1 teaspoon white or black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup yellow lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 cups baby spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped, or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

Directions:

Toast only the white sesame seeds before using. Place the sesame seeds in a small, dry saute or frying pan over medium heat. Cook briefly, shaking the pan often and watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove the seeds from the pan as soon as they begin to turn brown. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, ginger, curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils, stock and coconut milk. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, about 12 minutes. The mixture should be brothy; add a little water if needed.

Stir in the spinach, cover and simmer for about 3 minutes longer. The lentils should still hold their shape. Uncover and stir in the salt. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro and toasted white or untoasted black sesame seeds.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• salmon yellow lentil
• yellow lentils and salmon

1 cup dried kidney beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight and drained
3 cups water
8 corn tortillas, 6 inches in diameter
10 plum (Roma) tomatoes, about 2 pounds total weight, cored
1 yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 jalapenos
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded queso asadero or Monterey Jack cheese
1 green (spring) onion, including tender green top, thinly sliced

Directions:

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the beans and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan partially and simmer until tender, about 65 to 75 minutes. Drain.

While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 400 F. Stack the tortillas and cut them to form 48 wedges in all. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat the broiler (grill). Position the rack 4 inches from the heat source. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, arrange the tomatoes, yellow onion wedges and jalapenos. Broil (grill) until the skins blacken, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the vegetables over and broil the other side until blackened, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.

Peel the tomatoes. Wearing gloves, peel and seed the jalapenos. Place the vegetables in a blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely pureed. Add the cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Pulse to make a chunky sauce. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked beans and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Grease a large, oblong baking dish with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the dish. Layer 1/3 of the tortilla wedges on top and cover with 1/3 of the bean mixture. Repeat layering, and then top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake until browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares, garnish with the green onion and serve.

3 cups water
2 cups dried black-eyed peas
1 teaspoon low-sodium chicken-flavored bouillon granules
2 cups canned unsalted tomatoes, crushed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over high heat, add 2 cups of the water and black-eyed peas. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, cover, remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.

Drain the water, leaving the peas in the saucepan. Add the remaining 1 cup of water, bouillon granules, tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, mustard, ginger, cayenne pepper and bay leaf. Stir together and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer slowly for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add water as necessary to keep the peas covered with liquid.

Remove the bay leaf, pour into a serving bowl and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

1 1/2 cups dried small red or kidney beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
6 1/2 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups assorted brown rices, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock or broth
1 tomato, cored and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

Directions:

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the beans, 4 cups of the water and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the beans are tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaves.

While the beans are cooking, combine the rices, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; saute until the vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the allspice, cloves, cayenne, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cooked beans, the vegetable stock, tomato, thyme and hot-pepper sauce. Cook until the vegetable mixture is heated through, 6 to 8 minutes. Divide the rice among warmed individual bowls. Top each serving with beans and sprinkle with the cilantro.

1 1/4 cups dried black beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled and seeded then diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 green (spring) onion, thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fresh whole-grain bread crumbs
6 whole-grain hamburger buns
6 slices tomato
6 slices red onion
3 bibb lettuce leaves, halved

Directions:

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the beans, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the beans are tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaf.

While the beans are cooking, combine the tomatoes, half the yellow onion, half the garlic, the tomato paste, vinegar, chipotle chili, 3/4 teaspoon of the cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Set the chipotle ketchup aside to cool.

In a frying pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat. Add the remaining yellow onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and the remaining garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool. Set the pan aside.

In a food processor, combine the drained beans, onion mixture, brown rice, pecans, green onion, the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pulse several times until the mixture is coarsely pureed. Fold in the beaten egg and bread crumbs. Form the mixture into 6 patties, each about 3/4-inch thick.

In the same pan used for the onion mixture, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides and heated through, 7 to 9 minutes total.

Serve each burger on a bun topped with 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice, 1/2 lettuce leaf and a dollop of the ketchup.