Lentil Salad

Lentil Salad

I found this recipe in the April/May 2013 Vegetarian Times.  I thought it sounded like a great dish to make ahead of time and take to the lake this weekend.  It was really great - I will make this again and again!

I started by cooking a bag of lentils in broth.  They only take about 15 minutes.  I drained them and scooped out 4 cups worth, keeping the rest for another use.

While the lentils were cooking I asked Brennan to make up the vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar (you could also use red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar), olive oil, Kosher salt, and pepper.

This recipe calls for 2 cups of chopped vegetables like carrots, fennel, celery, or radishes.  I went with carrots and radishes, dicing them somewhat.

Add the lentils, vegetables, diced cucumber, fresh parsley, and season with Kosher salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for up to a day and top with more fresh parsley before serving at room temperature.

 

It was a great accompaniment for the brats, sweet corn, fruit salad, tomato salad, chips, and Gouda and apple appetizer that Brennan made for us! 

 

 

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Enjoy!

Cranberry Roasted Winter Vegetables

Cranberry Roasted Winter Vegetables

 

My 250th Y'all Come Eat recipe!

 

This recipe comes from the December 2012 Southern Living and sounded wonderful.

We eat quite a few vegetables around here, and the boys eat roasted vegetables really well.

 

I thought the addition of the cranberries would be a nice touch.

 

The article recommends pairing it with their Pork Roast with Sweet Onion-Pumpkin Seed Relish, which sounds yummy.

 

You trim, peel, and slice carrots and turnips and place them on one baking sheet.

 

I am the world's worst and trying to cut vegetables all the same size. 

The recipe says 1 inch pieces of carrots and turnips. 

Mine are all over the place, but it worked just fine.

 

Toss them with half of the minced fresh rosemary and olive oil in the recipe. 

Season with salt & pepper.

 

Cook at 400* for 30 minutes.

 

blurry photo - yuck

 

You do the same for your halved Brussels sprouts in another baking sheet.  Since the Brussels sprouts roast more quickly, you cook them in separate dishes.

 

Cook the Brussels sprouts for 20 minutes at the same temperature.

 

When the carrots and turnips have been roasting for 30 minutes, take the pan out of the oven, give them a little stir, and add fresh (or thawed frozen) cranberries to the baking sheet.

 

And roast the vegetables for another 5-10 minutes.  The cranberries will pop open.

 

Toss all of your vegetables together on a large platter and drizzle with molasses.

I didn't have molasses so used brown rice syrup.  I think you could also use maple syrup.

 

We liked the vegetables and the cranberries were a nice touch, but tart!

 

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Enjoy!

 

Bulgur Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

Bulgur Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

A dish that I make often because it's so versatile and easy is a Grain Salad. 
I have lots and lots of recipes for these great dishes and they go by many names.

Grain Salads
Rice Bowls
Veggie Grain Mixes

It depends on the cookbook author or chef as to what they're called.
I learned more about these dishes when I took cooking lessons with Sandy this past spring.

I've come to trust my instincts on what would work well together, so I thought I'd share the latest salad I assembled.

These salads have 3 components:

A Grain
Chopped Vegetables and Herbs
A Vinaigrette

The possibilities really are endless!

I wanted to try a white wine vinaigrette that I jotted down when watching Food Network many months ago.  I don't remember who the chef was who prepared this - sorry!.  It's a simple vinaigrette that worked well with the bulgur (a.k.a. bulgar and bulghur) and vegetables that I chose.

You can use any grain in a Grain Salad.  I happened to have bulgur that I cooked up so I planned to use it.  You could also use cooked brown rice, barley, couscous, millet, quinoa...  I've made many varieties.

You can also use any vegetables.  I chopped up cucumber and carrot, and added chopped fresh parsley.

I tossed the bulgur, vegetables and herbs together, then made the vinaigrette in a container with a tight lid. 

 

The White Wine Vinaigrette was very easy - I included olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt & pepper, fresh parsley & basil, Dijon mustard, and garlic. 

 

Tip:  I would use garlic powder in place of chopped garlic next time.  It was a little bitter.

 

Toss and serve.

This is great at room temperature alongside a couple other dishes (I made tilapia and bread this night).  It's also great as leftovers.

 

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Enjoy!

 

Thai-Thai Birdie

Thai-Thai Birdie

 

Another yummy recipe from the Abs Diet author/creative recipe namer.

 

This is an easy weeknight recipe that everyone in the family surprisingly enjoyed.

 

I made a vegetarian version, but you could also add grilled chicken to this dish for a heartier meal, which makes a lot of sense given the name of the recipe.

 

Warm tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds each. 

Spread peanut butter down the middle, then top with matchstick carrots, chopped cilantro, fresh mixed greens, and top with chili sauce if you'd like a kick.

 

 

I had Sriracha on hand, but it's super hot.  

 

Roll up and enjoy!

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ขอให้เจริญอาหาร!

(kŏr hâi jà-rern aa-hăan!)

Bon Appetit in Thai

Blanched Salad

Blanched Salad

It's always great for me to learn new ways of cooking up vegetables.

This technique of blanching a variety of vegetables to create a salad is probably not new to many people.

But I don't normally blanch my vegetables and then combine them into a salad.

My salads usually include raw vegetables, so this was intriguing.

The technique instructions come from The Great Life book.

You can use just about any kind of vegetable, but the author recommends using a leafy green, a round vegetable, and a root vegetable, or a combination of these types of vegetables.

I had to go back in the chapter to remember which was which!  (See below)

You fill a pot half-way with water and add a pinch of sea salt.  Then you bring it to a boil.

You blanch the vegetables by placing them into the boiling water just until their color brightens, about 2 minutes.  Then you remove them with a slotted spoon, placing them on a serving dish, covered until all the vegetables are done.

You start with the lightest in color and mildest in flavor.

We made our salad with cauliflower, Napa cabbage, and carrots, and blanched the veggies in that order.

And when we were done, we had a great salad that was tasty, but was better with a little lemon juice, a spritz of olive oil, and a little more Kosher salt. 

David and I both liked this cooking technique as a nice change to raw vegetable salad.

And it's so easy to use whatever you have in the fridge!

Green Leafy Veggies:  bok choy, carrot tops, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, Daikon greens, dandelion greens, kale, leeks, mustard greens, parsley, scallions, turnip greens, watercress

Round Veggies:  acorn squash, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, buttercup squash, butternut squash, cabbage, cauliflower, onion, pumpkin, rutabaga, turnips, Shiitake mushrooms

Root Veggies:  burdock, carrots, Daikon radish, dandelion roots, jinenjo, lotus root, parsnips, radishes

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Enjoy!

Penne al Forno

Penne al Forno

I found this recipe on Dr. Barnard's website and thought it sounded great for a one dish dinner. 

I have a large skillet that I was able to combine all the ingredients in and then place in the oven to bake the dish.   You could always transfer the combined ingredients to a large baking dish before the last step of popping it in the oven. 

Pasta "al Forno" refers to a pasta dish that is cooked on the stove and then baked in the oven.

This dish is highly customizable again. 

The original recipe includes a number of options, so I'll share those with you. 

I sauteed sliced carrots, celery, and zucchini in a spray of olive oil for about 5 minutes.

I added some Italian seasonings and garlic powder.

 

I cooked the penne according to the packaged directions, draining it when it was just barely al dente.

It will continue to cook later in the oven.

Then I poured the hot, drained pasta into the skillet with the vegetables, added the marinara sauce, and the rinsed & drained beans, and combined it well.

I placed the covered dish in the oven and baked it at 350* for 12 minutes.

And done!

I pulled this dish out of the oven, told the family what was in it, and ran out the door for a church meeting, without trying it.

First thing David told me when I got home was that it was a really good dish. 
They liked the beans (which were an optional ingredient in the original recipe), and my concerns that there wasn't enough marinara sauce were unwarranted. 

Everyone liked it. 

Along with the cannellini beans, other optional ingredients included:  2 cups of diced Roma tomatoes, 2 diced roasted bell peppers, 1/4 c sliced olives, and chopped onion.

I will go with 12 oz of pasta next time instead of 16 oz, but overall - a win for my family!

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Buon Appetito!

Cod with Sauteed Vegetables

Cod with Sauteed Vegetables

The other night Thomas asked for fish.  We don't eat a ton of meat at our house, so when someone asks for it, I am happy to make it.  And we all enjoy fish and seafood here!

Our family favorites are tilapia and salmon.  I decided to try out a different fish this time, and found this recipe for Cod and Sauteed Vegetables in the book Awakening Beauty.

I modified the recipe somewhat, making it easier on me!

Thomas decided he prefers tilapia over cod, and couldn't stomach the sauteed vegetables because they were "contaminated" with mushrooms.  Although - he bravely finished both his fish (using our homemade Smoky BBQ Sauce) and "non-fungus veggies".

David and I liked it and I'll certainly make it again!

I placed two cod fillets on a baking sheet and sprinkled them with Kosher salt and pepper, then baked them at 350* for about 22 minutes.

While they were cooking, I started on the sauteed vegetables.

Issue #1 - the recipe calls for shredded carrots and zucchini, but I got confused.  Long grates like with a peeler/grater, or short shreds like with a cheese shredder?  I wasn't sure and it was taking forever.

 ???

So, I decided that julienne cuts would be best.  See below - long carrot shreds, short carrot shreds, and julienned carrots.  I call that "adding texture".

Issue #2 - The original recipe calls for a zucchini.  I stopped by my least favorite place (Wal-Mart) to pick up something else, and thought I'd just grab a zucchini while I was there.  Turns out - they were completely out of zucchini (how is that possible???) so we went with a yellow squash instead.

Issue #3 - I was only supposed to use 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, but David came home from work and kissed me and I forgot what I was doing.  So I ended up slicing all my mushrooms and just went ahead and tossed them in.  Whatever.

 

The vegetables sauteed in olive oil (original recipe calls for butter), with garlic, green onion, and sesame seeds. 

I squeezed a little lemon over the final product.

And David and I liked it - the vegetables were still crisp, and had lots of flavor.

And even contaminated with double the fungus, it was still very good!

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Enjoy!

Adzuki Bean Stew

Gillian McKeith's

Adzuki Bean Stew

When I found this recipe in one of Gillian McKeith's cookbooks, I decided to try it even though I wasn't thinking it would be a family favorite.

Japanese adzuki beans, butternut squash, leeks, and kale.  What do you think?

Surprisingly, it was a hit.  David has mentioned a couple of times that he liked it a lot.

Even Brennan ate a bowl, and asked for more. 

In the cookbook, the opening line for this recipe is, "If you want to lose weight, this is the dish for you."  Well, OK!

The author is from the UK, and I believe some of their vegetables may be different from ours in terms of size.  So, I am modifying this recipe so that it is truly more of a stew than a vegetable side dish.  In addition, I was out of kale so we didn't include it.  David said it's good without it.  I think you could probably go either way.

This recipe cooks in 40 minutes or so, but the chopping takes quite awhile.  I find butternut squash peeling and chopping a chore in itself.  So, plan ahead.

The adzuki bean dates back to 4000 BC. In Eastern Asian cultures it is usually boiled and sweetened with sugar to make a red bean paste and used in many different ways. This was my first time working with this bean. Following the recipe directions, I soaked the beans overnight in cold water before making my dish.

I rinsed my soaked beans well and placed them in a large saucepan with water and boiled them for 15 minutes. The author states that it's necessary to boil the beans hard for those 15 minutes to remove any toxins.

Back up, what???

A quick search online and I see that many dried beans have toxins that can be removed by boiling them. OK, just to be safe - don't skip this step!

While my beans were boiling, I cut up a small butternut squash, 3 carrots, and the white and light green parts of a well-washed leek.

I rinsed and drained the boiled beans and returned them to the pot with fresh water and vegetable bouillon, and allowed it to boil again.

Then I added my vegetables and some spices and cooked the soup for another 15 minutes.  If you were going to add kale, you would do so at the end of this time and let it cook for just a few more minutes until it was tender. 

Surprisingly good!

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どうぞめしあがれ

(Bon Appetit in Japanese!)

Gourmet Brown Rice

Gillian McKeith's

Gourmet Brown Rice

We always have brown rice in the refrigerator.  It's so versatile, and it can be eaten with any meal.

When I saw this recipe in Gillian McKeith's You Are What You Eat cookbook, it sounded like a great play on regular brown rice, and used ingredients I had in the pantry/fridge!

I soak my rice overnight before washing it well and cooking with it.

After I soaked 1 c of short grain brown rice, I placed it in a saucepan with sliced carrots and celery and 2 c water.  The recipe calls for a vegetable stock cube or miso paste.  I used miso paste and it was really good.

At this point you just bring the water to a boil, then cover and simmer the dish for 25 minutes or so, letting it stand with the heat off for 10 minutes and then serving.

It's great heated up the next day as well. 

Great flavors and goes well with any main dish or with a large salad.



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Bon Appetit!



Baked Fish with Carrot and Leek Puree

Gillian McKeith's

Baked Fish with Carrot and Leek Puree

Last week I bought a leek on impulse, and realized last night I needed to use it soon.

I found this recipe in my new You Are What You Eat cookbook by Gillian McKeith and thought I'd try it out since I had all the other ingredients on hand!

I started by cleaning and chopping 4 carrots and a leek.

In case you weren't aware, leeks are very dirty inside so they need to be cut open lengthwise and rinsed well.

Then I added a vegetable bouillon cube.

I buy this brand at Kroger, and really like it.

I just barely covered the vegetables with boiling water, then let it simmer with the top on for 10 minutes or so, until the carrots were tender.

Then I pureed the vegetables and broth using my handy handheld blender ("soup puree-er" Brennan calls it).  My mom got me this for Christmas a couple of years ago and I love it.

At the same time I seasoned tilapia with salt and pepper and cooked it at 400* until flaky - about 10 minutes.

Then I cooked frozen garden peas in boiling water for about 3 minutes.

I drained them, reserving 1 Tbsp of the liquid, and tossed the peas with olive oil and cleaned, chopped fresh mint.  Thomas would like me to point out that he went outside in the rain to pick the mint from our pots.  Such a helper.

I seasoned the peas with a little Kosher salt and black pepper, then I smashed the pea mixture up a little with the back on my spatula.

To plate the dish you place some of the carrot and leek puree on the plate. 

Then lay a piece of fish on top, then top off with your peas.

I was really surprised with how well this dish went over. 

The carrot and leek puree was really delicate and flavorful.

Everyone in my family loves tilapia, so I knew that would be an easy sell.

And the peas were really tasty.

No leftovers at all!

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Enjoy!