Lentil Vegetable Pottage
Well, I’m nearing the end of week 2 of the diet (although the first week was a bit gradual- this week I tried not to cheat at all). So far, so good. I’ve had a few moments where I just looked at the fridge and sighed.
But overall, I’ve been able to find enough to eat, and most of my dinners have turned out good. The lamb stir-fry was a bit tasteless and needed a LOT of Bragg’s to make it bearable. The Indian style lentils and dumplings with curry sauce were a fairly big bomb (the lentils weren’t too bad, but my husband wouldn’t even touch the dumplings- and that’s a rare thing!).
And there were successes, too! The lentil vegetable pottage was actually quite nice, and I’ll share the recipe below.
I also accidentally made a great soup for lunch the other day! I used the cooking liquid from a leg of lamb that I had done in the crockpot (since I can’t eat beef right now, I splurged a little and am using it as sparingly as possible). I fried up some onions, carrots and celery, then added the lamb liquid for broth, maybe a cup of cooked lamb, a bit of Spike seasoning and salt and pepper, some leftover millet from the fridge (3/4 cup?), and some frozen, organic corn. It was really flavorful and such a perfect lunch for a winter afternoon.
I’ve also been continuing to work on my schedule, which I had truly hoped to have completed on Friday. I probably would have, except that we’ve had sickies in our house all week. My husband was very ill from last Friday up until Tuesday, which is when our daughter developed a fever, and as soon as Abbie’s was gone, our baby got very sick on Thursday (a fever of 102 for much of the day, and he wouldn’t nurse from 8am, until finally he did just before bed, at 7:30 pm.)
I think he was getting quite dehydrated, as he would only take the smallest sips from a cup of water that I kept offering. I ended up going to a health food store to pick up a homeopathic supplement for fevers, which seemed to really help break the fever, which I think was what finally helped him to eat in the evening. And although the fever is gone, the runny nose and cough remain, and he’s just a sick, grumpy little boy (not that I blame him). Thankfully, I think he is truly on the mend now.
All that to say, the schedule is still a work in progress, and I hope to complete it today. 🙂
Lentil Vegetable Pottage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry brown/green lentils
- 5 cups water stock, or broth (I used homemade chicken broth)
- 6 stalks celery chopped
- 3-4 medium carrots sliced
- 1 large onion chopped small
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 bouillon cubes or 2 Tbsp of soy sauce or substitute I added only a bit of a natural bouillon mix that I use, and 1 Tbsp of Bragg's
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 3 tsp dried
- 1 tsp each of sea salt and basil
- 1/2 tsp. each of dill oregano, and thyme
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- Several dashes sea kelp
- Optional: 1 medium or large red bell pepper chopped small (I used 1/2 a pepper). I also added 1/2 cup of frozen corn. I also added a half cup of cooked chicken I had on hand.
Instructions
- Bring the dry lentils, liquid and vegetables (except for red pepper) to a boil on high heat, then simmer for 1 hour on low heat or until the lentils are tender.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer another 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If desired, blend 1-2 cups of the soup and return it to the pot for a richer, fuller flavor (I didn't do this, but it would have been good).
Notes
Ever made a pottage before? Share your favorite recipe with me below!
out of curiousity, what are your breakfasts and lunches consisting of?
Erin, right now I have a few things I am alternating between for breakfast.
I made a sprouted buckwheat “raw” granola, that I am eating with fruit and almond milk. Many mornings I have a smoothie, made with nuts and seeds as the base, and then frozen fruit and stevia.
I am also eating some herbed tofu, cooked like scrambled eggs, with some natural chicken sausages, and one piece of sourdough spelt bread. I am trying to stay minimal on the bread, though, as the less I have, the better. Also, tofu is not something I normally eat, because I think that soy products should be fermented, and tofu is not. However, I am eating only a small amount, and it is a short season, so I am trying not to stress out about it. I find that I just really need to have good protein in the mornings, so fruit and the few grains that I can eat are just not sufficient.
I want to get some goat’s milk to make yogurt, but for some weird reason, none of the stores around here have had any goat’s milk the past week and a half, so I’m still waiting on that one.
For lunches, I am mostly eating leftovers from dinner, to keep it simple. A couple of days I had canned salmon mixed with a bit of spices on crackers and veggies. Today I had sprouted corn tortillas with no-nitrate chicken sandwich meat and lettuce, and a bit of a dressing that I can have. Fruit is good, too. Or a second smoothie of the day. Whatever fills me up, really.
Slim pickings, huh? 🙂 It’s ok, though. This diet will be worth it in the long run!
Hi there! Found your site through CSAHM. You have a beautiful family. God bless!
How do you do your rack of lamb in the crockpot? My husband loves lamb but I don’t but it would be fun to surprize him with it!
Welcome, Lalaine! 🙂
Liz, I don’t actually have a recipe for doing the lamb. I didn’t do it for the purpose of eating it as a nice dinner, but just for the purpose of cooking it all at once, so that I could divide it up into smaller portions to go in the freezer. I didn’t even add seasoning, so that I didn’t have to worry about conflicting seasonings when I went to use it. I know that’s not very helpful! I’d try http://www.allrecipes.com for a recipe- they’re my favorite recipe site.
Thanks so much for posting the lentil vegetable pottage. Lentils are my comfort food. I made the soup with red palm oil instead of butter. It was PHENOMENALLY delicious; the spices, especially the dill, made it very savory and flavorful. I highly recommend the recipe! 😀