Split Pea and Red Lentil Coconut Soup

In the heart of winter, our dinners are often a soup or stew. I had a bag of split green peas in the cupboard and my internet search for green split pea recipes led me to:

1.) Gluten Free Goddess - Kicked Up Coconut Split Pea Soup
and
2.) 101 cookbooks - Coconut Red Lentil Soup

I also had a new jar of Thai Kitchen's Green Curry Paste that I've been waiting to try out but didn't really know what to do with it. So, in blending the 2 recipes above, I came up with my own delicious lentil-y green curry-y soup. Please excuse the bland photo. It tastes much better than it looks!

Ingredients

• 1 cup green split peas, rinsed
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed until water is clear
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups vegetable broth (or water + salt)
• 1/2 tsp. ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1-2 tsp. Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste
• 1/2-1 can of coconut milk (I used about 1/2 a can, and then used the leftover for a tropical smoothie!)
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)

Directions

1. Place the rinsed split green peas in a large pot of water or vegetable broth (enough to cover the peas) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender.
2. After peas have simmered 30 minutes, add the garlic, red lentils, curry paste, other spices, any remaining broth that wasn't used for simmering the peas, and coconut milk. 
3. Simmer, uncovered, for another 20-30 minutes until desired consistency is reached. I like this better when it's thicker, so I simmer for a little bit longer.
4. I served this over some brown rice and also thought it was good with some fresh lime juice drizzled on top! 

Tempeh Coconut Curry

I think this is best served over some Jasmine Rice! 

Ingredients

• 1 package marinated Tempeh (I like Turtle Island Food, Inc. Marinated Tempeh Strips, flavor: Coconut Curry)

• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or you could also use canola or olive oil)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 head of  Broccoli
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (or about 2 tsp.)
• 1 red bell pepper (or whatever color pepper you prefer)
• 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup green peas (I use frozen ones)
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock/broth
• 1 14-oz. can of Coconut Milk
• 2 Tbsp. Curry powder
• 1-2 tsp. minced ginger, or more if you like
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of cayenne (optional)

Directions

1. If you're serving this over rice, I usually cook that first. -->For Jasmine Rice: Use 1.5 cups of water (or broth) for every 1 cup of dry rice. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside. 
2. In a large saucepan on medium-high heat add 1 Tbsp. of coconut (or other oil), the onion, and garlic. Sauté until the onions are a bit transparent (about 3-5 minutes).
3. Add the curry powder, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne and cook a minute or so more.
4. Slowly add the vegetable broth and coconut milk to the pan. Add the remaining vegetables (broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, green peas, etc.)
5. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
6. In a separate frying pan heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat and fry the tempeh strips until golden.
7. Serve tempeh with the curry coconut milk mixture over rice. Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Lentil Stew (with Quinoa)

All about QUINOA...

From WHFoods.com: "A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients."

A warm and filling dish full of protein!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or canola oil)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger root (or pureed)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz.) of Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes
• 1 extra cup of veggie broth or water
• 1 can (14 oz.) Lite coconut milk 
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. curry powder
• 2 Tbsp. ground coriander
• pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 2 cups red lentils

Rinsing quinoa in fine mesh strainer.

Directions:

1. Soak the quinoa in a bowl with cold water for at least 5-10 minutes. Drain and rinse using a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
2. Bring the 2 cups of veggie broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and cover. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed (approx. 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
3. Melt the 2 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is a bit translucent and has softened a bit (~5 minutes) being careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Stir in the can of tomatoes, the extra 1 cup of veggie broth (or water), and the can of coconut milk.
5. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, curry powder, and ground coriander. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then add in the lentils. Cook just until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir OFTEN so the lentils don't burn to the bottom of the pan.
6. Once the lentils are finished, serve the mixture over quinoa.