Party Dip

I swear I haven't been lazy, just incredibly busy once again. My apologies. I have been making some killer food in the mean time though. To start off, I will share the recipe I made for the first neighborhood cookout in our new building. Our condo building and the neighboring townhouses got together for a wonderful night of food and The Big Lebowski projected onto a garage. A ton of fun! We made a really simple and delicious curried lentil dip with pitas. The dip was a tad dry, but had really good flavor. Next time (and there most likely will be a next time), I'll just add some water into the mix.


Curried Lentil Dip (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

We used brown lentils instead of red and weren't closely watching them as they were boiling, so they ended the boiling process a little dry. Perhaps if we were more diligent the whole dip would have been moister.

1 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala (optional)
1/4 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are very soft and most of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions, apples, and garlic with a dash of salt for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the raisins, curry powder, and the garam masala, if using, and continue to saute for about 10 minutes, until tender.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree the cooked lentils and sauteed onion mixture with the coconut milk and lemon juice. Add the salt and adjust to taste.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Cookin with the Cuz

My cousin Diana came to visit last Friday and I knew there was only one thing we could fill the night with--cooking! And that's exactly what we did! With some damn good food too, if I may say so myself. We started the night off with an odd, but fantastic, almond-orange dip with veggies and pita chips. Then, we moved on to portobello veggie burgers and a roasted potato salad. We completed the evening with a limoncello sorbet. Cooking for and with the people you love is absolutely the best thing in the world (and it doesn't hurt if you make fantastic things either).


Almond-Orange Dip (The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Mollie Katzen)

You could dip practically anything in this dip, because it is that good. You could even put it on sandwiches for some flair.

1 12-oz. box silken tofu
1 cup almond butter
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbs. minced fresh chives
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
3/4 tsp. salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
cayenne, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Season to taste, cover, and refrigerate until cold.


Portobello Burgers (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

We made the suggested variation of this burger, which is to add 3 oz. goat cheese to the mixture. Delicious!

2/3 cup dried lentils
6 oz. portobello mushrooms
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced onions
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. salt, or more, to taste
fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
5 slices stale or toasted sandwich bread
1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil, and add the lentils. Simmer the lentils for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are tender. Drain the lentils, and let them cool.
2. Cut off the dirt-laden base of each mushroom stem, then chop the remainder of the stems and the caps fine.
3. Heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onions. Cook them, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they soften. Add the garlic, and cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Add the chopped mushrooms and the cumin to the skillet, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season well with the salt and pepper, and take the pan off the heat.
4. Break the bread into pieces, and whirl them to crumbs in a food processor. Transfer 2 cups crumbs to a large bowl. Put the lentils into the processor, and run the machine in spurts until they are coarsely chopped and somewhat pasty. Add the chopped parsley and sauteed mushrooms and onions to the bowl, and mix well with your hands or a sturdy spoon. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Add more bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet to form a patty. Chill the mixture from 1 hour to a week.
5. Form the burger mixture into four 4-inch patties. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet (not non-stick) over medium heat. Pan-fry until the undersides are a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the burgers, and cook them about 3 minutes more. Serve the burgers hot.


Roasted Potato Salad with Mint Vinaigrette (Cooking Light, May 2005)

3 cups (2-inch) cut green beans
3 cups (1-inch square) cut red bell pepper (about 2 large peppers)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup fat-free less-sodium chicken broth [or veggie broth]
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 lbs. small red potatoes, quartered
2 Vidalia or other sweet onions, trimmed and quartered
cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1. Preheat over to 400.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients; toss well. Arrange vegetable mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; cover with foil. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Uncover and stir; bake, uncovered, and additional 40 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Place vegetable mixture in a large bowl.
3. Combine 1/2 cup mint, vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over vegetable mixture, and toss well to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.


Limoncello-Mint Sorbet with Fresh Blackberries (Cooking Light, May 2009)

This is extremely flavorful and refreshing. I could actually only eat a few bites because it was so intense. I think that this would work really well for a palate cleanser in the middle of the meal or as a hot summer night's dessert.

2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup limoncello [we used our own homemade limoncello]
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 cups blackberries
lemon slices (optional)

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and mint. Cover and chill.
2. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Serve with blackberries; garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Lentil Burgers/Patties

My sister Melissa turned me on to this food blog (by a fellow San Franciscan foodie) called 101 Cookbooks. It is absolutely fantastic with healthful, interesting recipes. I ran into this recipe for Lentil Burgers and decided to try them out. In this recipe, the lentil burgers are actually used instead of bread--sort of an inside-out burger. We stuffed them with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cilantro yogurt. They were so delicious; even Adam, who is a bit skeptical of lentils, absolutely loved them. As a side, we had a Grapefruit, Red Onion, and Spinach salad, whose freshness paired perfectly with the heartiness of the lentils. (Sharon: here's another way to use your lentils!) Enjoy!

Vegetarian Lentil Burgers (www.101cookbooks.com)

The recipe calls to cut the burgers in half, but we just used two patties to make our burgers rather than going through the hassle of cutting them. Also, we used brown lentils instead of the black lentils. Perhaps ours were a bit mushier than they would have been using black lentils, but the flavor was quite delicious. A fork and knife are necessary to eat them though.

3 cups cooked black lentils
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup toasted fine (whole-wheat) bread crumbs
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (or clarified butter)

1. Combine the lentils, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a runny yet textured hummus - it's o.k. if many of the lentils remain whole (see photo). Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the onion. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a very moist mixture that you can easily form into twelve 1 1/2-inch-thick patties. I err on the moist side here, because it makes for a nicely textured burger. You can always add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the dough if need be. Conversely, a bit of water or more egg can be used to moisten the batter.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium low, add 4 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook the second side for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Carefully cut each patty in half, insert your favorite fillings, and enjoy immediately.


Cilantro Yogurt

The cilantro yogurt was essential to these burgers. In the blog, it suggests using saffron yogurt, but since we didn't have any saffron, we decided to try out a cilantro version. I suggest using a non-fat Greek yogurt because it is thick, creamy, and extra delicious. Greek yogurt also has a high protein content, which is especially important for us vegetarians. We mixed the yogurt with frozen cilantro cubes from Trader Joe's. They sell little cubes of herbs that are frozen and can be popped out in small portions for your convenience. They don't have as much flavor as fresh cilantro, but they work well for us because we always have them on hand and we don't waste large amounts of fresh cilantro. Be creative with the yogurt; I'm sure there are many combinations that would go wonderfully with the burgers.

Grapefruit, Red Onion, and Spinach Salad

This salad is so refreshing and easy. It's perfect for an exciting lunch or dinner side dish.

1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
2 sliced red onion, diced
2 cups spinach
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Plate the spinach and top with the grapefruit sections and red onion. Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt and pepper to taste.

Lentil Question Answered!

Sharon asked me the other day what to do with a lentil craving. My answer is this:

My mom used to make this lentil salad, which I absolutely loved! The original recipe came from Vegetarian Planet (one of the best vegetarian cookbooks out there). My mom switched it up by adding caramelized onions and serving it over lettuce leaves to make it more of a meal, which I highly recommend. This salad is perfect for a light dinner or lunch. I hope you enjoy, Sharon!


French Lentils with Caramelized Balsamic Vinaigrette (Vegetarian Planet)

2 cups lentils
5 cups water
1/4 cup currants (my mom often used crasins)
5 Tbs. balsamic vinaigrette (or balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste)
1 large tomato, chopped into cubes
2 Tbs. minced shallots (or onions)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup basil leaves, sliced, for garnish

1. Bring lentils and water to boil in a saucepan. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add more water if the lentils get too dry. When tender but chewy, add the currants and simmer for 2 more minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
2. While the mixture is still hot, add the balsamic vinaigrette.
3. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Serve warm or chilled.

Unconventional Burritos

Friday night for dinner, we finally made these unconventional burritos I have been meaning to make for God knows how long. The Sweet Potato-Walnut Burritos lived up to their expectation for sure. With the lentils, sweet potatoes, walnuts, and intense spices, these burritos pack a hearty punch. Adam and I decided that we actually liked the filling better when not baked in a tortilla shell. Saturday for lunch we deconstructed the burrito by heating up the filling, turning it into a dip, and frying a tortilla into chips. Although the dip was not very attractive, I felt like it was more flavorful than it's burrito counterpart. Definitely worth trying!

Sweet Potato-Walnut Burritos (Three Bowls)

This recipe took a lot of pots and pans to make, but don't let that turn you off. All of the components complement each other so well, you really can't leave any of them (or the pots) out.

1/2 cup green lentils or split peas, rinsed well, and drained (we used lentils)
1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1/2 cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and ground or chopped, if desired
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes

Shredded green cabbage, for lining the baking pan, optional (we omitted this step and simply sprayed the baking pan with cooking spray)
6 8-inch flour tortillas
1 large tomato, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, optional

1. Place the lentils or split peas and 1 1/3 cups water for lentils or 1 1/2 cups water for peas in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender yet firm, 25 to 35 minutes for lentils, 1 hour and 15 minutes for peas. Drain and set aside.
2. Place the sweet potato in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the cubes are soft but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash them in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes more. Add the onion mixture, lentils or split peas, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the walnuts, and crushed tomatoes to the mashed sweet potato and mix well.
4. To Assemble and Bake the Burritos: Preheat the oven to 350. Place a thin bed of shredded cabbage in a 9-x-13-inch baking dish, if desire, or lightly coat the dish with spray, oil, or butter. Fill a tortilla with about one-sixth of the filling and roll it securely. Place it seam side down in the baking dish. Continue with the remaining tortillas. Cover the dish tightly with foil. (You can prepare the burritos 1 to 2 hours ahead up to this point and store at room temperature.) Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
5. Remove the foil from the baking dish. Place 1 or 2 tomato slices on each burrito. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over them and return the dish to the oven for a few minutes to melt it. Place the burritos on a platter and sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley, if desire. Serve immediately.