Vegan MOFO Day 3: what do I do with a sprouted lentil?

One of the foods I have been desperate to reintroduce into my eating repertoire is legumes. I love me a legume. They normally make up a very substantial portion of my protein intake and general deliciousness index. In the summer I throw a half cup onto a pile of fresh produce and call it a meal. In the fall and winter I prefer them cooked into things (like black beans in chili, chickpeas in stew, lentils in soup--you get the picture).

After an unfortunate failure to eat cooked lentils, I decided to give sprouted a try. I'm not normally a sprouter. I have nothing against it -- quite the opposite, in fact -- but I am notoriously lazy and terribly unlikely to plan any meal more than 30 minutes before eating it, so my beans usually come out of (no sodium added) cans. However, a dear friend and whole-foods-partner-in-crime absolutely swears by it. Cooked legumes give her terrible stomach pain, but sprouted they are her very best friends. So, figuring it couldn't hurt, I soaked my lentils overnight then threw them in a colander under a light dish towel and commenced thrice-daily rinsing. 

Much to my delight, in three days my lentils had developed adorable little tails and become crunchy sweet deliciousness. I sample a few on top of some rice noodles and sauteed veggies and they made my tummy very happy. Next I tried sprinkling them over veggie soup along with a generous portion of dulse: more happiness. Now that I knew I could eat them, it was time for something a little fancier.

First up: Roasted Acorn Squash with Garlicky Greens and Sprouted Lentils

This was my friend's creation, and I won't take credit for it, but I will document it. There is no recipe, because that woman doesn't cook from recipes, she cooks from pure instinct.

Ingredients:
1 medium acorn squash
about 3 huge handfuls of baby spinach
fresh garlic and ginger
dulse
sprouted lentils

After slicing the squash in half and cleaning out the seeds, she threw it in the oven to roast at 400 for about thirty minutes (until the whole kitchen smelled like delicious). She then washed the seeds and lightly toasted them in a non-stick pan.

Meanwhile in another pan she sauteed some finely minced ginger and garlic (maybe a tsp of each) until lightly browned, and then threw in the spinach and tossed it around until it was cooked down a bit, soft and bright green. She then seasoned it with the dulse.

When the squash was ready, we stuffed it with the garlicky green and topped each half with a generous handful of sprouted lentils and a little more dulse. The result was a sweet, savory, complex dish that paired beautifully with a light Beaujolais. Delicious!

Next: Lentil and Leftover Toss

Today I revisited my sprouty little friends in the form of what I am calling, for lack of a better term, my Lentil and Leftover Toss. In a frying pan I threw half of last night's dinner, a tupperware container of roasted eggplant, half a cup of sprouted lentils, and a little water. One everything was warm through I tossed on some more dulse (don't you love how that purple colour contrasts with the orange background?) and devoured it enthusiastically. To recreate, here's how I'd go about it.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sprouted lentils
1/4 head of kale, roughly chopped
1/2 head of broccoli, roughly chopped
2 tiny eggplants (or 1 cup) cut into one-inch dice
1/2 cup cooked brown rice (or other grain of choice: quinoa would be great)
1/2 cup of miso gravy (I use the recipe from Refresh, but any favourite recipe would work)
dulse to taste (or salt, if you prefer)

Toss the eggplant with a splash of olive oil and roasted at 350 for about 20-30 minutes, until nicely browned all over and tender inside. Meanwhile, steam the kale and broccoli just until cooked through (you can tell they're done when they turn bright green, but the fork test also works). Throw everything in a pan together and toss it around until it's all warm through. Add water as necessary to deglaze and keep the sauce from drying out.