Dear Blog,

• 2 cups red lentils, uncooked
• 1 white onion,chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped, including seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder 
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
• 1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
• lime wedges for serving (optional)

5.      Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serves 4.

2 large eggs yolks

1 tablespoon butter

 

Instructions

 

1. Put all sauce ingredients in a metal bowl, then set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.

 

2. Heat sauce, whisking until cheese and butter are melted, and then stirring with a wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes.

 

3. Remove bowl from pan. Serve sauce with flan.

Spicy Red Curry Lentils

Ingredients

12 oz. Soyrizo
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 1/2 cups lentils (green or brown)
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
couple of shakes of your favorite hot sauce (I used Cholula)
a few dashes of paprika
1/4 to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
1 (14 oz.) can of diced tomatoes or unsweetened tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat up your butter over med-high heat. Sauté your Soyrizo, diced onion and garlic. Set aside.

2. Rinse and pick over your lentils. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook your lentils per package instructions. When done, add back in your Soyrizo, garlic and onions.

3. Add in red curry paste, garam masala, coriander, curry powder, brown sugar, turmeric, minced ginger, hot sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper.

4. Cook for 2-4 minutes.

5. Add in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, mixing so that the ingredients blend well. Add in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook thoroughly for 20-25 minutes, stirring periodically.

6. Garnish with green onions, Thai basil or a dollop of Greek yogurt. Serve over jasmine or basmati rice. The dish goes equally well with garlic naan.

7. Leftovers can be frozen.

☺ TIP: If the end product turns out to be a bit too spicy for you, you can adjust the heat by adding extra coconut milk.

Potage Parmentier  (Potato Leek Soup)
 
Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large leeks (white and green part only)
1 small yellow onion, quartered then sliced into strips
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
4 cups chicken stock
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 cup whole milk
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper


Instructions

I've been home from my trip for a week now and my suitcase is STILL sprawled on my living room floor and I've been picking things out of it as needed like a vulture picks at a carcass. Ugh! I don't know why, but unpacking feels like such a chore. Not that packing a suitcase is more fun but at least it has the added aspect that you're packing to go somewhere, an impending travel adventure.

On a related note...do you know what your packing style is? I never gave it much thought until I started dating Mr.S. He starts packing for trips a few days before the trip and packs A LOT. Me? I tend to pack light and the night before (or sometimes even the morning of) a trip. Guess who tends to forget things more often? You got it--him. I think my packing style drives him crazy, but what can he do? And yes, he also is the type that has to immediately (and I mean immediately) unpack his luggage the minute we get home. As soon as we hit the door, he's throwing dirty shirts in the laundry, returning the toothbrushes to their upright position in the bathroom mug and the suitcases are emptied and put away before my butt can hit the sofa.


Anyhow, if your significant other is like mine, let him sort out and put away the clothing, toiletries and travel souvenirs; while he's doing that, hit the kitchen and make this barley risotto for the two of you. It tastes amazing and is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night. My friend, Michelle, ordered a similar dish at a Midtown restaurant (Tuli's) about a month ago and gave me a taste. Inspired by it's many mingling layers of delicious flavors, I looked around for the recipe and stumbled about this version in Yotam Ottolenghi's book, Jerusalem. Be sure not to skip making the feta with caraway seeds- it really add an amazing dimension of flavor to the dish. I had never used caraway seeds in a dish before and was surprised at how aromatic and tasty they are- kind of a nutty, anise-like taste. The barley risotto itself has a nice chewy texture and a deep tomato flavor. This scrumptious dish works great as a main course or as a side dish and is an easy meal to prepare for vegetarian friends. Although barley risotto is definitely less temperamental to prepare than traditional risotto, remember to still stir often so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.


Yotam Ottolenghi's Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta (you can find the original recipe in his book, Jerusalem)
makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small shallots, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
4 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
4 strips of lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
1  14-oz can chopped tomatoes (I used Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes)
1 1/4 cups of passata (I used Pomi's strained pureed tomatoes instead)
scant 3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
10.5 oz  feta, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
salt, to taste

Instructions
1. In a mesh strainer, rinse the barley and leave it to drain.

2. In a large pot, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the celery, shallots and garlic. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Then add the barley, thyme sprigs, smoked paprika, bay leaf, lemon peel, chile flakes, chopped tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, stock and salt. Stir to combine.

3. Bring the mixture to a nice boil, then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 45 minutes (uncovered). Stir frequently to prevent the barley from sticking to the bottom.

4. While your barley risotto is cooking, toast your caraway seeds in a small, dry pan until they start to impart a toasty, nutty smell. Remove from heat immediately. Place in a bowl (or with a mortar and pestle set) and gently crush the seeds.

5. In a medium sized bowl, combine your toasted caraway seeds, crumbled feta and remaining (4 tablespoons) olive oil. Mix to combine.

6. When the barley is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat. Divide your barley portions into bowls and top with marinated feta and a sprinkle of fresh oregano.

Ahhh, with the beautiful autumn foliage and crisp evenings comes the sniffles, coughs, fevers and chills. Poor Mr.S. has been sick the last few days. I've been feeding him soup, liquids and Sudafed mostly but last night I decided to cook him and Kidlet #1 a "real" dinner. I made chicken marsala over a quinoa/wild rice blend and a side of spaghetti squash. I wasn't sure how the spaghetti squash would go over with the guys- but lo and behold, they liked it...a lot!

Spaghetti squash is quite the versatile winter vegetable. It's low in calories and carbs (one-half cup of cooked spaghetti squash has about 20 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates); not to mention, it's also loaded with fiber and beta carotene. Can't beat that! We ate this as a side dish but you can just as easily make it an entrée by adding some roasted chicken, cherry tomatoes and basil. If you have some fresh herbs and garlic on hand, by all means sub them in for the seasoning- parsley, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, sage...any of these would work great. Have some leftover summer pesto? Mix it in with the spaghetti squash, it'll make a great lunch dish.
 
Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Pecorino

Ingredients

2 spaghetti squashes
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Pecorino
McCormick's Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb Salt-Free Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Slice spaghetti squashes in half (lengthwise). Use a spoon to scoop out seeds and the stringy goop (I'm sure there's a proper name for this stuff, but we'll go with stringy goop.)

3. Place spaghetti squash halves on a foil lined baking sheet (use one with a lipped edge). Drizzle some olive oil on the squash and use your hands to make sure it's coated well.

4. Place the squashes cut side down on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 50-55 minutes. The flesh on the cut side should be fork tender.

5. Flip the squashes so that the cut side faces up and let them cool for about 20 minutes. Then drag a fork to scrape the insides out. The flesh will come up in long, thin strands that look similar to spaghetti noodles. Move the scraped flesh to a bowl.

6. Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shredded squash and toss to get it coated with the butter. Add the Pecorino and sprinkle with the McCormick's Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb Salt-Free Seasoning. Toss well, cook for about 3 minutes.

7. Serve hot.

Spicy Forbidden Rice Salad

Ingredients

1 cup Forbidden Rice

1/4 cup scallions, green & white parts thinly sliced

1/2 cup Sweet Twister pepper, diced

1/2 cup English cucumber, diced

1 cup roasted/unsalted cashews, chopped

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek

1/2 teaspoon honey

salt and ground pepper, to taste

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds


Instructions

My poor blog has been a bit neglected lately and I apologize. Things have been pretty busy here around my cottage and at Mr. S.'s casa. We now have the kidlets full-time so a lot of our time is spent hanging out with them. Lately they've been into bike riding, racing radio controlled (nitro and electric/lipo) cars as well as watching The Office and the X-Games. The full-time thing has been a bit of an adjustment  and definitely exhausting but it was nice when for Mother's Day I received this gorgeous lily plant from Mr.S., the kidlets and Pepper pup.

 

Now this past weekend was a bit insane and I felt like I didn't get much sleep...but it was insane in a good way. My weekend started with an early wake-up, as Saturday morning I was volunteering at the the Mid-Century Modern Home Tour. I was stationed from 10am to 1pm in the game room (aka "The Big Lebowski Room") of my friend Gretchen's phenomenal Eichler home in South Land Park. I had such a fantastic time chatting with the folks that came through and learned all kinds of interesting bits of historical information about the area architecture and furnishings. One sweet gentleman even swapped me one of the Atomic Fireballs in my candy dish for a recipe on how to make a drink that tastes just like an Atomic Fireball (Fireball Whiskey, lemon juice and maple syrup).  The entire morning went by in a flash. After my volunteer shift, my friend Amanda and I went to check out a few of the other homes on the tour. I instantly fell in love with the backyard garden at the Skelly Duplex on Gilgunn Way. Such a great use of space! With it's lush greenery, bubbling water fountain and outdoor firepit, it's the perfect hideaway to curl up in and read a book during the week and soak in some tranquility. Then on weekends, you could switch it up and throw a fun, outdoor dinner party with friends under the stars. *Sigh* Now if only I could convince Mr. S. to build me a gazebo, a little garden studio getaway and an outdoor shower in his backyard like the ones I saw!



Hands down though, my favorite home on the tour is still Gretchen's Eichler. The vintage Ray-Gun collection, whimsical retro lunchbox display and sparkly Sputnik light- all  intermingled with the bright colors, clean lines and big windows- it just makes it such a fun house to be in; it's no surprise that it's been featured in Atomic Ranch magazine. Here's a few random pics I snapped of things that caught my eye:





Now if all that hub-bub wasn't enough to wear me out, I had plans to go to Napa with my friend Michelle to see Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew at the Uptown Theatre that night. It turned out to be quite hilarious... even the fart jokes (ok, maybe I have been hanging out with the kidlets a leeee-tle too much).



Anyhow, amid all this running around, I found the time to make a new recipe...and it's oooh so good! It's made with fresh juicy strawberries, creamy goat cheese and some wonderfully nutty-tasting farro. I also threw in a handful of toasted slivered almonds for crunch and drizzled on some homemade vinaigrette to give it a nice subtle lemon-kissed taste.  You'll love it! It's the perfect quintessential summer recipe. Pack it to take on a romantic weekend picnic, whip up a batch to take to a BBQ with friends or you can even make some to have as part of your weeknight family dinner. (Which is what we did. I served it alongside some seared scallops mixed with morels and topped with a brown butter sauce. Ohhhh yeaaah!) By the way, if you haven't tried farro (pronounced FAHR-oh), it's good stuff! It's a grain that looks a lot like brown rice but has a lighter, chewier texture and a nutty taste. It's also rich in fiber and low in gluten. Farro's also quite easy to cook. You can use it as a replacement for rice in salads, risottos and soups.




Summertime Strawberry and Farro Salad

Ingredients

3 oz. slivered almonds

1 cup semi-pearled or pearled farro

1 basket (pint) of whole strawberries

3 green onions (white and lighter green portion)

1 cup baby spinach leaves

3.5 oz. crumbled goat cheese


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Take a baking sheet and spread the slivered almonds out in a single layer. Place in oven for 5-8 minutes. Flip and stir them about every 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they can go from toasted to burnt very quickly. Remove them from the oven before they brown (remember they'll continue to cook somewhat once they're removed from the oven.)  Allow to cool. Set aside.

3. Rinse the farro. Next, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro, cover and return to a boil. Then bring the heat down to medium-low and allow the farro to cook for 30-35 minutes. When it's done most of the water should be absorbed. If you have a little bit of water left, go ahead and drain it off.

4. Place the cooked farro in a bowl and place it in the fridge to cool.

5. While your farro cools- hull and quarter your strawberries, roughly chop your baby spinach leaves, and finely slice the green onion. (If the strawberries are on the smaller side, just cut them in half instead of quarters.)

6. Mix up your vinaigrette (see recipe below).

7. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the farro, strawberries, spinach, green onions and goat cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and mix well.
8. Serve cold.


Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together thoroughly.

2. Chill in refrigerator.

I've been dying to make this recipe ever since I read about it in Maria Speck's book, "Ancient Grains for Modern Meals." Her book had some fantastic gluten-free recipes and has a way of making you want to incorporate grains more in your life without any heavy-duty food preaching. The tart sounded wonderful and I'm a huge fan of savory tarts, especially ones that use goat cheese. Did you know that fresh goat cheese has a third of the fat and calories of cream cheese made from cow's milk? It also has half the cholesterol and twice the protein. Plus for those of us who are lactarded, goat cheese is much easier to digest...not to mention, that it tastes delicious.

I pretty much followed Maria Speck's recipe as written but I did opt to throw in some shallots and garlic. (Is there anything I won't throw garlic into?) I also was out of Greek yogurt so I used organic, plain, lowfat yogurt in it's place...it worked fine. I thought the tart came out great, but next time I might go slightly lighter on the rosemary (but that's just my personal preference). If you're looking for something a bit different from your average quiche or frittata to take to a brunch, this would be a good choice.  This recipe would also work well with asparagus.

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Tart with Parmesan-Polenta Crust
(slightly adapted, from Maria Speck's book, "Ancient Grains for Modern Meals")

Crust:
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups polenta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the broth and water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the salt. Slowly add the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly, and continue whisking for 30 seconds. Decrease the heat to low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every few minutes to keep the polenta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Stir in the cheese, egg and pepper.

2. Grease a 10-inch tart pan or cake pan with olive oil. Have a glass of cold water ready. Spoon the polenta into the pan and press it out, pushing it up the sides. Dip a wooden spoon or your hands in the cold water to help the polenta along. Set aside for 15 minutes and then form an even rim about 3/4 of an inch thick with moist fingers, pressing firmly. Don't worry if the crust looks rustic.

3. Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F.

Artichoke filling:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt or organic, plain, lowfat yogurt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2-3 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 cloves, garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces artichoke hearts, canned or frozen
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté the shallots and garlic in a small pan.

2. Whisk the yogurt, eggs, scallions, parsley, rosemary, shallots, garlic salt and pepper together until well-combined. Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters and distribute them evenly over the polenta crust. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the artichokes and pour the yogurt filling evenly over the artichokes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake the tart until the top turns golden brown and the filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes, though 40 is better. The tart can be prepared up to one day ahead.

Ninniku Miso-Zuke

Ingredients

handful of  fresh garlic cloves
1 cup miso paste- I prefer to use aka (red) miso, but a sweet shiro (white) or barley miso could be used too
1/4 c mirin
1 clean, dry wide-mouth quart jar

Instructions

1. Separate the garlic cloves. Trim the garlic ends, remove the outer skin and also peel off the thin filmy membrane layer.

2. Blanch garlic cloves for 1-2 minutes in unsalted water. Pull them out and pat dry them with a clean paper towel.

3. In a small bowl mix together your mirin and miso thoroughly.

4. Place a thin layer of miso at the bottom of your jar then make alternating layers of miso and garlic cloves. (Note: You don't want the cloves to touch.) Continue the layering process until you run out of ingredients or reach the top. Finish the top with a miso-mirin mixture layer and make sure all the garlic cloves are covered with miso.

5. Latch your jar and place it in the fridge. Allow it to pickle for at least 1 month. The garlic gets better with age. Keeps good up to 3-4 months.

6. When you're ready to eat the garlic, just pull out the amount you want to eat, rinse off the miso and serve. Use as an accompaniment to a meal or just eat them as a snack. I like to shove a few into the middle of my onigiris or dice it up and mix it with butter when I'm sautéing.

* Tip #1: As you clear each layer of garlic, the miso is still good and can be used in your recipes that call for miso.

* Tip #2: You can buy mirin and aka miso at most Asian speciality stores. For Sacramentans: Otos' Market on Freeport Blvd. carries both.

* Tip #3: Take the time to use fresh garlic in this recipe. The pre-peeled garlic that you can buy in bags at Costco and other grocery stores isn't as fresh and you'll notice a difference in taste.