Lentil and sausage soup

So I bought a 4-pound bag of lentils recently. It was on sale! And I like lentils! Therefore lots of lentil recipes incoming.

Mats:
1 lb sweet Italian sausage. Or spicy, but noone in my house likes the spicy.
1 onion, finely diced. 1cm cubes is your goal
1 stalk celery, sliced. Aiming for 2cm wide slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb dry lentils. Any color will be fine, but I used generic brown ones.
15oz diced tomatoes
8 cups water
4 cups chicked broth. 4c=32oz=1 box=2 cubes of bullion
1 Tb garlic powder
1 1/2 Tb fresh parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano, or 1 Tb fresh because the frost hasn't killed mine yet
1/4 tsp dried basil. The frost has killed that one, sadly
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Put a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Let the pot heat for a few minutes, then add the sausages. Cook the sausage for about 9 minutes, turning the links every 3 minutes or so. You're going for a sear on all sides, so just when the sausage skin has a nice dark brown/black line on it.

Remove the sausage from the pan and let cool for 3 or so minutes. Slice into bite-sized chunks. Or you can skip this step if you managed to find loose sausage meat. Either way, return the sausage to the pot.

Reduce heat to medium, then add the chopped onion, celery and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until onion becomes translucent.

Add lentils, water, chicken broth, and tomatoes. Season with the oregano, basil, garlic powder, bay leaves, parsley, and pepper. Stir well.

Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours or until lentils are tender.

Couscous with Blueberries and Sugar Snap Peas

Blueberries are in season now, and this is a great way to use them!

Mats
2c uncooked couscous
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped into 1/4 inch bits
1 Tb garam masala
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups blueberries (about a pint and a half)
2 cups sugar snap or snow peas, cut in half
1/4 c sour cream
1/4c mint, chopped
1/2c roasted, unsalted cashews

Boil 2 1/2c water in a pot that has a lid. Turn off the heat, add the couscous and cover with a tight-fitting lid for 5 minutes.

Heat 1Tb oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion to hot oil and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garam masala and cinnamon, then continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.

Add other 1Tb oil to pot, then add peas. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add blueberries and cook for 1 minute.

Pour blueberry mixture into a large bowl, add cooked couscous, mint and cashews. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Green Apple and Jicama salad

Really light and nice for a summer dinner. If you omit the shrimp, it's also awesome for a summer picnic dish.

Mats
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and peeled
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 jicama, peeled
1 lb shrimp (optional)
1c olive oil
6 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemongrass
1c mint
2 cloves garlic

Chop the apples into bite-sized bits. Peel the jicama and slice into matchsticks. Combine carrots, apple and jicama in a large bowl.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, then add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a food processor, combine the oil, mustard, vinegar, lemongrass, mint and garlic. Process for about 15 seconds or until slightly chunky.

Slice the shrimp in half, or thirds if you have large shrimp. You're looking for pieces about as large as your apple and jicama.

Add the shrimp and sauce to the apple mixture, then stir really well to coat all the pieces with the sauce.

Cover an refrigerate for 1 or 2 hours, then serve.

Matzo Brei

Matzo Brei rhymes with 'fry', appropriately enough, since it's a fried egg dish. I found it to be a lovely base that can support a variety of tastes.

Mats
5 matzo squares
6 eggs
1/4c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4c chives
2 tomatoes, cut into1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp butter

Break the matzo into eighths. Soak the broken bits in a bowl of water for 30 seconds (this makes them chewy instead of crunchy). Place them in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes.

In a small bowl, break the eggs and scramble them well. Add Parmesan cheese and chives, then stir well.

Add the egg mixture to the matzo mixture and stir so all the matzo bits are coated with the egg.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter.

Add the egg mixture to the saucepan, spreading out the mixture as evenly as possible. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Cook like scrambled eggs, move all the bits around and flip, so all the egg-coated matzo get cooked on all sides.

Season with a little salt and pepper to taste, possibly top with some more cheese, and enjoy.

Thai-style pizza

Another slightly-odd (but delicious) pizza!

Mats
10oz pizza dough
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thinly and cooked. I generally pan-fry it.
4oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/4c cilantro, roughly chopped. I'm growing a few varieties of basil in my garden this year, so I've substituted both Thai basil and purple basil for the cilantro.

'Sauce' Mats
1 Tbsp sesame or peanut oil
1/4c tamarind concentrate
1/4c smooth peanut butter
1tsp red curry paste
1Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, or as hot as it will go. Put your bakeware in the oven to heat up along with the oven. This is the secret to a crispy crust that won't get soggy from your toppings.

Cut a square of parchment paper out a little larger than whatever you're cooking your pizza on.

Sprinkle a bit of flour or cornmeal on the parchment (to prevent sticking. You should only need a tablespoon or two). Roll out the pizza dough to the desired shape and thickness on the parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine all the 'sauce' mats and mix until you have a smooth paste. Spread the sauce on the raw crust. It's really sticky, so I generally rub a tiny bit of peanut oil on my fingers and use them to move it about, instead of a utensil.

Top the pizza with the mushrooms, then the sliced red pepper, and finally the chicken.

Open the oven, lift the parchment paper with the pizza and place it on your now-heated bakeware. Cook for 3 minutes.

Use a spatula (or two) to loosen the par-baked crust from the parchment, then pull the parchment paper out, setting the pizza back on the hot bakeware. Think of that magic trick where the magician pulls the tablecloth out from under the set table.

Continue cooking the pizza for an additional 6 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the toppings are hot.

Remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle the chopped cilantro over top. Let rest for 3 minutes, then slice and serve.

Green curry with cashews

Usually I make red curries; this one is green. I found this curry to have a more delicate flavor and the lemongrass complimented the green beans well.

Mats
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced. I mandolined it again.
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 lb green beans, cut into thirds
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp green curry paste. I used Taste of Thai
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbsp tamari sauce
1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews, chopped
1/4 cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in large wok over medium high heat. Add onion and mushrooms, cover and cook 6 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown.

Uncover pan, add garlic and ginger, cook for two minutes, stirring often. Add green beans and cook 3 minutes, stirring often.

In a separate bowl, combine coconut milk, curry paste, lemon juice and tamari sauce. Whisk well.

Add curry mixture to wok, reduce heat to medium low, stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, top with cashews and cilantro and serve with rice.

I like to use the leftover coconut milk to cook the rice with, replacing it 1:1 with the usual water.

Peanut Noodles with Celery

This recipe won a thumbs-up immediately. I served it room-temperature the first time, but next time I'm going to do it warm. I like how it uses the celery leaves in addition to the more-commonly used stems, so there's less waste!

Mats:
1/2c sesame or peanut oil
1/2c soy sauce
1/2c smooth peanut putter
4 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp ground ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp thai curry paste (I ran out of my old stuff, so now I'm using Thai Kitchen's Red Curry paste. I don't like it quite as much)
1 lb linguine
3 cups celery stalks, sliced into 1/4 inch nuggets
1 cup celery leaves, chopped plus 1 cup whole leaves

Combine oil, soy sauce, peanut butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and curry paste in a food processor. Run it until it forms a smooth sauce.

Cook the pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Mine was about 10 minutes cooking time.

*I ran the pasta under cold water after it was done to make this a cold noodle salad. It would also work as a warm dish*

Transfer the pasta to a large dish, then add the sliced celery stalks, chopped celery leaves, and 1 cup peanut sauce. Toss to combine.

Scoop into bowls, add a handful of whole leaves as garnish, and a bit more sauce, if you'd like.

When saving leftovers, save the extra sauce separately, as the noodles will absorb it all as they sit.

Samosa-style stuffed peppers

I really liked this dish. It was just a tad too spicy for my husband, though, so next time I'll have to cut the curry powder down a bit. You can make these ahead, stuff them and even freeze them, just skip the final baking step. Then just defrost and pop them in the oven.

Mats

4 large red bell peppers, cut in half vertically, seeds removed

2 Tb vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced

4 tsp curry powder

3 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ginger powder
3/4 cup basmati rice. I actually used orzo pasta, because I had it on hand.
3/4 cup lentils
½ tsp. salt
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large carrots, chopped

1 cup green beans, cut in bite sized pieces
½ cup raisins 

½ cup unsalted peanuts or cashews, coarsely chopped. I like cashews better, so those are what I used.

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease a large baking dish (either rub a stick of butter along the bottom or spray with cooking spray). Place the bell peppers, cut side down, in the baking dish, cover the top with aluminum foil, then bake for 25 minutes.

While the peppers are cooking, take a large pan and heat the 2 Tb oil. Add the onions and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until they start to turn translucent.

Add the curry powder, garam masala and ginger powder to the onion, stir well and cook for 1 minute.

Add the rice, lentils, salt, chickpeas, carrots green beans, raisins and 4 cups water to the pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. **NB** if you're using orzo instead of rice, add the pasta 5 minutes into the cooking time, as it only takes 10 minutes to cook the pasta.

Uncover the pan after 15 minutes and stir in the nuts. If you've still got a lot of broth left in the pan, let it boil for a bit, uncovered, to evaporate some of the liquids.

When the peppers are finished cooking, take them out of the oven and flip them over in the pan so they're now cut-side up. Save the foil, you'll be putting it back on the dish in a moment.

Spoon the samosa filling into the pepper halves. If you've some filling left over, it makes a delicious salad, even without the peppers.

Put the aluminum foil back over the baking dish with the filled peppers, then return to the oven for 15 minutes.

After the 15 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for 5 more minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Hummus Pizza

While decidedly heavy on the carbs, pizza doesn't have to be a dripping, oil-drenched slog of cheese and/or meat. While I make my own dough (admittedly I'm fairly bad at it still), many stores sell pre-made dough that all you need to do is roll out.

Mats
12oz pizza dough
1 1/4 cups hummus. I used plain hummus, but stirred in a clove of crushed garlic
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, either diced or sliced super-thin. I used my mandoline.
1 tsp ground sumac. I found the stuff in Williams-Sonoma. It's quite good.
1/4c cilantro, chopped.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, or as hot as it will go. Put your bakeware in the oven to heat up along with the oven. This is the secret to a crispy crust that won't get soggy from your toppings.

Cut a square of parchment paper out a little larger than whatever you're cooking your pizza on.

Sprinkle a bit of flour or cornmeal on the parchment (to prevent sticking. You should only need a tablespoon or two). Roll out the pizza dough to the desired shape and thickness on the parchment paper.

Spread the hummus evenly over the crust. Top with the roasted red peppers, onion and ground sumac.

Open the oven, lift the parchment paper with the pizza and place it on your now-heated bakeware. Cook for 3 minutes.

Use a spatula (or two) to loosen the par-baked crust from the parchment, then pull the parchment paper out, setting the pizza back on the hot bakeware. Think of that magic trick where the magician pulls the tablecloth out from under the set table.

Continue cooking the pizza for an additional 6 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the toppings are hot.

Remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle the chopped cilantro over top. Let rest for 3 minutes, then slice and serve.

Savory Oatmeal with Brie and Cherry Tomatoes

Oatmeal is not just for breakfast! This savory dish uses the frankly quite bland taste of oatmeal as a canvas for a its savory components to shine.

Mats
2 Tbsp butter
1 shallot, peeled and diced
2 cups (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not the quick cook kind)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 oz Brie cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 c basil leaves, torn

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot, tomatoes and salt, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add the oats and stir, cook for 1 minute more.

Stir in crushed garlic and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and sprinkle the Brie cubes and basil leaves over the top, then serve.

Black Pepper Fettuccine with Chardonnay Sauce

This is another high-veggie, no-dairy meal. It portions out for two people, so just perfect for me and my husband!

Mats:
Sauce
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup Chardonnay wine
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pasta
3 oz. uncooked fettuccine
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 lb green beans, cut in half
1/4 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Start the sauce by pureeing the cashews with 1c water in a food processor until smooth. You may need to add a bit more water, if the processor starts seizing up. Strain the cashews through a square of cheesecloth* to remove the solids. Retain the liquid.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the Chardonnay to a simmer. Cook for 7 minutes.

Stir in cashew mixture, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and black pepper. Stir really well, reduce heat to super-low and keep warm.

For the pasta, cook the fettuccine in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Usually about 3 minutes. Drain the water.

Heat a medium saucepan over very high heat. Add the green beans and pepper strips and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. You're going for a blackened sear on the outside. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat under the saucepan to medium, add 1/4c water and the baby spinach. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted.

Toss the spinach, green beans and red bell pepper with the fettuccine, then top with Chardonnay sauce and serve!

Cannellini al Gratin

This one got the thumbs-up. I used canned beans, because I didn't want to deal with cooking them myself, but dried beans cooked in an herbed mixture give the dish a fuller flavour.

Mats
2 cans cannellini beans with their canning liquid
1 large onion, diced
1 bulb of fennel, diced
3 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided into 1/2 and 1/4 cup amounts
1c breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In an oven-safe pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the carrots and fennel and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the diced onion and cook another 7 minutes, uncovered and stirring frequently.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add the vinegar, stirring well and scraping all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add the beans with their canning liquid, parsley, thyme and 1/2c Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine.
The bean mixture should have enough liquid in it to just barely cover the beans. If it's short, add a little water.
In a separate bowl, mix the 1c of breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4c cheese with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Stir well
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the bean mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

NB:
If you want to use dried beans, start with 1 lb cannellini beans. Soak them overnight in a large bowl of cold water.
Put the beans in a pot with enough water to cover them by 3 inches.
Tie together 6 sprigs of thyme to 3 sprigs of parsley. Peel an onion, stick 3 whole cloves in it. Peel 6 cloves of garlic and chop them in half. Cut the fronds and stems off the fennel. Toss all of the above into the pot with the beans
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and boil with a semi-cocked lid for 30-45 minutes or until beans are tender. Discard the herbs, onion, garlic and fennel, but reserve some of the cooking liquid for use in the gratin.

This is why I just used canned beans. Easier and still quite tasty.

Italian-style stuffed Portobellos

This recipe was quite fast to make and wasn't a lot of effort. The balsamic marinade really helped mitigate any overly-mushroomy flavor and made it a delight to eat.

Mats

Mushrooms
1/4c olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed

Filling
1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
10 sun-dried tomatoes, halved
1/2c milk
10 oz spinach or arugula. I used a mix of the two greens
4oz mozzarella cheese, grated
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp breadcrumbs, lightly toasted

Preheat your oven to 375
Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil and place the mushroom caps, gill-side up in the pan
Combine the oil, vinegar and garlic in a mixing cup and stir well to make a vinaigrette
Pour marinade over the mushroom caps and bake for 30 minutes or until caps are soft.

Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, basil, oregano, pepper and salt and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring often.
Add the milk and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes
Add the spinach/arugula and cook until wilted. Spinach is really bulky, so you'll find it easier if you add the greens in two batches and wait for the previous one to wilt. Stir often, coating the leaves with the milk/onion mixture. It will take about 4 minutes for each batch to wilt down.
Add the mozzarella and stir well. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.

When the mushrooms are done, remove them from the oven and put them on plates. Top each mushroom cap with 1/4 of the spinach mixture, 3 cherry tomato halves and a sprinkle of the breadcrumbs.

Tortellini with Nutty Herb Sauce

Happy New Year! With the holidays finally over, I'm picking up where I left off - trying new, delicious recipes and using this blog as my recipe book. I inherited a pile of cookbooks from my husband's grandma and I can't wait to dive into them! Every cookbook is like a treasure chest - handing recipes down and around has been the secret language of families for aeons and I'm honored to be taken into their confidence.

My mom got me a beautiful pizza stone for Christmas, along with a book of neat pizza recipes. Not your standard tomato-and-cheese fare, so I'm really looking forward to trying those out too.

But for now, a new favorite.

Mats:
1 lb cheese tortellini or ravioli
3 Tbsp butter
100g walnuts (about 3.5 oz)
100g pine nuts (about 3.5 oz)
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4c ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp cream
10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside
Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is all melted and begins to foam, add the nuts.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. The nuts will turn golden brown, and the butter will be a rich dark brown as well.
Remove the nuts from heat and add the thyme, parsley and about 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the cream. Stir so the cheese is all gloopy.
Dish the tortellini into serving bowls and top with the nut-butter. Put a large dollp of the ricotta/cream mixture on top. Top with cherry tomato halves and enjoy.

NB: Since my husband can't eat whole nuts, after the butter and nuts were finished cooking I put them, the thyme and parsley into the food processor and ground it into a fine paste-like concoction. It came out really well.