive blabbered on enough, whos ready to make some chili?!

heres what you need: 

(recipe makes 12 + meal sized portions)

1 lb black beans, soaked and cooked (or 4 cans, i wont judge) 

1 can corn (or 1/2 bag of frozen corn, totally optional if you want to make this allergen free)

1 can tomatoes (nope, i dont have an alternative to suggest)

1 bell pepper, any color (also optional)

3-4 carrots

3-4 celery stalks

1 onion

4-5 cloves garlic

1 qt vegetable stock (i make my own)

olive oil

2 tablespoons chili powder (not the hot kind)

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional if youre not into spicy things)

salt + pepper to taste

heres what you do: 

start by finely chopping garlic and onion, and in your biggest pot, sauté those in some olive oil on medium-high heat until they start to soften. 

chop carrots, celery, and bell pepper and add those to the onion/garlic, continue to sauté until things start browning. season with salt and/or pepper as you feel necessary. 

next add your stock, beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices, give everything a good stir and bring it to a boil. 

reduce heat and simmer gently until the carrots are cooked through. 

aaaaannndddd youre done! 

you can eat this immediately, maybe with some cheese on top (in which case it would no longer be vegan, but you know) or some cornbread, put it on baked potatoes, burgers, hot dogs, french fries, anything youd do with chili. and the best part: it freezes beautifully so you can make this once, and keep eating it for a very, very long time. 

hope you enjoy this recipe as much as i have, be sure to stop by and let me know what you think after youve tried it out!