This is my husband's dish. It's adapted from a cook book called "Cover and Bake." Great title! I highly recommend picking it up.
It's very indulgent and is best suited for Super Bowl parties and ski weekends.
1 LB pasta (macaroni, corkscrews or shells work best)
6 TB unsalted butter
1 medium garlic clove, chopped (optional)
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 TB flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3 1/2 cups whole milk
5 1/2 cups Colby cheese (16 oz)
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar (8 oz)
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs (or make your own fresh breadcrumbs by pulsing 4 slices of white bread with a dash of melted butter in blender or food processor)
salt
ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Bring pot of water to a boil with 1 TB salt, and cook pasta only to al dente. Remember, the pasta will soften more in the oven. Drain and set aside.
Use same pot and melt butter, then add garlic, cayenne, and mustard. Then add flour and let cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and chicken stock. Cook for 5 minutes and let come to a low boil. The mixture will thicken. Turn heat to low and stir in the cheese. Let cheese melt into sauce. Taste it, and add salt or pepper if needed.
Add pasta to sauce and mix, then pour into 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and some fresh ground pepper.
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. This is the hardest step :)
If you make this a day ahead, you'll want to take it out of the refrigerator 1 hour before putting in the oven. Cooking time will be longer, 40 - 50 minutes.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A Light Dessert (Sort of): Lemon Poppy Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Cupcakes are not a trend, they are here forever, and I think that's great. They are delicious, and easy to make. Unlike other baked goods, they are basically fail proof. Not sure why, maybe it's because they are small, or maybe it's because most errors can be hidden by a heavy dollop of frosting. Who knows :)
I developed the following recipe just over the weekend. I don't really think it qualifies as a "light" dessert, but they are lemon-y and that reminds me of healthy things.
1 stick softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup lemon zest
1 TB poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup lemon juice
Start by combining flour, soda, powder and salt. Set aside. In separate bowl cream together butter and sugar with hand mixer. Once fluffy add eggs, then zest, then buttermilk, then vanilla, then lemon juice, and finally poppy seeds.
Once combined, slowly add flour mixture.
When full mixed, spoon out 1/4 cup into lined cupcake trays. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes. This will make a dozen.
Vanilla Frosting
1 stick softened unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 TB milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
With hand mixer, blend butter with sugar. Then stream in milk until frosting forms. Then add vanilla. That's it!
I developed the following recipe just over the weekend. I don't really think it qualifies as a "light" dessert, but they are lemon-y and that reminds me of healthy things.
1 stick softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup lemon zest
1 TB poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup lemon juice
Start by combining flour, soda, powder and salt. Set aside. In separate bowl cream together butter and sugar with hand mixer. Once fluffy add eggs, then zest, then buttermilk, then vanilla, then lemon juice, and finally poppy seeds.
Once combined, slowly add flour mixture.
When full mixed, spoon out 1/4 cup into lined cupcake trays. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes. This will make a dozen.
Vanilla Frosting
1 stick softened unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 TB milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
With hand mixer, blend butter with sugar. Then stream in milk until frosting forms. Then add vanilla. That's it!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Everything in Moderation
I'm so confused. I try to keep up with all of the most current advice on diet and nutrition and all that good stuff but it's hard, isn't it? Last I heard, fat was back in, but only good ones, the USDA food pyramid is now an upside down conical cylinder and carbs are still the devil unless they're 100% whole grain in which case you'll die later this week if you don't eat enough of them.
I don't know what to make of it. I try to make sure that the vast majority of the meals I make here at home are low in fat and sodium, high in both protein and vegetables and yet still delicious but sometimes that feels like trying to recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with the little 3-pack of crayons they give kids at TGI Fridays. It's enough to make you start trying to pass mac 'n' cheese off as a vegetable. Plus, sometimes it's just nice to eat something for no other reason than it tastes wonderful. Is that so wrong?
In this particular instance, it isn't wrong at all. Please read on and whip up this delicious pasta dish anytime you want because it is fast and easy and healthy and scrumptious. Notice its lean protein, whole grain carbs, green leafy vegetables and hard cheese, imparting flavor and calcium yet very little fat. Look at you eating healthy! Good work!
Of course, now my problem is that this "sauceless" pasta is so delicious and balanced that I am overzealous and my issue with portion control rears its ugly head again. It doesn't matter how good for you it is if you eat a 1/2 pound of it. It's always something, isn't it? The war with nutrition wages on, but at least we've won the dinner battle.
Spicy Sausage Pasta
Ingredients:
One 14 - 16 ounce box whole grain or nutrient enriched pasta (like Barilla Plus)
One 20 ounce package Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
3 - 4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flake (or more to taste)
the zest of 1 lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon
5 - 6 cups or more fresh arugula (it's a veg-e-ta-ble)
1/2 c. freshly grated hard Italian cheese like parmesean, romano or asiago
1/2 - 2 c. reserved pasta water, as needed
Instructions:
Bring water to boil to cook pasta per the manufacturer's recommendations. While the pasta is cooking, remove the sausage from its casings and crumble while cooking over medium-high heat. The goal is small crumbles. Since turkey sausage releases so little fat, you may choose to use a little cooking spray to get things going. Once the turkey is entirely browned, clear a little space in the middle of the pan and add the garlic and red pepper flake and bring it up to heat, about 1 minute. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn't scorch! Add the lemon zest and a squeeze of the lemon juice...feel free to use more if you like. Add a ladle-full of the starchy water from the boiling pasta and let it reduce down, stirring all the while. Repeat as necessary to give the sausage mixture a little body; just don't add so much that the mixture seems watery. The starch will help the sausage mixture to adhere to the pasta a bit better.
Drain the pasta and return it to its pot. Drop the arugula over the hot pasta. Working quickly, pour the sausage mixture over top and toss everything together to combine well. Immediately sprinkle the pasta with freshly grated cheese and toss to combine once more. The arugula really shrinks down to nothing but is scarcely cooked so it holds its nutrients...feel free to add more.
Serve pasta immediately. Like so many pastas, this one is even better the next day. Cherish your leftovers.
I don't know what to make of it. I try to make sure that the vast majority of the meals I make here at home are low in fat and sodium, high in both protein and vegetables and yet still delicious but sometimes that feels like trying to recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with the little 3-pack of crayons they give kids at TGI Fridays. It's enough to make you start trying to pass mac 'n' cheese off as a vegetable. Plus, sometimes it's just nice to eat something for no other reason than it tastes wonderful. Is that so wrong?
In this particular instance, it isn't wrong at all. Please read on and whip up this delicious pasta dish anytime you want because it is fast and easy and healthy and scrumptious. Notice its lean protein, whole grain carbs, green leafy vegetables and hard cheese, imparting flavor and calcium yet very little fat. Look at you eating healthy! Good work!
Of course, now my problem is that this "sauceless" pasta is so delicious and balanced that I am overzealous and my issue with portion control rears its ugly head again. It doesn't matter how good for you it is if you eat a 1/2 pound of it. It's always something, isn't it? The war with nutrition wages on, but at least we've won the dinner battle.
Spicy Sausage Pasta
Ingredients:
One 14 - 16 ounce box whole grain or nutrient enriched pasta (like Barilla Plus)
One 20 ounce package Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
3 - 4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flake (or more to taste)
the zest of 1 lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon
5 - 6 cups or more fresh arugula (it's a veg-e-ta-ble)
1/2 c. freshly grated hard Italian cheese like parmesean, romano or asiago
1/2 - 2 c. reserved pasta water, as needed
Instructions:
Bring water to boil to cook pasta per the manufacturer's recommendations. While the pasta is cooking, remove the sausage from its casings and crumble while cooking over medium-high heat. The goal is small crumbles. Since turkey sausage releases so little fat, you may choose to use a little cooking spray to get things going. Once the turkey is entirely browned, clear a little space in the middle of the pan and add the garlic and red pepper flake and bring it up to heat, about 1 minute. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn't scorch! Add the lemon zest and a squeeze of the lemon juice...feel free to use more if you like. Add a ladle-full of the starchy water from the boiling pasta and let it reduce down, stirring all the while. Repeat as necessary to give the sausage mixture a little body; just don't add so much that the mixture seems watery. The starch will help the sausage mixture to adhere to the pasta a bit better.
Drain the pasta and return it to its pot. Drop the arugula over the hot pasta. Working quickly, pour the sausage mixture over top and toss everything together to combine well. Immediately sprinkle the pasta with freshly grated cheese and toss to combine once more. The arugula really shrinks down to nothing but is scarcely cooked so it holds its nutrients...feel free to add more.
Serve pasta immediately. Like so many pastas, this one is even better the next day. Cherish your leftovers.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Kristin and Beth's Fisherman's Seafood Stew
Kristin and I and our husbands got together Saturday night for a budget- and belly-busting dinner. By no means is this an inexpensive meal, but it's entirely worth the money and time. It probably comes out to about $25 a head. Although, keep mind that when Kristin and I cook for 4, we are really cooking for 6 - 8 people :)The following recipe would be enough for 6 people who understand quantity control, or 4 people who drink too much and overeat.
4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
4 dried bay leaves
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp saffron threads
1 lb mussels
1 lb little neck clams
1/2 lb shrimp, shells removed (remove tail if desired)
3/4 - 1 lb lean white fish cut into bite size pieces (tilapia works great, and it's inexpensive)
9 oz chorizo (3 links), skins removed and sliced
14 oz can whole tomatoes cut into strips, juice reserved
2 cups fish stock or chicken stock
1 cup dry white white
1 TB chopped fresh cilantro
Heat 2 TB olive oil in Dutch oven. Add bay leaves and hot pepper flakes. Cook until bay leaves start to brown. Add onion, red pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes until it starts to soften. Add saffron and cook for another minute or two.
Add stock, tomatoes and juice, and wine. Bring to boil. Add clams and chorizo, stir, and simmer uncovered for 3- 4 minutes. Add tilapia and shrimp and simmer for 5- 6 minutes. Add mussels, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes until mussels open.
Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve with bread (lots of it, preferably sourdough), and butter (lots of it!).
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Easy and Healthy Tomato Soup
This is so easy, it's almost embarrassing, but I love a recipe that you can put to memory and be done with it.
This also has the bonus feature of being good for you. It's warm and filling, and it's not going to kill you on its calorie count. Although I have no idea what the calorie count would be, I do know that this doesn't involve bacon or cheese or pasta, so there's that.
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
2 TB olive oil
1 TB butter (salted is fine)
1 28 oz can of tomato puree (make sure it"s puree, not tomato sauce)
1 32 oz (4 cups) carton of chicken stock. Use low sodium if you can find it, or homemade if you're just that good
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary
Heat olive oil and butter on medium in soup pot until melted. Add in carrots, onions, celery, salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. You want it good and caramelized.
Add chicken stock and tomato puree. Bring to a boil, and then bring temperature down, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Taste to make sure the seasoning is right, and then serve.
Of course, feel free to add a little dairy if you want to make this a cream of tomato. Add 1 cup of whole milk. You will be happy that you did.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Lighten Up Already!
It's January 11th. Have you seen your resolutions lately?
For me at least, a week and a half is usually just long enough to forget that, just days ago, I proclaimed loudly in front of friends and family that this year will be different! My diet will make a permanent trend towards organic produce and away from french fries and my reward will be a diminishing waistline and contact with my long-lost abs. This year, I assure myself and those who love me, I will declare victory over my own worst instincts!
OK, well, first of all, the only time I would ever utter such nonsense would be after 2 cocktails and 6 glasses of champagne sometime after the ball drops on New Year's Eve. Secondly, I know myself waaay too well to ever make any such statement in public (or at least to ever make such a statement in public again). It's much more relaxing to fail when you haven't told anyone else you're trying. However, something about this year feels different. I think there might actually be some success in my future and I think I know why.
I think - if you can believe it - I finally managed to overfeed myself to such a nightmarish extent over the holidays that I am actually still full and am now craving only dry spinach and warm broth for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Fine, that's a stretch, but I'm not really joking. My holidays were so full of medium rare beef, crab dip, cookies, bourbon, risotto (thanks, Court), wine, shrimp, champagne, cookies, brisket (thanks, Angie), Mom's whipping cream pound cake (thanks, Mom) and well, cookies, that I seriously find myself aching for light, clean flavors and a general lack of richness, starchiness and bulkiness. That's correct...the same gal that was waxing ecstatic about Yorkshire Pudding just weeks ago! I know...no one is more surprised than I.
Still, it would be silly not to capitalize on these leaner tendencies, so I am doing my best to surround myself with the aforementioned spinach, etc. Accordingly, here follows one of my favorite recipes for salmon. We all know that salmon is wonderful for you with all of its lean protein and Omega-3 goodness, but several people in my life aren't overly excited by its distinct flavor. This recipe should take care of some of the "fishy-ness" without adding any fat or stuff like that. Plus, it is so delicious and so totally easy that you might just find yourself craving it instead of cheeseburgers. Resolve to walk into your kitchen this week and whip this one up. That's a resolution I think we can all live with.
Asian-inspired 5 Spice Salmon with Big Bang Apricot Glaze
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. Salmon fillet, skin on the bottom, cut into 4 servings
2 - 3 cups orange juice
The juice and zest of one lime
A splash or two of good, dark rum, if desired (you know I love my Mt. Gay)
2 T. Chinese 5 Spice Powder*
3 -4 T. Big Bang Apricot Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions:
Place the salmon, skin side down, in a small baking dish that is at least 3" deep. Cover all but the very tops of the file ts with orange juice. Add the zest and juice of the lime and the rum (if desired). Turn the fish once just to make sure the tops are moistened with the juice. Once the fish is skin-side down again, rub 5 spice powder liberally & evenly over the top of each fillet. Allow fish to marinade in the fridge for at least 45 minutes but no longer than 3 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare Apricot Glaze as below.
To grill or bake the salmon:
On the grill: Remove the salmon from the marinade (and discard the rest of the marinade) and place it skin-side down on a preheated grill over medium-high heat. The natural oils in the fish should keep it from sticking, but keep an eye on it...the sugars in the juices can make it more likely to scorch. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Carefully turn the fish and allow it to cook for about 3 minutes. Turn it once again so that it is now skin side down again, and use a basting brush, paint each piece with a liberal amount of the Big Bang Glaze. Allow to cook for just another minute or 2 to allow the glaze to melt down a bit and permeate the fish. Remove from heat and serve immediately with (or on) a salad of spinach, sweet onion (like Vidalia or Maui), blueberries, and avocado in a light lime or Asian-style dressing of your choice. I can see my abs better already!
In the oven: Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the salmon from the marinade and place it in a 9x9" glass baking dish coated with non-stick spray or a tiny bit of olive oil. Bake the fish for about 15 minutes. check the fish and baste it with a generous amount of the Apricot Glaze and continue baking for 5 - 7 minutes depending on how well you like your fish cooked. Serve as above.
Big Bang Apricot Glaze (so named because it packs a lot of flavor! Good for use on lots of seafood, chicken or pork or as a dipping sauce for coconut shrimp or calamari among other things)
Ingredients:
3 T. Apricot Preserves (I use sugar-free)
2 T. rum (As ever, I use Mt. Gay. You may omit if you choose, but it cuts the sweetness of the preserves nicely)
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger
1 tsp. red pepper flake (you may use more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
1/2 - 1 tsp. hot sauce of your choice (as above)
1 tsp. lime zest (if you have chosen to omit the rum, add a squeeze of lime juice)
Instructions:
Stir together and allow flavors to marry for about 30 minutes before use. Keeps for about a week covered in the fridge. In addition to its uses as a glaze or dipping sauce, it really improves a boring turkey sandwich.
* - 5 Spice powder is a spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, anise, fennel seed, clove and licorice root sold in the Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores.
For me at least, a week and a half is usually just long enough to forget that, just days ago, I proclaimed loudly in front of friends and family that this year will be different! My diet will make a permanent trend towards organic produce and away from french fries and my reward will be a diminishing waistline and contact with my long-lost abs. This year, I assure myself and those who love me, I will declare victory over my own worst instincts!
OK, well, first of all, the only time I would ever utter such nonsense would be after 2 cocktails and 6 glasses of champagne sometime after the ball drops on New Year's Eve. Secondly, I know myself waaay too well to ever make any such statement in public (or at least to ever make such a statement in public again). It's much more relaxing to fail when you haven't told anyone else you're trying. However, something about this year feels different. I think there might actually be some success in my future and I think I know why.
I think - if you can believe it - I finally managed to overfeed myself to such a nightmarish extent over the holidays that I am actually still full and am now craving only dry spinach and warm broth for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Fine, that's a stretch, but I'm not really joking. My holidays were so full of medium rare beef, crab dip, cookies, bourbon, risotto (thanks, Court), wine, shrimp, champagne, cookies, brisket (thanks, Angie), Mom's whipping cream pound cake (thanks, Mom) and well, cookies, that I seriously find myself aching for light, clean flavors and a general lack of richness, starchiness and bulkiness. That's correct...the same gal that was waxing ecstatic about Yorkshire Pudding just weeks ago! I know...no one is more surprised than I.
Still, it would be silly not to capitalize on these leaner tendencies, so I am doing my best to surround myself with the aforementioned spinach, etc. Accordingly, here follows one of my favorite recipes for salmon. We all know that salmon is wonderful for you with all of its lean protein and Omega-3 goodness, but several people in my life aren't overly excited by its distinct flavor. This recipe should take care of some of the "fishy-ness" without adding any fat or stuff like that. Plus, it is so delicious and so totally easy that you might just find yourself craving it instead of cheeseburgers. Resolve to walk into your kitchen this week and whip this one up. That's a resolution I think we can all live with.
Asian-inspired 5 Spice Salmon with Big Bang Apricot Glaze
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. Salmon fillet, skin on the bottom, cut into 4 servings
2 - 3 cups orange juice
The juice and zest of one lime
A splash or two of good, dark rum, if desired (you know I love my Mt. Gay)
2 T. Chinese 5 Spice Powder*
3 -4 T. Big Bang Apricot Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions:
Place the salmon, skin side down, in a small baking dish that is at least 3" deep. Cover all but the very tops of the file ts with orange juice. Add the zest and juice of the lime and the rum (if desired). Turn the fish once just to make sure the tops are moistened with the juice. Once the fish is skin-side down again, rub 5 spice powder liberally & evenly over the top of each fillet. Allow fish to marinade in the fridge for at least 45 minutes but no longer than 3 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare Apricot Glaze as below.
To grill or bake the salmon:
On the grill: Remove the salmon from the marinade (and discard the rest of the marinade) and place it skin-side down on a preheated grill over medium-high heat. The natural oils in the fish should keep it from sticking, but keep an eye on it...the sugars in the juices can make it more likely to scorch. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Carefully turn the fish and allow it to cook for about 3 minutes. Turn it once again so that it is now skin side down again, and use a basting brush, paint each piece with a liberal amount of the Big Bang Glaze. Allow to cook for just another minute or 2 to allow the glaze to melt down a bit and permeate the fish. Remove from heat and serve immediately with (or on) a salad of spinach, sweet onion (like Vidalia or Maui), blueberries, and avocado in a light lime or Asian-style dressing of your choice. I can see my abs better already!
In the oven: Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the salmon from the marinade and place it in a 9x9" glass baking dish coated with non-stick spray or a tiny bit of olive oil. Bake the fish for about 15 minutes. check the fish and baste it with a generous amount of the Apricot Glaze and continue baking for 5 - 7 minutes depending on how well you like your fish cooked. Serve as above.
Big Bang Apricot Glaze (so named because it packs a lot of flavor! Good for use on lots of seafood, chicken or pork or as a dipping sauce for coconut shrimp or calamari among other things)
Ingredients:
3 T. Apricot Preserves (I use sugar-free)
2 T. rum (As ever, I use Mt. Gay. You may omit if you choose, but it cuts the sweetness of the preserves nicely)
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger
1 tsp. red pepper flake (you may use more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
1/2 - 1 tsp. hot sauce of your choice (as above)
1 tsp. lime zest (if you have chosen to omit the rum, add a squeeze of lime juice)
Instructions:
Stir together and allow flavors to marry for about 30 minutes before use. Keeps for about a week covered in the fridge. In addition to its uses as a glaze or dipping sauce, it really improves a boring turkey sandwich.
* - 5 Spice powder is a spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, anise, fennel seed, clove and licorice root sold in the Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Lentil Burgers with Lemon Curry Mayonnaise
I've posted this recipe before through Facebook, but I've made a few changes. I've cut out some unnecessary steps and ingredients. Enjoy!
btw, serve this with a green salad and the pounds you put on over the holidays will melt away. It only takes this one meal.
Lentil Burgers
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
5-6 cups water
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 TSP kosher salt
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 large carrot, chopped finely
2 TSP ground cumin
1 TSP ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg
Curry Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise (feel free to use yogurt or even sour cream)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of curry powder
salt/pepper to taste
Boil lentils in water for about 15-18 minutes. They should be soft. Drain them in colander. Let sit for about an hour. You want as much water to drain off as possible. If you are in a hurry, try patting them with a clean towel.
In a large bowl combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. Add finely chopped onion and carrot to bowl, and stir. Then add egg and lentils. Combine all ingredients with your hands. You want some of the lentils to stay whole and some to break apart.
Form 4 patties. Lay them out on a parchment-lined dish and refrigerate for a few hours or up to day. The patties are very soft so it's easier to cook them if they have had a chance to firm up in the refrigerator.
Heat up skillet on medium with 1 TB vegetable oil. Cook patties 2-3 minutes on each side. You want them to be warmed through and a little crispy on each side.
Serve on bread of your choosing with a little smear of the curry sauce.
btw, serve this with a green salad and the pounds you put on over the holidays will melt away. It only takes this one meal.
Lentil Burgers
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
5-6 cups water
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 TSP kosher salt
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 large carrot, chopped finely
2 TSP ground cumin
1 TSP ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg
Curry Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise (feel free to use yogurt or even sour cream)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of curry powder
salt/pepper to taste
Boil lentils in water for about 15-18 minutes. They should be soft. Drain them in colander. Let sit for about an hour. You want as much water to drain off as possible. If you are in a hurry, try patting them with a clean towel.
In a large bowl combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. Add finely chopped onion and carrot to bowl, and stir. Then add egg and lentils. Combine all ingredients with your hands. You want some of the lentils to stay whole and some to break apart.
Form 4 patties. Lay them out on a parchment-lined dish and refrigerate for a few hours or up to day. The patties are very soft so it's easier to cook them if they have had a chance to firm up in the refrigerator.
Heat up skillet on medium with 1 TB vegetable oil. Cook patties 2-3 minutes on each side. You want them to be warmed through and a little crispy on each side.
Serve on bread of your choosing with a little smear of the curry sauce.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Black Bean Salad with Chicken, Feta, Pumpkin Seeds and Cilantro
Now it’s time for a story about a salad. Not sure how everyone else feels about what went on around the holidays but I am pretty disgusted with myself. This salad seems like an appropriate and vaguely healthy start to the new year.
This recipe was inspired by a dish that I had in San Francisco this past November. I was visiting with family, and my cousin Erin took me to lunch at a café near her work.
I haven’t really stopped thinking about this salad since. (Yes, I have problems with food). The beans are meaty, the feta is salty, the pumpkin seeds are crunchy and the cilantro is spicy. And the chicken makes it filling enough to be an evening meal.
Serve without the chicken, and this makes for a perfect side salad at a picnic or barbeque.
1 cup black beans, rinsed (15 oz)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup crumbled feta
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ medium purple onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
½ cup pumpkin seeds, shelled (you can substitute peanuts)
1 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (cooked at 425 for 40 – 45 minutes, cover breasts in salt, pepper, red pepper flake and olive oil before cooking)
Combine all the ingredients while chicken is cooking in the oven. Let sit in fridge. The flavors will intensify.
When chicken is done, let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice meat off bone and cut into bite-size pieces. I leave crispy skin on, but feel free to remove.
Mix warm chicken into salad and serve.
This serves 2 hungry people for dinner, or 3 people for a light lunch.
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