Happy Sunday, everyone! Welcome to another Eat the Cupboard post, and today we are doing a vegan meal. Once again, it's a quick dish with a spicy kick to it. Because let's face it, nobody wants to slave away in the kitchen for a bland meal.
So invite your friends or family over, because this dish serves four! And with the great texture of lentils and mushrooms, you won't miss out on meat since they are full of plant protein.
Smoking Red Pepper Cups
Makes: 4 Servings Time: 25 minutes Cost per serving: $4.76*
Ingredients:
Two bell peppers
3/4 cup of dried lentils
1 1/2 cups of water
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
Six medium-sized brown mushrooms
1/4 cup red onion
1/3 cup raw walnut pieces
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Side dish:
Two avocados
Seasoning Salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Destem, and core. Place pepper halves on a non-stick baking sheet, and coat the inside and edges of the peppers in olive oil (approx. 1/2 tbsp) using your fingers. Once the oven is ready, bake the peppers for 10 minutes.
While you wait for the peppers to bake, prepare the lentil mix. In a medium-sized pot, cook lentils in water and add apple cider vinegar on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, skim off any foam from the top layer. Bring it down to a simmer.
Before the lentils absorb all the water, add the walnuts to soften them.
Once fully cooked, transfer the lentil and walnut mixture to a bowl.
Using the same pot, on medium heat, add in the remaining olive oil and onions. Cook for one minute, and then add in the mushrooms.
Add the lentil mixture to the pot once the mushrooms have cooked. Mix and combine the mustard, cayenne, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
Plate the pepper halves and fill with the lentil mixture.
Side dish: Half each avocado, mash them up in the shell, and sprinkle on the seasoning salt.
Grab a fork and knife, then dig in!
From the Cupboard: Lentils, olive oil, nutritional yeast, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, apple cider vinegar, and seasoning salt.
From the Fridge: Mustard, onion, raw walnuts, and avocados.
From the store: Bell peppers and mushrooms.
The Beauty of Apple Cider Vinegar: Do you have difficulty digesting beans and legumes, causing you to bloat and become gassy? Well, that's because beans like lentils and chickpeas contain oxalates that act as a protective barrier for the plant to ensure the "predator" doesn't have an opportunity to absorb its nutrients.
Adding a splash of apple cider vinegar when cooking dried beans and legumes helps remove that oxalic barrier to unlock those nutrients to nourish our bodies. Just another great staple to have in the cupboard!
What tricks do you have around the house to make cooking easier? What have you used to help you digest plant protein?
Until next time, stay well!
Chloe
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