Sticky Toffee Pudding Cheesecake

I briefly mentionined this cheesecake a while ago, and now am finally posting it! I made it for Christmas dinner's dessert and everyone, including myself, loved it. (And so you can see why it all looks a mess as I was more concerned with just serving it to everyone versus it being beautiful. Though it is still beautiful to me.)

There's a graham cracker crust which goes up the sides of the cheesecake, a layer of cheesecake, a layer of toffee sauce, a layer of sticky toffee pudding cake, topped by another layer of toffee sauce, broiled and THEN topped with more toffee sauce. Delicious delicious. It's a great special event dessert and though it takes a bit of time to make, it's not difficult.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cheesecake Pops
Lemon Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cheesecake
Slightly adapted from Willow Bird Baking who used Food Network’s pudding recipe

Makes 12 servings

Cheesecake
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Sticky Toffee Pudding
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar

Make the cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9" springform pan. In a bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and butter, making sure to moisten all the crumbs. Using a flat-sided glass, press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of your cheesecake pan. The crumbs should come up the side of the pan 2.5 inches. Bake the crust for 6 minutes and let it cool as you make your cheesecake filling.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. Beat in the flour. Beat in the vanilla until well incorporated. (Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.) Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition. Pour the filling into your crust.

Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked around the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken (about 40 minutes). Check while baking periodically and put a pie shield (or strips of foil) around the top of your pan to protect the crust edges if they’re getting too dark. (If you do this, make sure the shield/foil doesn't touch the cheesecake.) Let cheesecake cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours, then put in the fridge to chill overnight or for 8 hours.

Make Sticky Toffee Pudding: In the meantime, grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Place a parchment paper round in it to line the bottom.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. In a separate small bowl, mix the dates, boiling water, and baking soda. Set this aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add in the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Gently fold in the date mixture with a spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the pudding is set up and firm, about 35 minutes (jiggle the pan and watch the middle). Let the pudding cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before inverting it onto a parchment paper lined plate. If you are going to assemble the cake right away, after cooling put the cake in the freezer to firm up, otherwise put it in the fridge overnight (covered with plastic wrap).

Make the Toffee Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Turn the heat down to medium low, and boil gently for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened.

Assemble the cake: Preheat the broiler. Spoon about 1/3 cup of toffee sauce onto the surface of your cheesecake to serve as a “glue” and gently place your sticky toffee pudding layer on top, pressing to adhere. Top this layer with about 1/3 cup of the toffee sauce and spread this around evenly on top. Place the cake under the broiler until the topping is bubbly, about 1 minute (keep a close watch and rotate for even bubbling if necessary). Carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve slices with extra toffee sauce, and whipped cream or ice cream (if desired).

Patrick's Salad

I know this salad totally doesn't look like much, and you can't even really tell what's in there (romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, snow peas, toasted almonds) but it's SO good. The first time my mom made it I didn't like it that much but now it's my favourite salad and she makes it all the time. The dressing has olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, parsley, onion and sugar. There's more oil in there (1/2 cup) than I'd usually have in a dressing but it's just so good that I don't want to try and change it.

When recipes say to toast nuts, I often don't do it. But for this salad, I think the toasted nuts make it extra delicious so don't skip that step!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Weekend Glow Kale Salad
Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Potato Salad Nicoise
Wheat Berry Salad with Zucchini and Mozzarella

Patrick's Salad
Adapted from The Rest of the Best and More, Volume 2 (The Best of Bridge)

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
Juice of half a small lime
2 tsp soy sauce
1 large garlic clove
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp minced red onion
3 1/2 tbsp sugar

Salad
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 package snow peas, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and well mixed.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing before serving.

Turkish Carrots and Lentils

Look at my beautiful Staub! We received this as a wedding gift and I was so happy and it was so precious to me that it took me forever to use it.

I like the idea of this dish because it has 1 lb of carrots and carrots don't get the spotlight too often (and I love them). I also love that it's lentil based, as lentils are much better than beans (to me anyway).

And while I did enjoy this dish, I also admit that it lacked some flavour. A bit of spices could really help here. Maybe some smoked paprika and thyme? (I have no idea if that would taste good I was just googling Turkish spices and those 2 sounded good to me! I also have some sumac from my visit to Turkey last year and have yet to use it.)

I'm off to Trader Joe's today!!!! So excited.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Lemon Curried Lentils and Potatoes
Dal Makhni
Spice Market Sweet Potato and Lentil Packets
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Turkish Carrots and Lentils
Adapted from Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 lb carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked dried green lentils
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato paste and chili pepper flakes, stir for 30 seconds. Add the carrots and 1/4 tsp salt and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a separate large pot, bring 3 cups water and the lentils to a boil. Cover, reduced heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium-high, and stir in onion/carrot mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp salt and ground black pepper.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

I had some leftover buttermilk - though now I have no idea what it was for, maybe the pralines I made my mom - and we were going away for a few days so I went to search for a quick and easy buttermilk recipe. I love biscuits and love when I can make biscuits and don't have to roll out any dough!

These are super quick to put together as you just whisk the dry, whisk the wet, stir together and drop onto a cookie sheet. I went with all whole wheat flour and was a bit scared as to whether they'd be too dry but they turned out really well and E was in love with them.

I forgot to say thanks to the people who shared some of their things they were grateful/happy about last week - it made me happy to read!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Squirrelly Scones
Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones
Three Seed Biscuits
Baking Powder Biscuits

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Adapted from Pink Parsley who adapted from Cook's Illustrated

makes 9-10 biscuits

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup cold buttermilk
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 475F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and buttermilk, stirring until small clumps are formed.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a rubber spatula to stir, until they are just incorporated, and the batter starts to pull away from the sides.

Use a large cookie scoop (or a greased 1/4-cup measuring cup) to scoop out the dough and drop on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart. Each biscuit should be about 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch high.

Bake until the tops are crisp and golden-brown, 12-14 minutes.

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu

I was hoping to get all our meals cooked for the week today, and bake some cookies to use up the vegan shortening in my fridge. But then I sliced my thumb this morning while chopping onions and didn't have any bandaids. After the sliced thumb I decided to just stick to the essentials, cooking for the week. Not baking gave me time to watch Grey's Anatomy and read, so it all worked out in the end!

I didn't make this tofu today but it was one of the delicious things I've made recently. It's kind of similar to Matthew's Delicious Tofu (one of my favourite tofu recipes) but a little different as it has lime juice and mint. Basically pan fried tofu with a sweet-sour-spicy-salty-sticky sauce. I imagine it would be good with tempeh too, if you're not scared of it like I am.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Tofu and Broccolini in Peanut Sauce
Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry
Sweet and Spicy Cashew Tofu
Lemon Miso Tofu and Eggplant

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Serves 4 (with vegetables and a grain)

1 package of extra firm tofu
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 3/4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 zest of a lime
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/4 tsp salt
4 mint leaves, chiffonade

Prepare the sauce by whisking together all ingredients except the tofu.

Drain the tofu and cut it into small triangles. Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Spread the tofu out into a single layer, and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the prepared sauce and stir to coat the tofu. The sauce should be bubbling. Turn off the heat, and serve.

Bread Stuffing Casserole

Stuffing is one of my favourite things, so it's silly that I only eat it at Christmas and Thanksgiving. I've decided to change that so I recently tried out these 2 recipes.

(Geez what a difference night time and day time photos make!!)

This "bread stuffing casserole" was amaaaazing. It's my perfect stuffing. I love the flavours, love the herbs, it's moist but not too wet. It has parsley, marjoram, sage, thyme, rosemary and black pepper. That perfect combination of herbs is mixed together with delicious onions, walnuts, mushrooms, celery and cranberries. And bread of course. SO good.

This stuffing from ExtraVeganZa has red onion, celery, savory, mushrooms, olives, soy sauce, walnuts and kabocha squash. It was good and I'd eat it again but I didn't love it like I loved the other stuffing. Maybe the herbs weren't quite right and I think I just prefer the traditional stuffing ingredients, as much as I love kabocha squash and olives.

Here's Abby while I'm cleaning out our pantry. (Photos to come soon!) This is the container I kept sugar in and was cleaning out to use for other things (do not need that much white sugar in my house). Anytime I'd empty a container on the floor she'd be in it immediately. She is the owner of all boxes and bags.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Vegan Pot Roast and Gravy
Autumn Panzanella
Red and White Cauliflower Bake
Chuck's Favourite Mac and Cheese

Bread Stuffing Casserole
Adapted from Vegan Vittles

Serves 4

4 cups whole grain bread cubes (I used 5 pieces of whole wheat bread)
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup boiling vegetable broth
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the parsley, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss to evenly distribute. Add the walnuts, onions, mushrooms, celery, and dried cranberries, and toss well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the vegetable broth, soy sauce and olive oil. Pour this mixture over the bread cubes and toss thoroughly to mix. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish, cover and bake for 35-45 minutes. (I baked mine for 45 but just watch yours and if it seems like it's getting too dry you can take it out earlier.)

Pasta with Broccoli, Pecans, Lemon and Feta

Excuse the terribly lit photo, and see it's tasty potential. This is a pasta dish I discovered a long time ago and have been making ever since. And I don't re-make a ton of recipes. I just love the combination of lemon, toasted pecans and feta. Add in the broccoli, leeks, and pasta and it's one of my favourite meals.

I'm trying to infuse more positivity into my life, so throughout the day I add to a note file on my phone things that make me happy or that I'm grateful for. I've tried the thing of writing down 5 things at the end of the day, but so far I like doing it all throughout the day because it keeps me constantly searching for something positive instead of dwelling on negative things.

Some things on my list so far are seeing farm animals during the day, snow capped mountains, non squeaking windshield wipers, Abby's (my cat) floppy sleepy body, having a husband who's willing to eat anything I make, and getting home when it's still sunny out. What are some good things in your day so far?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce on Penne
Quick Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Pasta with French Lentils and Kale
Red and White Tortellini

Pasta with Broccoli, Pecans, Lemon and Feta
Adapted from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet

Note: I edited the olive oil. The original recipe has 1/4 cup, but I usually use less like 2 tbsp.

Serves 4 to 5

1 bunch broccoli, stems and crown, cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 lb whole wheat pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced crosswise and washed well
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the leek until translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the broccoli and red pepper flakes and heat through.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon rind, juice and pecans. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sauce and feta to the hot pasta and cooking water, toss to coat well.

Hummus, Smoothie and Soup

Here are some reviews of a few things I've made recently...

Jalapeno Cheddar Hummus from Eat, Live, Run
This hummus was okay but I was disappointed that I didn't taste the cheddar or jalapeno enough. The original recipe uses 1 jalapeno pepper, and I used 1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapeno so next time I'd use 3/4 to 1 cup and maybe add some of the liquid from the jar. I also used 2 tbsp olive oil and twice as much cheese (pureeing half into the hummus and stirring in the other half grated). I would recommend omitting the cumin because it overpowers the jalapeno and cheddar. (By the way I'm insanely addicted to pickled jalapenos right now.)

Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie from Oh She Glows
I followed the recipe exactly and it was yummy! I'd definitely recommend making it.

African Yam Stew from Vegan Yum Yum
I thought it was a brilliant idea to double the amount of spices - it was not. It was way too strong. So I can't really say how good this soup is or isn't. I liked the mix of vegetables though - onion, sweet potato, kale, carrots, and tomatoes. There are also raisins and peanut butter in there!

Latin Shredded Seitan

E really liked this seitan dish, which is saying a lot because he's not a huge fan of meat substitutes (though lucky for me he will eat them happily enough). I liked it too, but not as much as him. It's a great way to flavour up some seitan - with garlic, onion, bell pepper, cumin, wine and tomatoes.

If you have Viva Vegan!, please comment and let me know which dishes from it you loved or didn't like. I've only made a few things from it (like these empanadas) but want to make more.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Shredded Seitan and Mushroom Empanadas with Raisins and Olives
Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan
Baked Seitan
Seitan Black Bean Corn Burgers

Latin Shredded Seitan
Adapted from Viva Vegan!

Serves 4 (with rice and another vegetable)

1/2 recipe (two loaves) Steamed Red Seitan
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup red wine
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground blac pepper

Slice the seitan as thinly as you can, then stack a few slices together at a time and chop the seitan into thin slivers.

In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Cook until the garlic sizzles, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally, and cooking until the onion is soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin, cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and tomato. Stir in the seitan, coating the seitan with the sauce. Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes. The seitan should look juicy, so if starts to look dry, add more wine or tomato. Season with salt and pepper.

Buddha's Delight with Tofu, Broccoli and Water Chestnuts

Okay it was weird to not share any recipes with you guys! So maybe I should just post a roundup of meals every week and highlight my favourite recipe or something. This was my favourite of the bunch (served in my favourite bowl which I rarely ever use because it is easily damaged by metal utensils).

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Soy-Mirin Tofu with Snow Peas and Peanut Sauce
Maple-Miso Glazed Tofu with Broccoli and Butternut Squash
Tamarind Tofu Cabbage Bowl
Asparagus and Chickpea Stir-Fry with Hoisin Sauce

Buddha's Delight with Tofu, Broccoli and Water Chestnuts
Adapted from Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian

Serves 4

3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg extra firm tofu, 1" cubes
5 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped (florets and stems)
1 1/2 cups carrot, 1/4" diagonally sliced
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 cups green onions, sliced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups snow peas, trimmed
14 oz can whole baby corn, drained
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup brown rice, cooked (about 2 cups cooked)
1/2 cup cashews

1. In a shallow dish, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sugar. Toss the tofu in and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. When ready to use, drain the tofu and reserve the marinade.

2. Heat canola oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add tofu and stir fry for 5 minutes, until lightly browned on all sides. Add in green onions, ginger and garlic - stir fry for 30 seconds. Add in broccoli and carrots - stir fry for 1 minute. Add in snow peas, corn and water chestnuts - stir fry for 1 minute. Whisk together broth and cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture and reserved marinade to the wok; bring to a boil. Cook 2 1/2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve over rice with cashews.

Lasagna, Soups, Curry and Stir Fry

I love blogging and being part of the food blog world, but it can be really time consuming (as we all know). With my long commute (90 km one way) and my commitment to doing a beginning runner's program 4 days a week, I just don't want to spend my free time on the weekend stressing out about blog related things.

But I do still want to post about the things I've made. I'm just going to keep it simpler, and not post recipes. This will also help get through my huge backlog! Alright, so here we go!

Gluten Free Vegan Lasagna - which is originally from Appetite for Reduction. The photos posted by clean green simple made me want to make it asap! I really enjoyed it and plan to try out the original version as well with lasagna noodles. It has cauliflower ricotta, mushrooms, olives, spinach, tomato sauce, and zucchini/eggplant "noodles". I highly recommend checking out her photos - she took a picture at each layering step.

In a Hurry Curry from The Two-Week Wellness Solution. This dish is insanely easy to make, tasty, filling and has both a lot of vegetables and a good variety of them. Tomatoes, broccoli (or cauliflower), spinach and chickpeas in a simple coconut curry broth. I've made this many times. Such a great weeknight meal. Though I'm starting to get sick of my curry powder so was thinking about trying this dish out with Thai curry paste instead.

Sweet Pepper Coconut Corn Chowder from ExtraVeganZa. I love this cookbook and enjoyed this soup. But then anything with coconut milk is automatically delicious to me. Usually I don't like brothy soups - I prefer them thicker and pureed. But this one was nice with leek, carrots, jalapeno, chickpeas, bell peppers and corn. E didn't like the whole chickpeas.

Black Bean Soup with Jalapeno-Lime Creme from The Real Food Daily Cookbook. The soup itself was okay though I wouldn't make it again. The jalapeno-lime creme was SO good! Creamy spicy limey yum. Does anyone else have this cookbook? I haven't made a ton from it so would love any suggestions for what things I should try.

Buddha's Delight with Tofu, Broccoli and Water Chestnuts from Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian. When I was flipping through this cookbook, this dish caught my eye but it seemed too simple to be good. We decided to make it anyway and both really enjoyed it. I love the mix of vegetables - broccoli, carrot, green onions, snow peas, whole baby corn (!!! favourite), and water chestnuts (!!! other favourite). There was also cashews (love cashews in Asian dishes) and tofu. And there actually was a flavour. Would defintely make this again.

Lemon Curried Lentils and Potatoes

I often overlook recipes with potatoes, but I'm really happy this one caught my eye. Potatoes are combined with lentils and onions that are sauteed with garlic, ginger and spices. Then it's all mixed together with some soy sauce and lemon. So yummy and a new favourite way to eat lentils.

I also recently tried a sort of similar dish from Eats Well With Others - lentil, potato and pumpkin curry. This one has a can of tomatoes, pumpkin puree and a bit of a different spice mix.

So in my mind I was comparing these two dishes that both have potatoes, lentils and curry. I much preferred the lemon curried lentils and potatoes to the lentil, potato and pumpkin curry. This is likely at least partly due to the fact that I messed up and added twice as much of some of the spices in the pumpkin curry (like the coriander and cumin). But I liked how the lemon curried dish was more dry and a bit sour from the lemon. The pumpkin curry was very saucy and almost soupy. I'd suggest not adding the 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth.

PS - Today is my 6 year dating anniversary with E! (Yes I want to celebrate both our wedding anniversary and dating anniversary. Nothing wrong with using them both as excuses to do something special!)

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Dal Makhni
Pasta with French Lentils and Kale
Spice Market Sweet Potato and Lentil Packets
Pumpkin Lentil Curry

Lemon Curried Lentils and Potatoes
Adapted from ExtraVeganZa

Serves 6

I'd suggest serving this with a side of vegetables - maybe some roasted beets and carrots, or some sauteed kale, or a salad.

2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup green, brown or French lentils (I used French)
4 1/2 cups medium potatoes, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Boil water in a medium pot with the salt and lentils. Cover, reduce to simmer and cook the lentils for about 45 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.

While the lentils are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes and boil about 15-20 minutes, or until soft. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

In a frying pan on medium heat, heat the olive oil then saute the onions, garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry, turmeric and black pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine the lentils, potatoes and onion mixture in the large pot. Stir in the soy sauce and lemon, and serve warm.