Finder's Keepers

I found my copy of The Vegan Table last week, so you know I had to start cooking from it right away. Here's the backstory: I checked it out from the library last August and couldn't find it. I bought a replacement copy for the library so whenever I found "their" copy, it would be "mine". I kept thinking I left it in the extra room and tore that place apart a number of times. I looked in, under and behind my bookshelf. I even flipped up my mattresses to make sure it wasn't under my bed. Would you believe it was safely tucked in a back of Seattle souvenirs that was hanging on the back of my bedroom door this whole dang time?

We usually plan our weekly menus but sometimes we change out minds and don't end up making the food we say we will. I've had "chili dogs w/ mac and cheese" and "Waffle Wednesday" on the list for two weeks now. I knew I had to fit them in this week or we might never get to them. I picked a few new recipes I wanted to try that my niece might hopefully like as well. I have some end of week babysitting and I always struggle with what to feed her. I struck gold with the Masoor Dal from The Vegan Table. I made a batch Monday night and my niece ate most of that yesterday after school. I made more today so she can have some later in the week.

The ingredients and instructions are really simple. I don't think there are as many spices as in a more traditional recipe, but we're not experts so it's okay. Plus my niece has a really low spice tolerance so this is perfect. You can always add your own to taste.  If you time it right, you can cook the rice and lentils at the same time and serve 'em up together. I was just cooking the lentils and thought I'd eat them the next day, but I couldn't help myself and had to impatiently wait while the rice cooked. I could eat legumes/rice all day, every day if you let me, which is good since that might be all I can afford when I start my new part time job!