Chipotle Lentils

Someone (Bruce Pollock on the RLMI team) brought this dish to a Rochester Area Vegan Society potluck long ago, and I never forgot it.

The recipe comes from Forks Over Knives. “Forks Over Knives” is the 2011 documentary that has persuaded untold numbers of people to go plant-based. That film has been followed by these wonderful things:

Books, such as Forks Over Knives Cookbook and Forks Over Knives: Flavor!

Forks Over Knives magazine with inspiring food photography and articles

Forks Over Knives website with virtually unlimited recipes

Forks Over Knives free meal planner

Forks Over Knives recipe app: modest price but worth it!

Do NOT fail to watch the film if you haven’t already, and visit the website, https://www.forksoverknives.com/. That will lead you to all the other good things!

Today’s recipe comes from the meal planner. NOTE: Don’t make the sour cream topping based on tofu, if you are following a Jumpstart diet.

A word about chipotles, which are smoked hot peppers. If you are someone like me who does not like much heat, you still might like the smokiness of chipotles, and a little goes a long way. There are at least 4 ways to get chipotles:

1) Dried chipotle peppers: use sparingly, do not use the seeds unless you know what you are doing

2) Chipotle powder: use sparingly

3) Chipotles in adobo (jar or can): use sparingly*

*It can be hard to use up a container of these without them spoiling, even if you use them a lot. I open a container, use a tiny amount, then mince or at least somewhat cut up the remaining peppers, and freeze the container or decant into a plastic container. I haven’t had a problem freezing the glass jar as this is not a high-liquid product; but it might be better to transfer to plastic, and definitely do that if you are starting with a metal can, as there tends to be leaching if you store long-term in a can. This may seem like a big fuss; but it’s great once you have a supply of chipotle in the freezer that won’t go bad. Just remove the container from the freezer for about 20 minutes, then you can scrape what you need from the top.

4) Chipotle salsa: this may be the best solution for people who like smoky flavor but not heat. Still, note whether the salsa is labeled hot, medium or mild, and be careful to use the right amount of salsa for your and your family’s tastes.