Beans + Roasted Root Vegetables = Meals For Quarantine Queens

Before the quarantine and an NYC food frenzy took over the town - my pantry was lined with beans, while the bottom shelf of my storage closet had a large bowl filled with sweet potatoes for roasting. These are and always will be two of my go to ingredients that you would never find me without.

Beans were always a staple in our home, likely because my Italian grandparents were cooking throughout the Great Depression and World War II. While my mother also often made beans a plenty because they were inexpensive and allowed our family to eat well on a budget. There’s never a time when my home isn’t filled with beans, whether found in cans or bags.

Never in my history of grocery shopping had I seen shelves with nary a can or bag of beans to find. A global pandemic, fears of running out of food (although it will never happen, America is going to be fine on the food front I suspect) have people running straight to the bean and international aisle at their local grocer, Whole Foods or food delivery service of choice. Sure, it’s smart to stock up for, but hoarding 30 cans and 10 bags of beans is likely unnecessary.

So, now that you have all of those beans … what are you going to do with them? 

Figured now is as good a time as any to continue to share my profound love for beans, particularly the lentil. Mom and grandma always taught me to make my beans and freeze them in their liquid so on weeknights I could easily make some sort of fagioli and add any flavor I’d like without committing to 1 type of soup or meal by preparing them one way. Leaving lentils or any bean in their liquid allows you to add spices on the back end. Plain lentils can then be prepared a la Italiana one night and, perhaps, with Indian influence a few days later.

To cook lentils I use a combination of chicken and or veggie stock and white wine along with a few dried bay leaves. The flavors soak into the beans and then you have some tasty cooking liquid for freezing. If you do not have any of the above, simply use water and salt. Veggie bullion also works too. Once lentils are cooked through (about 35 minutes), drain and reserve liquid. You can store the lentils in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 6 months (honestly, I’ve had lentils in the freezer longer). I also recommend storing the lentils in smaller containers so they’re portioned out for single or double uses,  

I made two versions of a spiced lentil bowl by defrosting a container and reheating them on the stovetop with their liquid. Once defrosted, I strained any excess liquid (reserving the liquid for use during the cooking process) and got going.

Combined with spices and pre-roasted root vegetables (learn how to roast the perfect sweet potato by clicking here), and a handful of spinach (purchased to layer in frozen soups, an addition to omelettes and for salads) this is a great way to start thinking about how to use various pre-made ingredients to make one meal - helpful during the quarantine and beyond as we make our way out of this and you continue cooking, obviously! 

Topped with a drizzle of tahini sauce, this bowl is nutrient packed, creamy and satisfying. No tahini, but you have other toppings? Add some crunch and turn up the savoriness with nuts and cheese. On hand I had roasted, salted pumpkin seeds and feta, which I crumbled on top. 

Choose your own pantry and fridge adventure. Create, sit, and plate pretty. xo

Spiced Lentils with Roasted Roots and Tahini Sauce
*makes 2 servings or more if you combine with cooked rice or quinoa
1 cup of cooked lentils
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder 
1 teaspoon of cumin powder½ teaspoon of curry powder
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
2-3 tablespoons of reserved cooking liquid
1 tablespoon of honey 2 pre-roasted sweet potatoes and/or carrots cut into cubes you can also use any veggies you have lying around, on day two of these I added eggplant I wanted to use up, so I threw that in too 1-2 cups of fresh, spinach *spinach is optional and frozen also works, but be sure to defrost it first!

Heat olive oil over a medium low flame in a non-stick skillet or shallow sauce pan and add garlic, saute until fragrant about 2-3 minutes
Add lentils, spices and honey - stirring to coat and adding liquid as needed
Cook until heated through, about 7 minutes, and add in roasted roots
Gently toss to coat in lentils and spice, cook for 3 minutes
Remove from heat and fold in spinach
Add sauce or toppings and serve *see notes below

Tahini Sauce
*makes extra sauce, I only use about 1 tablespoon on my bowls when I drizzle
¼ cup of tahini
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 clove of grated garlic
¼ teaspoon of cumin
Sprinkle of salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons of water *add little by little until thin dressing like consistency is achieved
½ teaspoon of harissa *you can also omit if you don’t fancy spice or if you don’t have harissa sub in a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a shake of cayenne

A Note on Toppings
1-2 tablespoons of crumbled feta or goat cheese
1 tablespoon of nuts or seeds, I opted for pumpkin seeds