Lisa is in the kitchen this month:
The New Year has blown in with an abundance of articles, films, and directives related to our own health, as well as the health of our planet, which, after all, go hand in hand. The “How Not to Die” documentary, based on Dr. Michael Greger’s book of the same title, was recently released and is available for free on UnchainedTV and Amazon Prime. Take a look. I promise it will be 82 well-spent minutes to learn how a plant-based, whole-food diet positions you to live a healthy life. The information presented in the film is based on a plethora of peer-reviewed studies and scientific research.
Then there are the new food pyramid and dietary guidelines released by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. It supports eating “real food” and less highly processed foods, which is laudable. However, the newly flipped pyramid puts meat, dairy, and poultry in alignment with broccoli, carrots, and peas; it’s confusing and doesn’t have scientific evidence to back the suggested increase in the amount of animal-based protein. From Matt Prescott’s “The New Food Pyramid, Brought to You by Big Meat,” (New York Times, Jan. 10, 2026): “…our nation’s new food pyramid will mean environmental and health burdens for Americans, even as it benefits the very industries Mr. Kennedy once warned us about.”
Eating more meat is questionable advice for human health, as well as being destructive to the environment. Although 99% of U.S. meat comes from factory farms, “most factory farms aren’t legally responsible for their pollution,” according to Michael Grunwald’s “This Is Why Our Rivers Are Turning into Sewers” (New York Times, Jan. 20, 2026). “America’s factory farms generate nearly a trillion pounds of manure every year. … Animal waste is a major reason half of America’s water bodies are too dirty for fishing or swimming.”
Opting out of eating meat and dairy, or at least eating less of it by choosing more plant-based foods, is one way not to participate in the further destruction of our planet and that of our own health. So let’s power ahead to lentils. I created this recipe for my niece Alex. She was severely bitten by a neighbor’s dog last month and has had to endure 40 staples in her leg and a whole lot of pain and suffering. To mark this unfortunate event with the offbeat sense of humor that we share, I have named this recipe “Comfort Lentil Stew with a Bite.”
Comfort Lentil Stew with a Bite
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry green lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
- 2 cups pearl farro
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple with its juice
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- Dash red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lime, sliced
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil in a large frying pan with a lid; add rinsed lentils and the can of diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put a tablespoon of oil in a smaller frying pan, and sauté the chopped onions for a few minutes on low heat until they begin to turn translucent. Add garlic, and stir for a few more minutes; then add celery, carrots, and sliced red pepper in two or three-minute intervals.
- When lentils have cooked for 20 minutes, add the sautéed vegetables and stir, cooking on low with cover on for 10 more minutes before final additions.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water to a boil in a pot; add rinsed farro. Cover pot, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 25 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
- Add can of crushed pineapple with its juice to lentil mixture, as well as tamari, apple cider vinegar, raisins, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and red pepper flakes. Use a more liberal hand with the cayenne and red pepper flakes if more bite is desired. Simmer covered for final 15 minutes.
Serve lentil stew over farro. Top with chopped parsley and a slice of lime, think kindly on canines, and implore neighborhood dog owners to responsibly leash their pets.
For more information on how your food choices affect the planet and your health, go to: harriscenter.org/rhp.