An Earth Day Recipe: Bean There, Lentil That!

Spilling the Beans: What Earth Day Is All About.

On January 28, 1969, a well called Platform A, drilled by Union Oil 6 miles (10 km) off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, blew out. More than 3 million U.S. gallons (2.5 million imperial gallons; 11 million liters) of oil spilled, killing more than 10,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. In response to this disaster, activists mobilized to advocate for environmental regulation, education, and the now-famous Earth Day.

In 1969, at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. A later proclamation, written by McConnell and signed by Secretary-General U Thant at the United Nations, sanctioned the day. Only a month after the sanction, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired young activist Denis Hayes as the national coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event “Earth Day.” Hayes and his staff grew the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States. More than 20 million people took to the streets, and the first Earth Day remains the largest single-day protest in human history.

Earth Day now encompasses a diverse range of events, coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network), which reaches over 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.” 2025 will be the 55th anniversary of Earth Day.

source: wikipedia

Celebrate Earth Day – Cook Sustainably

5 from 1 vote

Bean There, Lentil That!

Athina

Celebrate Earth Day with a hearty and wholesome dish that combines the earthy flavors of lentils and black beans with the richness of caramelized onions and the warmth of cumin.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings 2 -4

Calories 617 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup basmati rice (250 g)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups water (500 ml)
• 1 pot vegetable stock (usually 28 g)
• ½ cup dry black beans (125 g)
• 4 cups water (1000 ml)
• ½ cup dry lentils (125 g)
• 2 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp butter (optional)
• 1 large sweet or yellow onion thinly sliced (about 1½ cup)
• ¼ tsp sugar (optional)

Instructions

 

• Rinse or soak 1 cup basmati rice, whichever you prefer (if you choose to soak, let it sit for 30 minutes, then let it drain well).
• Toast the rice. Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in the pot you’re going to cook the rice in. Add the rice and stir it frequently until it starts smelling nutty.
• Add 2 cups water and 1 pot vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. You don't need to salt because the stock is usually salty enough. If you opt out of using the stock, add a big pinch. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and maintain a gentle simmer. Cook without peeking or stirring until the water is absorbed, about 18 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork. Set aside.
• If you're buying your legumes in bulk, it's a good idea to sort them before cooking. Arrange ½ cup dry black beans on a sheet pan or clean kitchen towel and sort through them to pick out any shriveled or broken beans, stones, or debris.
• Rinse the sorted beans well in cold, running water. Transfer them to a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam on the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary.
• In the meantime, repeat the process of sorting and rinsing the lentils. Set them aside for the next step.
• Cooking times vary with the age and size of beans; generally, you’re looking at about 1 to 2 hours. Keep checking for tenderness; about halfway through, add ½ cup dry lentils and 2 tsp salt. Cook until lentils are soft and beans are tender when mashed or pierced with a fork.
• Drain the legumes and place them in a large bowl. Season them with freshly ground pepper to taste and 1 tsp ground cumin. Add the rice and mix well.
• Add 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a wide, thick-bottomed sauté pan. (You can also add 1 tsp butter.) Heat the pan on medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering.
• Add 1 large sweet or yellow onion, thinly sliced, and stir to coat them well with the oil. Make sure they are spread out evenly and let cook, stirring occasionally.
• Depending on how strong your stovetop burner is, you may need to reduce the heat to medium or medium-low to prevent the onions from burning or drying out. About 10 minutes in, you can sprinkle ¼ tsp sugar over the onions to help with the caramelization process.
• Let the onions cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring now and then. As soon as they start sticking to the pan, let them do so for a while to brown, but then stir them before they burn! The trick is leaving them alone enough to brown but not so long that they burn.
• After the first 20 to 30 minutes, you may want to lower the stove temperature and add a little more oil if you find they are on the verge of burning. Continue to cook and scrape until the onions are a rich, browned color.
• Add the onions to the rice and legumes and stir well until all ingredients are well combined.

Notes

• Prep time refers to soaking the basmati and is optional.
• Black beans don’t need to be soaked, but if you prefer, you can do so overnight. 
• Cooking time accounts for the 20 minutes you need for the rice plus the maximum boiling time for the beans, assuming you’re simultaneously caramelizing the onions.

Keyword Grains & Pulses

The Concept of a “Clean” Kitchen

A “clean” kitchen does not simply refer to a workspace that is organized, sanitized, and free from clutter; it also takes on an additional layer as we strive to make environmentally conscious choices in our cooking practices. It means using sustainable ingredients, reducing food waste, and minimizing our carbon footprint wherever possible.

Earth Day recipes, in particular, are about celebrating the planet and its bounty while honoring our responsibility to protect and preserve it for future generations. They often feature plant-based ingredients that are easy to swap with anything you have on hand, locally sourced produce, and eco-friendly cooking methods. So, whether it’s whipping up a batch of vegan burgers or tossing together a colorful salad with seasonal vegetables, every Earth Day recipe is a delicious reminder of the importance of sustainability in the kitchen.