iEat Green - Mary Lawrence - 03.15.18

Mary Lawrence - Author of Eat Vegan with Me: Creating Community Through Conversation and Compassionate Cuisine

Author bio: Author Mary F. Lawrence is a vegan chef and wellness educator who works with a variety of clients, including self-described omnivores who enthusiastically proclaim that they never knew vegan food could taste this good! She is a board member of the American Vegan Society and a frequent speaker at conferences and events, including the North American Vegetarian Society s annual Summerfest. Mary holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University, an MA in Communication, and a BA in English. Through cooking classes and engaging conversations, she helps make the vegan transition easy, affordable, and delicious.

Black Lentil Dal with Sag Tofu

1 cups Black lentils, rinsed
½ cup red lentils, rinsed
1-1/2 jalapeno peppers
1 large onion chopped
2 Tbs. plus ¼ cup coconut oil
1 can fire roasted tomatoes with chili peppers, pureed
1 block organic, extra firm tofu
1 t. cayenne peppers
2 t. coriander
1-1/2 t. fenugreek
1 t. Salt, more to taste
4 Tbs. tomato paste
1/3 cup chopped garlic
2” piece of ginger, minced
t. Coriander
1 can coconut milk
1 bag frozen chopped spinach
2 Tbs. cilantro, plus some for garnish

Wash the lentils well, and drain. Soak in 2 cups of water for 1 hour. Drain. Put lentils in a large stock pot with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Skim off the scum and drain again. Put back into stockpot and add 3 cups of water, the jalapeno peppers and half the ginger. Simmer for 45 minutes until soft, stirring constantly, so that the bottom doesn't stick. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy sauté pan, sauté the onions in 1 Tbs. coconut oil until translucent. Push the onions to the rim of the pan and add the other Tbs. of coconut oil, ½ of the minced garlic, and the tofu. Cook until the tofu gets golden brown. Remove the tofu and onions from pan and set aside in a bowl. To the same pan, add the ¼ cup of coconut oil, along with the pureed fire roasted tomatoes and the tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes, browning the tomato paste. Add the cayenne pepper, coriander, fenugreek, and remaining garlic and ginger, continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk. Return the tofu and onions to the pan and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tofu mixture to the pot of lentils, along with the bag of frozen spinach. Stir and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cilantro, and adjust the spices to your taste.