Fiber Bundles

November 5, 2010 by Belle 3 Comments

We enjoyed this meal with a glass of organic Malbec. An excellent pairing!

For those who are new to this little blog, Mr. Husband, a.k.a. Bird, is working on his PhD in mathematics. I have a degree in Journalism. Clearly we have no idea what the other does all day and for us this works out quite well. It is understood when one is ranting about their work the other politely listens, applies a hug to help take away the pain, and then changes the subject to something we both can discuss.

Periodically Mr. Husband rants about some math thing that, while I don’t understand what it is, I do understand that it has a most humorous name. There is the Pair of Pants cobordism; the Paley-Wiener Theorem; lipschitz functions and, are you ready for this one, a Hairy Ball Theorem that states “you can’t comb a hairy ball flat without creating a cowlick.” Golden.

My all time favorite math “thing” is Fiber Bundles. From what Bird tells me, this is something that is shaped like a round hair brush. Why they have them in math, I have not the faintest idea. What I do know is that after consuming one of my particularly fiber laden vegan dinners, dear Mr. Husband often remarks on the “excessive fiber bundles” and will request a meat meal the next evening. I giggle and then wonder, “Will his body ever adjust to my diet?”

I have a finicky digestive track that requires a good deal of fiber and try to limit my tofu intake. This means I end up consuming a lot of beans for protein. After years of this lifestyle my body has adjusted and I rarely suffer negative side effects. Bird, on the other hand, has not adjusted.

Last night I whipped up an improvisational “quick meal” using some random things in our fridge: a pile of sweet potatoes, some fresh spinach, two cups of lentils, a couple very ripe tomatoes and an onion that was looking a tad soft. What resulted was actually a really delicious meal.  Perfectly spiced and hearty, it was an excellent meal for a cold evening.

It was not, however, a great meal to follow the generous portions of cabbage soup we have been eating this week. Should you choose to prepare this meal for your household, do the omnivores a favor and serve it after a few days of low fiber intake.  Cheers!

Roasted Lemony Sweet Potatoes with Berberé Spiced Lentils

For the Potatoes:

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized cubes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the potatoes in the other ingredients and spread in a single layer in a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and place in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil. Continue baking, stirring them around periodically, until the potatoes are soft and a little crusty on the outsides.

For the Berberé Spice Mixture

This is adapted from Susan’s spice mixture

1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon anise seeds
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon paprika (I used bourbon smoked paprika for a little extra richness)
1 tablespoon  cayenne (I used the hottest we had)
1 tablespoon 6 pepper blend

Mix ingredients together and store in a jar.

For the Spiced Lentils:

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small, red tomatoes, chopped (with seeds)
2 tablespoons Berberé Spice Mixture
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 tablespoon olive oil
Crushed red pepper to taste (I used some of this killer spicy red pepper flakes that my father brought us from Turkey. Sadly, the huge bag did not have a label and I’m really not sure what it is. If you know, please share!)

Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and saute another minute, then add the seasonings and saute an additional minute. Add the broth, lentils and tomatoes, bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook till lentils are done. Midway through cooking, sprinkle with red pepper flakes or Turkish Seasoning.

Once the lentils are tender, stir in the spinach and cook till just wilted but still bright green (seriously no more than 30 seconds).

Serve alongside the roasted sweet potatoes and with a side of Bean-o for those unaccustomed to a Vegan Diet. 🙂