And some more recipes

That's all I have time for this morning...

Channa Dal (courtesy of Yoga Journal)

Makes six 1-cup servings

2 cups channa dal (an Indian bean) or split yellow lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 red chili
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. In 5 cups water bring the channa dal, onion, ginger, and garlic to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.

2. Stir in coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and tomato paste, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Just before the channa dal is done (the dal will be soft but not mushy), heat the oil in a skillet and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and chili pepper. Cook on high heat for a minute or two, until the seeds and chili crackle.

4. Add the seeds and chili to the dal, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice.

Adapted from a recipe by New York City chef Jehangir Mehta.

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STIR-FRIED GREENS (courtesy of Yoga Journal)

Makes about 5 servings

1 tablespoon Asian-style dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive, canola, or other vegetable oil
1 bunch napa cabbage, sliced
1 bunch baby bok choy, sliced
1 bunch watercress, stemmed
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons julienned
fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

1. In a very hot pan or wok, heat the oils.

2. Add the green vegetables and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add garlic and ginger and stir till vegetables are wilted.

4. Drizzle with soy sauce.

Adapted from a recipe by Darryl Fujita, executive chef at the Halekulani resort in Honolulu.

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SB Lentils (sorry, I don't remember where I got this!)

3/4 c. green lentils (the little kind)
3 Tb. olive oil
3 shallots, thinly slices crosswised or a small onion
1 carrot, cut into 1/4 in. dice (If you skip the carrot, it's suitable for all phases of SB.)
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4 in. dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 in. dice
2 tsp. chopped fresh leaf parsley (or cilantro)
2 Tb. balsamic or sherry vinegar
6 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
salt and pepper
4 oz. fresh goat cheese (or feta)

Boil lentils in plenty of water until tender.

Meanwhile, heat 2 Tb. of oil in a frypan over med. heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add other veggies and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, or until they're tender. Transfer to a large bowl, and add remaining Tb of oil, vinegar, and parsley.
Drain lentils, and add to bowl with veggies. Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper/ Crumble goat cheese into bowl and toss gently to combine.

22 MARCH 2007 - UPDATE

Re: SB Lentils - I finally got around to making this (yes, over a year later!) and it was a minor disaster, but tasty. 30 seconds (tops!) after the lentils were still crunchy, they were a pot of porridge. I had intended to make a double-recipe, but only had one can of black beans, which I drained, rinsed, and added to the veggies (fwiw, I used frozen spinach). I got to the last part, adding the goat cheese, and realized that I only had 6 oz. of goat cheese, and that with a double-recipe, it called for 8 oz. I threw the whole thing of cheese in. WOW. WAY TOO CHEESEY.

Next time, I will go with the black beans again - it was actually very tasty - and add a little more vinegar, and then just sprinkle the cheese on top.

Just so ya know.