Lentils 'Round the Clock

Just because it's been holiday time doesn't mean I get a break from either working or being hungry for some good and filling lunches.  Yet, time has been even more limited due to all the holiday travel, etc.  There's only one way to solve this midwinter complication: overnight soup.

While I sleep, my rice cooker cooks for me.  I throw some ingredients in before I go to bed, hit the timer (incidentally giving the beans/lentils time to soak) and by morning (or 5am, if you consider that morning), my meal is complete.

I was so tired the other night I didn't even crack open my two "new-to-me" used cookbooks to inspire: I just threw in whatever I saw in the fridge/cupboard and hoped for the best.  It actually turned out great!  Obviously, cooking the soup on the stove or a slow-cooker would work just as well.  It also does well as a cook-through-the-afternoon-for-supper soup.

Lentils 'Round the Clock
1.5 cup French Lentils
1/2 cup Adzuki Beans
1/2 bunch Dinosaur kale, chopped
1 med-large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup rice or barley (dry)
2 golden beets, peeled and chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 15oz can coconut milk
 6 cups water

1tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1/4-1 tsp cayenne (to taste)
salt/pepper to taste

Throw all ingredients into rice cooker except for thyme, parsley and cayenne.  Make sure liquid ingredients covers or almost covers all the dry ingredients.  Cook on "porridge" mode of rice cooker and use timer setting (if available) to accommodate when you'd like the soup to finish.  Season with the dried herbs.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or package individually for yummy and warming lunch.