Dal

In my daily listenings on NPR, they have had a section on "How Low Can you Go". They challenge chefs to make a meal for 4 for under $10. I tried this one, and it was great! They explain how to cook it, but I just threw everything in the crockpot for about 9 hours. I changed the recipe a little bit, they called for way too many lentils in my opinion:

Dal, Chilean Style

2 cups of lentils
2 cups of chopped potatoes
2 chopped carrots
3 chopped tomatoes
1 hot pepper
1 small onion chopped
2 gloves garlic chopped
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
a little beer or sherry
a little red vinegar
olive oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

1. Soak and cook lentils till soft. Drain and rinse, set aside.
2. Sautee onions, garlic, hot pepper, and cumin in olive oil. Add beer or sherry.
3. Add potatoes and carrots, cover with water, bring to boil.
4. Add tomatoes and cook till potatoes are soft.
5. Add lentils and tomato sauce.
6. Salt and pepper to taste. (I sometimes add more water or beer if it's too thick, or vinegar if it's too sweet.) Add more cumin or hot sauce if you like it really spicy.
7. Throw in the cilantro, take if off the heat. Serve after a few minutes.

Link to NPR Recipe

The KitchenAid is here

Oh yes I FINALLY one. I have wanted on for quite sometime, but there was no way I was going to pay $240 for one. I have been looking around for a better deal and had decided on getting one made by Hamilton Beach for around $150. Then one day at work, my friend told me he saw one for $130. I couldn't believe it. I got it for $140 shipped. I am so excited. Now I can make bread.

Totally.

LEMONY LENTIL SALAD

You can use either green or brown lentils in this recipe. Just avoid over cooking and dress the lentils while they are hot, then serve the salad warm or at room temp. Also, you can double this--it will keep for several days.

1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic

2 lemons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon capers 

1/4 cup minced fresh chives, shallot or red onion (optional)

Salt and pepper

1. Put the lentils in a medium pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add the bay leaf and garlic and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat so the lentils bubble gently. Cook until just tender but not burst, 20 to 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure there is always enough water at the bottom of the pan to keep the lentils from burning.

2. Squeeze the juice from one of the lemons into a large bowl. Peel the other lemon and chop the segments roughly into small pieces, taking care to remove the seeds. Add the segments to the bowl along with the olive oil, capers and chives. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and stir.

3. Drain whatever water remains from the lentils and stir them into the dressing while still hot. Let rest, stirring occasionally to distribute the dressing, until they cool for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve warm or refrigerate for up to several days.

ALTERNATIVE: Tagerine Lentil Salad.

Instead of the lemons, use 2 small tangerines.

Lentils?

Do either of you have a good recipe that uses lentils in a salad? Or at least isn't a soup? (besides the obvious lentil recipe below).

Just a note that I made Helen's ChickPea Cutlets tonight and they were DELIGHTFUL.

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

Sorry, I have no picture for this, but this soup is great and sooo easy! I got is off the food network though, so I can't really take much of the credit.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
  
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Sometimes I add meat, but its really not necessary.

Chickpea Cutlets

So my friend Betty made me this Vegan meal over the weekend and I HAD to get the recipe from her. SO delicious. And so simple to make.

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a Microplane grater
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
  
• Olive oil for pan frying

1 - mash up the chickpeas in a big bowl with the Olive oil.
2 - ad the rest of the ingredients and kneed them till you get strings of gluten (3 min max)
3 - heat up a large pan with a decent amount olive oil while you form the "cutlets" with your hands. I formed them in my hands and then squished them on a cutting board.
4 - fry them till they are golden brown. I doubled the batch and am freezing the rest for later - sandwiches maybe. Man they are so so good.

I think next time I am going to bake them. YUM!