Vegan Lahmajoun

An unforgiving day in the city. Urban jungle. Traffic. Run. Stop. Notification.

Pretentious restaurants, massive amounts of steamed egg whites, protein shakes, breakfast menus that you don’t have the will to browse through. Coffee. Stop. Notification.

Random music from random cars. ‘Yeah, no thanks.’ Headphones. Ah! Misfits. Dig up her bones. Bliss. Another coffee? ‘Always. Thank you.’

Run. Meeting in 40′, photo-shoot in an hour. Not enough hours in a day. Stop. Notification. ‘Oh, it’s you.’ Smile. How many days till winter?

I stole my friend’s jeans, the day he started counting down days to winter.

Run. But in comfy jeans that remind you of good times and smiles, eating pasta together, no plates, sharing a beer out of the can, chopsticks and tomato sauce stained t-shirts. Our pasta is better than yours. We are the real-life misfits.

LIFE SHOULD FEEL LIKE A MOVIE. IF IT DOESN’T, STOP. START AGAIN, YOU’VE BEEN DOING IT WRONG.

Food should feel like love. If it doesn’t you are doing it wrong. Start again. Get in the kitchen.

WE’RE MAKING LAHMAJOUN. IT’S VEGAN.

• 1/2cup canned Beets
• 1 cups Brown lentils
• 2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1cup Mushrooms, white
• 1/2 onion
• 2tbsp oats (substitute with flour or breadcrumbs if you wish)
• pinch of paprika (if you can get smoked paprika, even better)
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. The sound of the bubbling water is therapeutic, isn’t it? Cook the lentils until tender. Drain. Process in a blender. Add the beets, the garlic powder and the onion, the mushrooms and the oats. Season with paprika, salt and pepper, and process again.

NOW YOU GOT THE PERFECT, SHAPABLE, VEGAN MINCED NO-MEAT. HOW COOL IS THAT?

You can shape it into patties and burgers, use it in spaghetti sauce, pies, and casseroles, anything you’d do with the actual thing.

If you want to make your own flatbread all you need is one cup of flour, one tablespoon instant yeast, a splash of oil, salt, and pepper to taste and let’s say 1/4 of cup water, but just add the water gradually, it depends on the flour. Mix, knead, no waiting time, roll out the dough, shape into flatbreads and cook in a dry pan. Easy peasy.

If you are not in the mood, get a pack of naan bread, don’t let that stop you. Trust me, it’s worth it.

You got your no-meat and your flat-breads? Start assembling.

You will need some tomato puree and spices. Cinnamon if you are feeling bold, paprika, cumin, parsley, garlic. Be an instinctive cook. Use whatever feels right to you. Live and learn.

Pour yourself a glass of red wine. Mix the spices of your choice into the tomato sauce. Preheat the oven. Pour spoonfuls of the sauce on each flatbread. Be generous. Add the minced no-meat. Bake. 10 minutes should be enough. Sprinkle with something green. Parsley maybe? Yes!

EAT.

Hungry for more?

Check out the food section of Fashion Potluck for more delicious recipes! 

Until the next one,

Chelf