Many families enjoy eating stew on a cool afternoon or evening. This pottage has a hint of Thai (due to the turmeri) along with the lentils, which some nutritionists refer to as a nutrient-rich powerhouse. Lentils have the third-highest level of protein by weight of any legume or nut—about 30 percent of lentil calories come from protein. I sometimes like to use sprouted lentils when I can find them.

  • 1 cup lentils, picked over, washed, rinsed, and drained (if you have thought ahead, soak them overnight in water, then rinse again and drain before cooking)
  • ¼ cup mixed brown, red or wild rice, and Quinoa 
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp chicken-like seasoning
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, washed and sliced thin
  • 1 cup celery, sliced thin
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Himalayan salt
  • ½ - 1 tsp turmeric, as desired *
  • ½ tsp ground celery seeds
  • ¼ tsp ground pepper
  • ½ - 1 tsp of your favorite seasoning (see below), if desired.

NOTE:  You can add your favorite seasonings to obtain an ethnic flavor. For example, leave out the turmeric and use cumin and capsicum for a Mexican flavor, or your preferred curry powder for an Indian flavor.  Experiment.

Preparation

Place 4 cups of water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add lentils, rice, carrot, celery, and all seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium. Keep mixture bubbling a little.

Spray a frying pan with coconut oil and place over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are soft and light brown, stirring periodically.  Add to lentils. 

Cook pottage until lentils are soft. May add more water, ¼ cup at a time, if needed, but you want most of the liquid in the stew to come from the non-dairy milk.

When lentils are cooked, add 4 cups coconut milk. Heat until almost to the boiling point, stirring periodically.

Serving

When pottage has reached desired temperature, ladle into individual bowls.

May place a few cubes of toasted sourdough bread in each bowl and ladle pottage over the cubes, if desired. Or serve with a green side salad (or cooked artichokes) and cornbread.

Freezes well, if there are any leftovers.

*  Turmeric is made from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and is a spice often used in Asian dishes. Benjamin V. Treadwell, PhD, points out that cultures consuming the largest amounts of turmeric tend to have relatively low incidences of Alzheimer’s disease. The rate in India, for example, is less than one-quarter the Alzheimer’s rate in the United Stated. Whether turmeric is causative or correlative is not yet known, although research continues. Turmeric’s distinctive dark yellow color is due to curcuminoids, a group of phenolic compounds. Studies in test tubes have shown that curcumin inhibited the formation of amyloid-bets oligomers and fibrils, so there is some hope that it may help prevent, postpone, or treat Alzheimer’s in adults.

References (Accessed Feb ’15)

Treadwell, Benjamin V., PhD. “Turmeric: a spice with health potential.” Juvenon Health Journal Excerpts, Volume One, 2006-2007.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-662-TURMERIC.aspx?activeIngredientId=662&activeIngredientName=TURMERIC