Pumpkin-lentil-tomato spaghetti sauce

This is a cheap, delicious recipe that makes enough for at least two family meals, and is substantial enough that one really doesn't miss the meat.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown lentils
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Brown lentils don't really need soaking, but if you want to do something in advance, pour some boiling water over them in a bowl and leave them for a few hours. Drain them and place them in a large pot with 4-5 cups of boiling water and a bay leaf, and simmer until tender, 15 minutes or so. If you haven't soaked them, simply rinse them and boil them a little longer, maybe 25-30 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the pumpkin, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

When the lentils are cooked, drain them, removing the bay leaf. Add them to the sauce and season to taste.

Serve over whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta, with a sprinkling of grated parmesan or Asiago cheese on top if desired.

Crock pot "refried" beans

I know canned refried beans can be bought for fifty cents and taste just fine, but this is even cheaper and it tastes so much better that I am loath to buy the canned ones ever again. And besides, I try to avoid the BPA liners of most canned food.

Exceedingly complex instructions! Throw the following into your slow cooker:

1 onion, chopped medium
2 cups dried pinto beans (no need to soak; just rinse them)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt (start with the smaller measure, then adjust at the end to taste)
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups water

Cook on high all day. It's fine to go out to work for nine hours, it won't boil dry! Next, simply strain the beans, reserving the liquid. Mash the beans with a fork, adding the cooking liquid little by little until you get the consistency you like. Taste and season. This makes loads--enough for several recipes (enchiladas, bean and cheese burritos, plain old beans and rice, etc).

Quinoa tabbouleh

A very long time ago, when I was a student, I dated a boy from Iraq who took me to all sorts of Middle Eastern restaurants. It was there that I developed my lifelong love of tabbouleh. Recently, I had the urge for some, but didn't have any bulghur wheat, which is supposed to be the star ingredient. Happily, I had quinoa, and the results tasted so much better than the bulghur version that I've made it with quinoa ever since. (There are those who say--rightly--that we shouldn't eat so much quinoa, because an unintended consequence of its popularity in the West is that it's now too pricey for many Bolivians to eat. One thing we can do is to seek out American-grown quinoa. Another is to consume the Bolivian-grown stuff in moderation.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa (this doesn't look like a lot, but cooking it makes it expand to four times its size)

1/8 cup lemon juice (you can get this out of lemons, or use one of those lemon-shaped plastic squeezy bottles, I won't tell)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 a teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1 green onion, sliced very thinly (substitute a handful of chives if you don't like green onions)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped very finely (using a pair of scissors can speed this up)

1 English cucumber, peeled and cut in half lengthwise with the seed scooped out, cut into small cubes

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

Boil the quinoa in a large pot of boiling water over high heat for 15 minutes, or until the grains have gone translucent around the edges. Drain and allow to cool.

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Mix the cooled quinoa with the green onions, parsley, cucumber and tomatoes in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for two hours, then serve.

Serves 2-3 as a main course, 4 as a side dish.

Optional extras: you can put pretty much any raw vegetable you like into this. Finely chopped carrots, radishes, or peppers would all be good.

Non-Disgusting Black Bean Stew

I adore most beans, but I'm not usually terribly fond of black beans. There's something about their sticky sludginess that reminds me of tar. This recipe, however, converted me. It's utterly delicious. I can eat vast quantities of this, and so can my family. The wine and the balsamic give it an acidic edge that completely cancels out the cloyingness of the beans. Note to self: adding booze improves everything.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups dried black beans, rinsed but not soaked
1 large onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1/4 cup wine (red or white, whatever you have*)
2 tablespoons Tamari**
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Put black beans, onion, oil and water in a large pot and bring them to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover, and simmer until the beans are cooked, probably 75 to 90 minutes, or longer if your beans are ancient and have been sitting in the back of your cupboard since the dawn of time.

Add the wine, Tamari, and balsamic vinegar, stirring, and the salt, tasting to check if you've put in enough for your liking. (Woe betide you if you put in too much. Add more booze; it might help. If it doesn't, drink more booze and you'll mind less.)

Simmer uncovered until the mixture reduces to the consistency you like, or add more water if it's too thick.

Serve by itself in a bowl, or over rice. I'm told basmati rice has a lower glycemic index than other types of rice, and I believe everything I read in health magazines, so that's the kind of rice we usually eat. (I also think it tastes better than any other type of rice, so I can be virtuous and enjoy myself in one go.) If you believe (rightly) in having a side of vegetables, steamed broccoli goes well with this, or you could make a green salad.


Serves 8 in one sitting, or keeps two adults and one toddler going for days on end. Keeps very well in the refrigerator.

*And please do feel free to get the most awful bottle of $4 plonk you want. Then again, you may want to spring for something nicer if you like to take a swig out of it while you're cooking.
**Or plain soy sauce, since it's cheaper and this is, after all, a frugality blog.