Cornbread Muffins and Lentil Stew (Vegan Recipes)

It seems that even if you're sick, if you're the mother, everyone still expects  you to do everything, be everywhere, and take care of everyone. Sigh. Just can't get a break, although I haven't been running around as much with the kids as usual, just too tired (because I'm sick).

Funny thing, everyone needed to eat, and I could barely wrap my head around food.

So I threw together a lentil stew

Diced onion (1 medium)
diced garlic (3 cloves)
2 carrots, sliced
3 smallish potatoes, diced
1/2 bulb of fennel, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
Cook with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot, stirring often. When it's all smelling fragrant, add:
500 g green lentils, sorted and rinsed 
water to cover
salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 min.

And the kids said, "Is that all there is for lunch?" So I threw these cornmeal muffins together and they baked while we slowly ate our stew...

2 cups cornmeal
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt 
2 T. baking powder
1/3 c. oil
1 c. sugar
2 cups water + 1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
1/8 c sesame seeds (they were sitting on the counter and I decided to toss them in)

Mix well, pour in muffin cups, and bake at 350 F for about 25 min.

I had a little bit of batter leftover so I cooked that bit up like pancakes and my girls LOVED them.

This post was shared with the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop on April 24, 2012

Why this is a great frugal meal - green lentils are CHEAP and filling. Combined with all those vegetables (most of which were purchased for under 2 NIS/kg) it's a filling, really inexpensive stew. The cornmeal muffins are cheap, too. and no eggs in them to bring the cost up! And it all tastes REALLY good. No one will guess you are cutting back on your food budget when you serve tasty, filling foods like this. You can add a salad to round out the meal, if it doesn't feel like "enough" to you - but my kids who were hungrier just helped themselves to more stew...)