Warm French Lentils

Healthy boyfriend made me a lentil heart!

I gotta be real with yall. I have not been in the blogging mood as of late. Im sorta having a idontfuckingknowwhatimdoingwithmylife!?!?!?!?! type week which is now turning into a month. Live in the moment they say. Do what makes you happy they say. Well how can you be present AND plan for the future? What if what you wanted to do with your life didn't make you happy? And what if you don't know what makes you happy or how to best serve this beautiful planet we are so blessed to live on?
Anyway as I have been spending my days organizing my stress away or breathing it out in yoga, I've not been puttering around much in the kitchen. I am hoping to do some work this weekend as to revamp the blog, but we shall see.

Also Ill fully admit I've become obsessed with pinterest and cannot stop looking at everything on that site all the time. I need help.

Getting back to food, Lentils are great for you, and everyone should eat more of them. Especially vegetarians who don't get their protein from meat, lentils and beans should be frequent guests on your plate. Lentils are legumes, so part of the bean family, and like many beans are full of wonderful things for your body. They have fiber, iron, protien, Vitamin B, and many other wonderful nutriets. If you are like me, it's easy to eat the same type of bean all the time. I eat black beans like they are going to stop growing them, and while black beans are great for you, variety is the spice of life. Of at least I get sick of food, and gotta change it up. Healthy Boyfriend can eat the same things for weeks on end, but I do not have that ability. I require change.
I LOVED this recipe. I will definitely use more vegetables next time, probably more carrots and add sweet potatoes, and I would love to figure out a way to use the turnips and onion instead of just discarding them (or composting if you can!). The dijon vinaigrette was outstanding, and made the lentils pop with flavor. This was a simple meal with loads of flavor. Good for a rainy day when you want easy, while still elegant.

Vegi prep, get a boyfriend to do it if possible. 

Saute carrots and leeks

Boil vegis and lentils

Prepare your vinaigrette

Yummy! 

Warm French Lentils
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's "How Easy if that"

Get a pretty spoon and serve it up!

If you eat meat, throw some spicy sausages in this dish at the end. Be sure to get green lentils, as cooking time varies depending on the color of lentil.
The Goods: Serves 4 to 6

The Lentils:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 leek, white and green parts, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 carrots, scrubbed and 1/2 inch diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup French green lentils
1 whole onion, peeled and stuck with 6 whole cloves
1 white turnip, cut in half
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

The Dressing:
1/4 cup good olive oil
4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

The Deal: 
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the leeks and carrots, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile place the lentils, 4 cups of water, the onion with cloves and the turnip into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the leeks and carrots, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are almost tender. Remove and discard the onion and turnip and drain the lentils. Place them in a medium bowl and add the butter.

3. While the lentils are cooking, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add to the lentils and stir well. Allow the lentils to cool until just warm. Serve warm, add additional salt and pepper as desired.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Yes, they are as good as they look

Sometimes a cookbook is so genius, I actively can't stop thinking about it. I bring it to bed with me and end up reading new recipes until way past happy bedtime. If you have never read the Moosewood Cookbook, you are seriously missing out on some fun creative food. It is an older book, but definitely a staple in many vegetarian kitchens. Including my mothers, which is in fact how I got the book. It went something like this:
Me: Mom I'm taking this book home.
Mom: No, that's my book Bunny, you can't take it.
Me: Name the last time you cooked something from this book.
Mom: I.... (pauses) Look, that's my book, you can't just-
Me: Listen, I need it more, I'll bring it back. Thanks!

And just like that I have a new book, that I am technically borrowing. Man kids are selfish, even when they are in their late twenties. Anyhoo back to the recipe.
So this recipe is so freakin tasty I'm sure to make it again soon. A bunch of vegetables, some egg and flour to hold it together, and wham! Delicious vegetable pancakes in 30 minutes or so. These suckers attracted me for a few different reasons, the largest being I had 90% of the ingredients already in my kitchen. All the vegetables used are still in season (depending on where you live obviously) plus I had local eggs and garlic just waiting to be used in something scrumptious. I've seen many vegetable pancakes and all seem to be fried in butter instead of baked. Of course I would like to avoid frying, but I mean it's all vegetables, what do you WANT from me? I want delicious vegetable pancakes, so frying in butter it is!
These little babies are delicious and take almost no time. I suggested in the recipe making them all at once and keeping the completed ones in a preheated oven until you finish cooking them all. I really can't imagine anyone one not liking these, even picky little kids loves these guys. Honestly sweet potatoes are kinda the whores of the vegetable family, every body wants a taste. Be sure you are serving a nice nutritious green on the side, green beans, broccoli, kale chips, anything green and leafy will do.
I will be blogging a BUNCH of recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook in the weeks to come. You are welcome, in advance. This post is kinda scattered, but the flavor of these pancakes is solid. A big thanks to my Mom for letting me borrow a new inspirational book. Huzzah for Mommas!

Your "batter"

Frying them up

Lightly browned, crispy and vegetarian. Yum!

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

The Goods: Serves 4-6
1 cup carrot, grated
1 cup white potato, grated
1 cup sweet potato, grated
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons onion, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash nutmeg
Unsalted butter for frying

Suggested topping:
1 cup sour cream or greek plain yogurt
2-3 tablespoons chives, minced
Dash of salt and pepper
Dash of lemon juice (optional)
Combine all ingredients

The Deal:
1. Place grated sweet and white potatoes in a colander over a bowl. Salt lightly and let stand 15 minutes. Lightly rinse and squeeze out well to get rid of all the extra water. Preheat oven to 250, and place a cookie sheet inside.

2. Toss all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Heat enough butter to coat a large skillet on medium high heat. Once butter is hot, scoop a scant less than 1/2 cup of the mixture in your hand and flatten to make into pancake, then place in pan. Use a spatula to help form it (see pictures above). You should get 2-3 in a pan, fry on each side until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter as needed. Place finished pancakes in the preheated oven to stay warm until all are cooked.
Serve hot with sour cream or yogurt mixture.

Carrot Pie? Carrot Tart? Delicious? Yes!

Red carrots on the outside, orange on the inside. 

I mean how could I NOT buy these? 

I would cook this dish for the smells alone. Have you ever boiled carrots in orange juice and ginger? If they made a perfume that smelled like that, I would buy it. Not sure where I would wear it, and for that matter I don't wear perfume to begin with....Point is making this dish was a treat for my nose. My mouth as well, but my kitchen smelled like heaven. I love dishes that smell so intoxicating you can't help but but drool while preparing them.

Come on, you know that is pretty cute. 

This pie, which kinda looks like a tart, was made on a day I really needed comfort. Something simple, beautiful, and different. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, part pie, part tart, part carrot cheesy goodness, all parts DEEEElicious. I would love to try this recipe with other vegetables, given how simple it was. Sure it took some time, but you can make the filling or the whole pie a few days in advance. You can also make the crust in advance which will cut your kitchen time in half.

The sweetness of the the cinnamon paired beautifully with the spicy ginger and the ricotta cheese gave the whole dish a lovely texture. Parmesan with is salty nutty flavor could pretty much get put on a kitchen counter and I would eat it. And have, right off the counter.
The crust was nice and crunchy on the outside while still being chewy on the inside. It was sturdy enough for this hearty cheese carrot filling. There is a similar recipe with mushrooms, which I will have to try when I like mushrooms more. As for now, I love me some carrots. This dish was perfect for a fall evening.

The carrots were from the local market, carrots are still in season so try to buy local organic ones if you can. You may notice from the pictures, I also used some butternut squash, because I did not have enough carrots, so I threw in a mini squash. I would like to try this dish with only squash sometime soon. Though I should probably have a few nights devoted to green vegetables or big salads before I make another pie. Pie Sigh.

This is a great dish for a party, cute and different while still being easy and cheap. So come on, this is the kind of bunny food anyone will love. 

Savory Carrot Pie

Adapted from Almost Vegetarian

The filling can be made up to two days in advance, tightly covered and refrigerated. The whole pie can be refrigerated tightly wrapped for up to three days. If you don't have Majoram, you can use thyme, oregeno or basil as a substitute. 


The Goods:
1 recipe Savory Pie Dough
3/4 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups water (or to cover)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch dry majoram, crumbled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

The Deal: 
1. Prepare the dough for the Savory Pie. In a large saucepan, combine the carrots, bay leaves, ginger, orange juice, and water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover and turn heat down to medium and simmer until the carrots are mushy, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boiling your carrots. Caution. Will smell crazy delicious.

2. Pick out bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to the work bowl of a food processor. Puree in pulses, being careful the mixture doesn't become watery. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and majoram and process briefly until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in egg, ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese until combined.

Stirring your egg, ricotta, and parmesan

3. Roll out your dough on a 12 inch square of parchment into a round 10 inches in diameter. Pile the carrot filling in the center and spread it leaving a 2 inch margin all around. Bring the dough up on all sides as if you are going to encase the filling, but leave a 6 inch "window" in the center. Crimp dough around the sides to hold it in place.

All ready to bake.

4. Transfer to a baking sheet or preheated pizza stone, and bake until crust is a deep golden and the filling is set. If the crust browns before the filling sets, cover with foil, lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake about 10 minutes more. Serve hot.

Being Lazy with Curry

It's ALIVE, IT'S ALIVE!

Recently one of healthy boyfriend's roommates made a thai meal for a bunch of hungry 20 somethings on Friday night. Healthy boyfriend called to inform me that I did not have to make dinner and I was sold.
His roommate had spent a while in Thailand and was making various Thai curries, jasmine rice, and curried potatoes. I'm pretty much in kindergarden when it comes to asian cooking and asian flavor. I love the spices and flavors, but haven't had much time to dabble in the kitchen with asian cuisine. I make a mean peanut butter sauce and that's about it.

Dinner ended up being delicious and I was so impressed with curry. Not too spicy with hints of ginger, garlic, and lemon grass. Healthy Boyfriend's roomie confessed he could not take credit for any of the flavor. He bought pre-made curry pastes from the local asian store and just let it simmer for a few hours. That night I made sure to write down the curry paste he had used and the rough "recipe" which was mostly throw everything into a pot and let it simmer.

This is one of the easiest dishes ever. Of course there is some cheating involved when it comes to developing flavor. But sometimes I need an easy go to dish, that takes little kitchen time, and has a flexible ingredient list. All the vegetables were carefully selected by looking in my kitchen and seeing what I had around. One of the best things about making curry, is it's forgiving with ingredients. You can use almost any vegetable because everything tastes good in a curry. All the vegetables were local which is always nice, since the paste and coconut milk were both imported from Thailand.

So if you are looking for an unbelievably easy soup that you can throw almost anything in, here you go.
This is what the curry paste I bought looked like, but there are many different companies that make this type of paste. Depending on where you live, you may need to visit a speciality Asian market to find these types of pastes. Masaman is a mild sweeter curry, but there are spicier ones, green extremely mild ones, and everything in between.

Once I know more about these flavors I would love to develop the flavors myself, and make curry from scratch. With colder weather creeping into our doorways, I do think we all need a few quick soups that take almost no effort and produce outstanding results.

Masaman Curry with assorted Vegetables

The Goods: Serves 4-6
1 (4 oz) can of masaman curry paste
2 (14 oz) cans unsweetened coconut milk ( I used one regular and one light)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cups brocolli, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
4-5 radishes, sliced into 1/2 discs
3-4 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
1-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

The Deal: 
1. Heat peanut oil in large pot on medium heat and stir in paste. Heat until combined about 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 can of coconut milk and heat for 5 minutes. Add all your vegetables, the other can of coconut milk, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer on low heat until all the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Paste and Oil

From a bunch of ingredients to curry!

You can simmer up to 4 hours, though you may need to add additional coconut milk or vegetable broth. Serve with jasmine rice or another starch. 

Cold Sesame Noodles

Seed-a-licious

The elusive perfect pasta salad. It's become so rare for me to enjoy pasta salad, I started avoiding them at potlucks. There are either full of mayo, or the vegetables are overcooked and under flavored. There was one cold asian style noodle salad Trader Joes sells in its fresh section that drove me wild. Im talking had dreams about this salad. Living in Asheville is a gift, except of our lack of Traders Joes. Oh Traders, how I miss you. This one was not like the Traders one, it was tasty, but still not exactly what I wanted. You elude me again perfect pasta salad!

Don't get me wrong, this was great, but when you are seeking a particular flavor, nothing else will do.

Next time I will add more vegetables and less pasta. Of course I "forgot" the red pepper, aka I still dont vibe with red peppers and dont add them to things. Walking into a kitchen when peppers are cooking makes my mouth water, I want to eat them, but then I do and regret it. Someday red/green peppers...someday.

 I think next time Ill use a different type of noodle. Chunky peanut butter was recommended but I had creamy so thats what I used. Always follow ingredients, but be careful when buying food that could go to waste. If you don't eat crunchy butter, don't buy it. 

I made them Sunday night, tasted them and had them again for Monday lunch. Sadly they were tastier Sunday night, but by no means gross on Monday. I ate them again today, and they were still tasty. I made enough for the week, so Ill see how long it holds. This would be a fantastic dish for a potluck, especially in the summer, because it whips up quick and the ingredients are cheap.

Sesame Seeds are healthy too, full of copper, magnesium, and calcium. Also the phrase "open sesame" comes from sesame seeds. When sesame seed pod reaches maturity they burst open, hence open sesame. I tell ya, the things you learn online. I knew there must be a reason they are on so many asian dishes. You can read all about them here: Sesame Seeds

I found this recipe in America's Best Test Kitchen: Family Cookbook, a cookbook I think every person should have. It has every basic recipe you would need, plus information on everything from the best olive oil, to how cook every bean, to a list of every type of cheese and what it goes well with. I've been missing sleep just to read this wonderful book, I would say its a "must have".
Do not let the ingredient list scare you, a lot of components are things you probably have around the house. Specifically the kitchen, hopefully you dont keep peanut butter in your bathroom, though to each his/her own.
Noodle note: Chinese eggs noodles may not be in your pantry, they sadly arent in mine, so use what you have on hand. I only buy whole wheat noodles these days, its good habit to get into. I used angel hair, but think rotini, spaghetti, or farfelle would all be great.

Cold Sesame Noodles

Crap picture, I promise the taste is better

The Goods: Serves 4-6

5 tablespoons sesame seeds

5 tablespoons soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino Acids

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1/2 cup hot water

1 tablespoon salt

1 pound fresh chinese noodles(see note)

4 scallions, sliced thin

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin

The Deal: 

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds. Puree the remaining 4 tablespoons sesame seeds with soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, and Tabasco in a food processor (or blender) until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream. You may not need all the water, the texture is key. 

Pre-pureed

Creamy and healthy. Yes!

2. Cook the noodles as directed until tender. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water until cool. Shake out excess water and transfer to a large bowl. Add the scallions, carrots, red pepper, and sesame sauce and toss to combine. Serve on a platter, or divide into bowls and sprinkle with reserved sesame seeds. 

Pita Sandwich with Spinach, Hummus, Carrots, and Sprouts

Finding a fun healthy lunch every week is a real struggle for me. Not only does it need to transport easy, but it needs to have simple assembly, be nutrutious, and most importantly I need to WANT to eat it.

Salads are great, but I get bored with them easily. Though my love for salads has grown over the years, they are just not what I crave. Healthy boyfriend on the other hand makes the best salads on the planet. He has little patience in the kitchen and often does not care too much about presentation, but all that changes when he is making a salad. Watching him dart around the kitchen, looking for nuts, berries, seeds, anything and everything he can put on his salad to make it healthy, is a sight to see. He arranges them as if he is serving it to a guest, playing with color and design, always making sure the salad looks fit for a king. Its painfully adorable. Oh how I wish I had this trait!
I on the other hand will slave away cooking cookies or casseroles for hours, but when it comes to salad I cannot muster any patience. I use to call salads rabbit food, which in my head I think it still is. Salad is what I have to eat, so I can eat what I REALLY want, pizza, bagels, or simply bread and cheese.
Reflecting on this, I got the idea to put my salad in a pita pocket. Not a food revolution by any means, but I was excited by the idea of it. I literally said, "AHA!" outloud, it was a nice moment.  I was delighted to see that a pack of whole wheat pita bread was only $1.50! Also the ingredient list was shorter than most whole wheat breads, which means less chemicals and junk in my body. Im telling yall, pita bread is my new favorite bread. I use half of one whole pita, which only adds about 75 calories to my meal, but also adds fiber, and good carbs to keeps me fuller longer.

What I did is prepare enough ingredients for a large salad, and put about half the salad in the pita pocket and then eat the other half of the salad as a side dish. I plan to try several variations on this idea, so the vegetables below are a guide, but as I often say, use what you like and know you will eat. Of course be careful not to get stuck eating the same 5 vegetables every week. When you find a vegetable you love, high fives all around, but never forget variation is the spice of life, and nutritionally speaking variation is essential to whole body health.

These ingredients went marviously together, and I really enjoyed having the tangy flavor of the goddess dressing with the earthy flavor of the hummus. Im on a goddess dressing kick, but any healthy, preferably organic, dressing will do.

Hope yall enjoy my Pita sandwich/salad!

Pita Sandwich with Spinach, Hummus, Carrots, and Sprouts

a bit messy, but it makes up for it in flavor!

The Goods: Serves two

1 whole wheat pita pocket, cut in half
1 scallion, thinly sliced
5 cups of baby spinach
1 large carrot, shaved and thinly sliced
1 cup of sprouts(broccoli, alfalfa, etc)
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, raw
2 tablespoons hummus, plain or garlic
1/2-1 tablespoon Annies Goddess Dressing


The Deal: 
1. Place sprouts, scallions, carrots, sunflower seeds and spinach in a large bowl and toss with Goddess Dressing, making sure dressing is evenly distributed.

2. With a knife spread 1 tablespoon of hummus in each pita pocket, spreading evenly.

3. Fill each pita pocket with half of the spinach mixture, and place any additonal spinach salad on the side to enjoy as a salad.

Spinach Salad with Toasted Walnuts

Ever eaten a walnut and thought, MY GOODNESS that is a toasty nut! Well this week I am eating salads again, with spinach and strawberries per usual, but I am also using walnuts this week. I discovered when you toast walnuts, and most nuts, they taste SOOO much better and are not any less healthy for you. Nut score!

The trick with toasting nuts is NOT TO FORGET them. Nuts can go from toasty to burned in minutes. This is not the kind of thing you should throw in the oven and forget about. Find something in the kitchen to do while they are toasting, because while a toasted nut gives you have a happy face, a burned nut is all frowney face.

Spinach Salad with Toasted Walnuts

Serves 1, increases as needed

Ingredients: 

2-3 cups baby spinach, washed 

2-3 medium strawberries, chopped

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted(See below)

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1-2 tablespoons Annies Balsamic Vinegrette(Be VERY careful with dressings, they can make a salad bad for you with just a flick of the wrist)

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in a bowl, putting the dressing on last. Toss and enjoy! 

I usually have a whole wheat english muffin or slice of toast with a salad, just to make sure Im getting some fiber.

Toasting Walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place walnuts on a baking sheet and bake 5-10 minutes. Cooking time may vary, I find a layer of nuts covering a baking sheet takes about 6 minutes, but I ere on the side of caution. They wont look any different, unless they are burned, I often taste mine to see if they are ready. The taste, well nuttier. You'll see!

Bagel Sammich!

I struggle a lot with healthy lunches. Something portable, delicious, and healthy. I have been known to eat 3 packs of fruit snacks and a bag of chips for lunch. Yikes! I always pay for my bad lunch choices, because by days end Im exhausted, hungry, and grumpy. And then that turns into not wanting to make a healthy dinner because Im so "tired" (really Im just hungry), so I end up eating 6 slices of facon and some goldfish. I go to bed feeling awful and the cycle continues.

So I have started planning my meals for the week, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its more work at the beginning of the week, but having my meals planned saves me stress throughout the week, and I make sure to get the nutrients I need. My challenge now that I have been planning is that after I eat something for a week, I get sick of it and have to try something new.

Salads are great, but I usually need to take a break from them after a few weeks. So this week Im trying something new, a bagel sandwich. Im using vegis I like, but this is really flexible, so use the vegis you have or look nice in the grocery store:

Healthy bagel sandwich

Ingredients: 1 serving, increase as needed

1 whole wheat bagel(ALWAYS check the bagel label and make sure 1st ingredient is WHOLE WHEAT FLOWER)

A "smear" of homemade scallion cream cheese(recipe to follow)

2-4 slices of red onion

Handful of baby spinach

12-15 Capers(if you like them,  since Im a salt-aholic, these are my guilty pleasure)

Carrots, shredded

1 slice of tomato

Any other vegis you like

HOMEMADE SCALLION CREAM CHEESE:

Making your own flavored cream cheese is super easy, and healthier because you dont get all the added chemicals most flavored cream cheese have. This should keep for 3-5 days, depending on your storage container.

8 ounces low fat or fat free cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup chopped scallions(2-3 scallions)

1 tbsp milk

pinch of salt then salt to taste.

Place cream cheese, scallions, milk, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth.