Spicy Lentil Pumpkin Soup

Oh boy...December. Been a long time since I've had time for this...and still I don't really, but I needed to do something other than study for finals.

I'm pantry cooking once again and here's what's happening:

What I currently have in my oven: Chocolate Banana Teff Flour Bread [because, yes, I have things like Teff flour in my pantry.]

What I currently have in my cup: Strong Black Coffee.

What I currently have on my stove:

Lentil Pumpkin Soup. This is an original - and I figured I should write it down because it smells so freaking amazing!

Here's what you need: [and please keep in mind - all of these numbers are approximate - I don't measure things when I'm just throwing things in a pot].

Coconut Oil for the big soup pot
4-8 garlic cloves peeled
1 roasted red chili pepper chopped
1 cup of lentils - rinsed
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp ground cumin
Some black pepper
[perhaps a pinch of saffron just 'cause you might have some]
1/2 - 1 cup of white wine
3 cups pureed fresh pumpkin
6-8 cups of water or vegetable broth
1 14oz can of coconut milk
Salt to taste

here's what you do:

1. Pray you still have some pureed pumpkin in your freezer from some previous dream of pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie when you saw those big, beautiful pumpkins starting to arrive at your grocery store back in September. [You did all that prep work and still haven't used them? Thanksgiving was even in that time frame...but that will work in your favor today!]

2. Throw some coconut oil in the pot and warm it up on medium-low.

3. Toss in those garlic cloves and let them get all deliciously fragrant; wipe the drool from your mouth.

4. After that, get those diced chilis in there. Let 'em cook up for a couple more minutes. Maybe get yourself a fresh mug of coffee.

5. Get those lentils in there and push 'em around with a wooden spoon. Add all those spices and push around some more. Then get that white wine out of your fridge that you used to make risotto on Thursday; and maybe pour yourself a glass to make sure it's still ok.

6. Pour in some wine and let it talk itself down for a few minutes.

7. Add your "hopefully not freezer burnt" pureed pumpkin. Now, there can be quite a bit of water in this - so don't drain it or anything when you thaw it [or you can just throw the whole frozen slab in still frozen and put a lid on the pot, if you're anything like me]. Nothing short of heresy in the world of professionals, I know.

7b. At least wait for the pumpkin to thaw out completely before you move onto the next step.

8. Add 6 cups of water [or broth]

9. Let this cook until the lentils are tender. Maybe 40 mins. Proceed to write your blog about this soup just because it smells so good and you're convinced this is your best idea EVER - and at least all your friends should know about it.

10. Now, this is an optional step: puree the whole thing, in the pot, with a hand blender. But if you like a soup that's got some big chunks of what have you in it - move on to the next step.

11. Add the coconut milk simmer for maybe 5 more minutes or so, then proceed to eat it.

General cooking tip: Never be afraid to just throw things in a pot.

If you like Spicy and Peppery - this pasta's for YOU!

I'm still attempting to do minimal grocery shopping - with relative success. Yesterday searching my kitchen for something to eat I found a half a box of linguine, half a bag of arugula, some packets of roasted red pepper flakes from pizza delivery, garlic and butter. So, I said to myself, "Pasta it is!"

Spicy and Peppery Pasta

Cook the pasta - saving about 1/2 to 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a good size pan [you're going to be throwing the pasta into this later] melt 2-4 tablespoons of butter and throw in about a 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Chop up the garlic and add to pan along with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes [you might want to use much less if you're sensitive to spicy!].

Let the garlic get fragrant.

Throw your pasta into the pan and salt and pepper to your preference. Fry it for a few minutes then add some or all of the pasta water. Cook for another 3 minutes or so. Then turn off the heat and add the arugula mixing around until it's just wilted.

Pat yourself on the back for making a fabulous pasta dish in about 20 minutes with minimal ingredients.

Bust open some wine [perhaps a Chilean Carmenere] and enjoy.

End Note: This was enough for 2 maybe 3 people. But if you serve it with a big, beautiful salad I bet you can stretch it to 4 servings.

Bread and Cheese Detox

After all the bread and cheese I consumed in Paris, I thought it would be nice to have a little something without either of those things. Don't get me wrong, I love those two things dearly - but my insides have been feeling a bit "heavy" from eating so much of it!

Not wanting to go to the grocery store, here's what I created:

Dairy free, gluten free Morning Quinoa

For the quinoa part:
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa [rinsed]

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to boil, turn heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Stirring occasionally.

For the delishicious "sauce" :
1/4-1/3 cup of really dry cashew butter [I don't think there was any oil in my jar at all...]
scant 1/3 cup of almond milk
pinches of cinnamon and cloves [and maybe even a little cayenne if you're into that]
1 tablespoon agave nectar

In a small bowl slowly whisk in the almond milk to the super dry cashew butter until it's "saucy." [some people like their sauces thinner than others...so go slow with the almond milk until you're satisfied.] Once it's to the desired consistency add in cinnamon, cloves and agave.

Mix the sauce in with the finished quinoa; or drizzle on top.

Toppings for this are endless! Slivered almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries or raisins or currants or figs, really - whatever you like: even chocolate morsels if you're into the "peanut butter/chocolate" combo.

Enjoy the dairy free, gluten free goodness!

It's not too late!

So, at the beginning of the year, I had decided that I wanted to try to get two posts on here every month. Small, realistic goal. Though I just noticed that it's 1. already the end of May and 2. I leave for Paris in 3 days. I LEAVE FOR PARIS IN 3 DAYS!? Oh.my.god.

So, since it's not too late to put up some posts for May, and this is one already...I would just like to say how freaking excited I am to eat in France! Bread, wine and cheese are already staples of my diet and I cannot even begin to express how much better the French are at these three things than we Americans. It's going to be ridiculous. You better believe I'll have pictures to share.

There's a lot to be done before I go...but I'm sure it will get there. "One thing at a time" has been my mantra these days. At least my suitcase is mostly...er, um...half packed.

Tomato Sauce as a Time Machine

I am forever transported through the years of my life by certain smells. Some bad, most good. Even amazing...

This afternoon as I make the first "meat sauce" I've made in ages - I am transported to my grandmother's kitchen through the springtimes of my younger days. Sitting in a super warm, toasty kitchen, a light breeze coming through the windows, the sun going down and turning everything yellow. Smelling the tomato sauce, sauteed meat, garlic, fennel, basil - reading through the newspaper or looking at pictures or books and just shooting the shit with my Baci as my Gramps comes and goes through the kitchen with materials of various projects he's working on [or at least pretending to]. Taking the scraps to the dog, taking the garbage to the burning barrel, grabbing tools or rags from the basement while working on his riding mower to take care of the lawn. And of course stealing a cookie or two from the jar behind my Baci's back with a wink.

Such vivid memories, it warms my heart. If I close my eyes - I am in her kitchen, waiting for a delicious dinner. I remember getting salad in a reused "cool whip" container while we waited. Even being offered a soda from the basement or a glass of milk. And some cauliflower and "french" dressing for dipping.

As I stir my sauce and wait, I can feel the distance getting close...

And of course - here's how I made it:
1/2 lb ground beef
1 small chopped onion
Several minced garlic cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds crushed
2 tsps red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried basil
some italian season for good measure
some black pepper
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water [you can also use veggie broth]

Brown beef with garlic and onion and dry seasonings. [at this point feel free to deglaze with a bit of red wine before adding the rest].
Add the rest and simmer for a while - until it smells/feels right.

Easy and delicious.

Big Plans

I have big plans for this weekend:
Taxes [Check]
Homework [Not yet]
Scones [Check]
Yoga [Check]
Brunch [Check]
Work from home [Check]
Angel Food Cupcakes [Not Yet]
Quinoa Salad [Not Yet]



I think my next check will be those Angel Food Cupcakes. Oh man...just thinking about them makes me drool.

The first time I experienced an Angel Food Cupcake was in the "Market" at GCT [Grand Central Terminal] in NYC. I've made it a tradition whenever I get to the city to get one of those cupcakes. Since I now live approximately 2500 miles away - I need to make them myself.

Here's how:
Take your basic Angel Food Cake Recipe. [Here's the one I used: Betty Crocker's Angel Food Cake Recipe]

Next - get those baking cups into your muffin/cupcake pan. Fill each cup about 1/2 way with batter. Bake at 375 for about 12-15 minutes.

Eat them plain. With berries [my favorite!] or any frosting you care to dress them up with.

Heaven.

New Cookbook

So, I got a new cookbook. I LOVE new cookbooks. I love reading them and pouring/drooling over the pictures. Reading about the author's techniques and seeing what I would do differently in any given recipe.

This particular cookbook makes me long for my own garden and Parisian markets [which I will soon find myself in!]. I found it in a used bookstore and it talks about cooking within the seasons and gardening - long before it's recent popularity. [It was published in 1992] The "tag line" [if you will] is, "Fresh Garden Cooking In the French Style" - this cookbook was made for me. The author certainly knows how to pull at my heart strings. I love this cookbook. I have yet to make a single recipe from it - and I LOVE it.

The photos are amazing - not only of the recipes, but of french gardens as well and it's incredibly beautiful. The title: "Potager" - which in french means a "kitchen garden." This kitchen garden can take many different forms in France. Though, I hope to research this a little, first hand, while I'm there this summer.

The first recipe I'm going to make is out of the "Spring" chapter: "Savory Bread Pudding Layered with Asparagus, Fontina, and Mixed Spring Herbs." I'm sure spring will never have tasted better.

Anyone care to join me?

Applesauce

I have never made applesauce before - EVER. I'm not entirely sure how I overlooked it; but it's true.

Last week during my spring break I was looking around my kitchen for something to create. [I had also promised myself at this point that I was not going to be purchasing groceries until I'd used up a lot of what I already have.] SO - there was a bag of apples [from lord knows when] in the bottom of the crisper drawer. No one had touched them in ages; and I knew no one would. So, I decided to cut one in half to see what it looked like on the inside - because, quite frankly, the outside wasn't entirely appetizing. The inside was beautiful so I ate a piece to make sure it was ok and decided the best thing to do with the wrinkly old apples was to make applesauce.

I wasn't entirely sure where to start. I'd watched my mom make it so many times and thought it was so hard! [By the way - she makes killer applesauce] I turned to the internet and did a little research; read a dozen or so recipes and then went back to my kitchen.

Here's what I ended up with:

Applesauce that tastes like the filling in a McDonald's apple "pie" - but good for you! It was a little thicker than most applesauces I've had and smooth like velvet. Almost like pudding. [Thanks Mary and Steve for being my taste testers!]

Here's what I did:

8-10 apples [about 3-4 pounds] peeled, cored and cut into eights
a cup or so of water - and a splash more, maybe even a touch more than that.
1 Meyer lemon - we're adding the peel as well as the juice here so peel the outside trying not to get too much of the white part, then juice it.
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar [or so - depending on how sweet you like it, this probably isn't even necessary]
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp salt
some cloves, nutmeg, I put in a pinch of black pepper and ground ginger as well.

Put all of this into a pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir while the sugar dissolves for a couple of minutes. Turn heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 45 minutes.

Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks. With a potato masher - mash it up. If you like it smoother, use a hand blender to puree it in the pot. Let it simmer over low for another 10 minutes or so. Done.

This was particularly delightful over vanilla ice cream.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Risotto - Super Simple and Delishicious!

So first - take this super easy and simple recipe from "Real Simple" :

Real Simple Risotto

THEN:
get a nice bunch of asparagus - cut into about 1" pieces and toss around with some salt, pepper, olive oil and any other spices you like and roast at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Chop up about a cup of Italian parsley.

Zest of 1 lemon to brighten it up.


One of the best risottos I've made.


mmmmmmmmmmm...

if you have an afternoon free...

In an alternate plane of existence, without measuring a thing, these amazing buns were made and this recipe given to me by a woman with angelic grace.

Heavenly Cinnamon Buns

Phase 1: the dough:

1 small-medium sized potato
2 cups of warm water [120˚]
2 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg – lightly beaten
4-5 cups bread flour
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast


Cook the potato in the water until it is tender. Saving the water, take the potato out of the pot and mash it up. This should give you about ½ cup of mashed potato. Take a cup of the “potato water” and add the milk.

From here you can either throw all this crap into a bread maker on the dough setting; or into a mixer; or into a bowl and stir it up with a big wooden spoon.

If doing this in a bowl or mixer:
Add the flour a cup or so at a time until it looks and feels like bread dough – it’s the best feeling in the world. Knead it a bit on a floured surface and then put in a clean bowl covered with a towel or plastic wrap in a warm spot and let it rise for about an hour.

If in a bread maker:
Only add 3 ½ or 4 cups – you can add more after it’s done rising in the machine when you take it out and give it a little knead before moving on to Phase 2.

Phase 2: Rolling and filling

1 stick of softened butter…or 2 si vous préférez.
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cinnamon
Pinches of: cloves, nutmeg and allspice
2 Greased 9”x13”pans [just in case one isn’t enough]

Mix together sugar and cinnamon, and other spices. Roll your dough out into a large rectangle. Schmear the butter all over the rectangular dough – you know you love butter – don’t hold back. Evenly spread [maybe with a nice shaker] the cinnamon and sugar mixture all over the butter. Once the surface is covered with the goodness of sugar and butter roll it up. Roll the long side closest to you toward the opposite long side.

Cut into cinnamon bun size [whatever this means to you] then place the “buns” into the greased pans. Cover and let rise for about 30-45 minutes.

Phase 3: Baking

Pre-heat the oven to 400˚. Bake your buns for about 20-25 minutes. They’ll be a bit lightly brown on the top.

Phase 4: Icing [Optional – yeah, right…]

1 cup butter [softened]
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat these things together and spread over the cooled buns. Or warm buns. It’s hard to wait for them to cool down before tearing into these.

Enjoy the sweet taste of heaven...

Curry Noodle Pot

I love a good curry and this was simple and divine!

From one of my favorite's [Heidi Swanson] - her cookbook "Super Natural Cooking:"

8oz udon noodles - the wide ones if you can find them were wonderful!
2 tablespoons coconut oil, olive oil or clarified butter
2 cloves garlic - but really is 2 ever enough? I used a few...
1 onion - chopped
1 1/2 tsps red curry paste
12 oz extra-firm tofu cut into thumb-size slices
1 [14oz] can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock or water
2 tsps ground turmeric
2 Tbsp shoyu sauce [I used Tamari - I'm sure regular soy sauce is fine too]
1 Tbsp granulated sugar [I used a Tbsp of agave nectar]
Juice of 1 lime
2/3 cups peanuts [I did not use this]
1/3 cup slivered shallots [I did not use this either]
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.

For the Curry:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, onion and curry paste - mash it up a bit - distribute evenly. Cook until fragrant - a minute or two. Add the tofu and gently stir until coated with the curry paste. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, turmeric, shoyu and sugar. bring to a simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice, and add the noodles. Jostle them a bit if they're sticking together.

To serve, heap big piles of noodles into individual bowls [or just throw it all in one big bowl - which is what I did] and top with curry sauce. Throw on the peanuts and sprinkle with shallots and cilantro.

mmmm...

Egg Substitutes for Baking

I'm not a vegan. I tried once. For about a month. Then I ate almost an entire pizza by myself [but really I just wanted the cheese]. But during that time I experimented a lot with vegan baking. It's incredible - and I'm glad that I tried being vegan because I've learned a lot about all kinds of different foods that are substitutes for dairy [like flax and soy milk and almond milk and as it turns out I REALLY love oat milk] anyway...I digress.

I was making a some banana bread from a recipe posted by a friend and half way through [as in everything was in the bowl ready to go] I realized I had no eggs. However, since I have had experience baking vegan I didn't panic in the least. I simply went to my freezer and grabbed the ground flax seed. This brings me to my point:

Here are some ways to substitute eggs when you're baking and you either don't have any eggs or don't feel like using them because you'd rather eat the for breakfast tomorrow:

1. Ground Flax Seed: Mix 1 Tbsp of ground flax seed with 3 Tbsp of water - whisk around and let it sit for a few minutes. This is equivalent to one egg.

2. Banana: 1/2 banana mashed well = 1 egg. I find banana works best in sweet breads, muffins and cakes.

3. Silken Tofu: 1/4 cup blended silken tofu = 1 egg

4. 1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1 egg

My favorite method is the ground flax seed [which is why I have some in the freezer at all times - and I keep in the freezer because the oils will take longer to break down and it will last longer]. There are all kinds of other ways. They make something called Ener-G that is an egg replacement powder [just add water! ... I think...]; and there's something you can do with cornstarch and arrowroot - but just google "egg substitutes for baking" and you'll find all kinds of things.

Good luck out there!

National Pie Day

It's true - there's a National Pie Day; and it's today!

I'd like to share some "secrets" about making pie dough. I've shared them with some friends in the past and each one has been surprised. So here it is for the public:

First - NEVER add more than the "maximum" amount of liquid listed in the recipe. If it seems dry - throw it onto the counter and knead it for a couple of minutes until it's as all together as you can get it - then wrap it in plastic [like Laura Palmer] and put it in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes. This will do two things:
1. The moisture will disperse.
2. the fat will chill out making a flakier crust for your finished pie.

Second - and this is my personal favorite - is a trick I learned from my mom and grandmother:
roll the dough out on a floured pillowcase. Not even kidding you. I have a pillowcase that has been my "kitchen case" for years now. It's amazing. The only tricky part is having it stay put when you're rolling it out. I just kinda let some of it hang off the counter and lean against it and put some heave objects at the other corners.

I love pie...oh and I made Key Lime Pie.

for the filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon of key lime zest

Mix it up and throw it in your pie shell. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Whipped Cream for the top.
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar [or granulated - either works]
whip in a chill bowl until stiff peaks form.

heaven.

Turkey Burgers

There was an amazing sale at my Co-Op Grocer [Food Conspiracy Co-Op] on organic ground turkey - so I figured, why not?

12oz package of ground turkey
About 1/4 cup of onion - minced
1 garlic clove - minced
salt, pepper, and some Italian seasoning

I made two really big patties out of it, then stuffed with feta. [to do this I started with thick patties then pushed down the center filled with feta and then folded and pressed together the turkey to cover it.

I started to fry it up in a pan - but they were burning even on low heat - so I moved them to the oven to finish them off.

Whole wheat organic buns with some spinach. I just wish that I had a delicious, garden fresh tomato...

Elevensies

Finally home from an extended stay on the east coast! I can't lie, the warmer weather does feel pretty good - though I enjoyed EVERY SECOND of cold weather in NY and DC and getting to be all bundled up!

But this is not what I want to write about. My first morning home and I immediately start cooking. [I didn't cook at all in the last 2 weeks!] I made this recipe inspired by a lovely breakfast I had while back in NY:

Breakfast Potatoes Provençal with Herbed Baked Eggs

Oil for the pan - I like grapeseed oil for frying...
Enough potatoes for 2 people [about 3, depending on their size] chopped into good size chunks
1 large yellow onion chopped into big chunks
3 cloves of garlic - chopped or minced - whatever you like.
about 1/2 cup of olives - a mix of various olives was delishicious! pit them [if applicable] and chop 'em up!
1 tablespoon or 2 of capers - you can give these a quick "one two" with the knife - but I never really see the point of that. they're tiny.
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Put oil in the pan [which should have warmed up over medium heat] - don't be shy about it.

2. Dump in the potatoes and stir around a bit.

3. While they get goin, chop up your onions and garlic. Throw those bad boys in there. Stir around some more.

4. After a little while of stirring occasionally and waiting for the onions to get soft, toss in the olives, capers and spices. You got it - stir it up...little darlin...

5. Cook until the potatoes are done. [Until a fork can push through easily]


Served with these Herbed Baked Eggs - or not...


Herbed-Baked Eggs

This one is not "mine" - I halved this recipe from Ina Garten’s “Barefoot in Paris”

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
6 extra-large eggs [This seemed like a lot with the potatoes…so you can use fewer eggs, maybe 2 each – just make sure you cut back a little on the other ingredients]
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper
Toasted French bread or brioche [or whatever other kind of toast you're into]

1. Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes, and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

2. Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley and Parmesan, and set aside.

3. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won’t be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It’s very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)

4. Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter to each dish, and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

5. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish, and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren’t cooked evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds, and serve with hot toasted bread.

These recipes make enough for 2 people, maybe 3 depending on how hungry you are.

And as always, drink the richest, blackest coffee.