Tandoori Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

The trip home yesterday was uneventful.

I woke up.   Packed my bags.   Looked around the room.  Checked out of the hotel.   Grabbed a taxi.    Chatted with driver on a traffic free trip to the airport.    Checked into my flight.   Breezed through security.   Bought two magazines.   Read one magazine.   Found my seat at the back of the plane.   Ate peanuts.  Read another magazine.   Took a five minute nap.   Landed.    Called John to pick me up.   Walked outside.   Got in car.

Truly.  Uneventful.

After all of the buzz and excitement of the past couple of days, my re-entry into normal life was quite calm.  

I had a wonderful time at BlogHer Food in Atlanta.   Still digesting it all (pun intended).  

I'll share some of this with you here, but for now, will share our dinner from last night.  

Our conversation in the car ride home:

"I'm tired."

"Okay, so what do you want for dinner?"

"Don't care.   What do we have?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Bread, peanut butter and jelly, one egg."

I knew there had to be more to it.   Sure enough, my vegetable drawer still held a virtual bounty of last weeks  farmers market score.    A couple of sweet potatoes, some baby spinach.   Carrots.   Garlic.  Cilantro.  A bag of lentils that's been sitting in the back of my pantry waiting for the right day.  I started to develop a plan, inspired by Smitten Kitchen's recipe for Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes.

Ignore the fact that it was 90 degrees in North Carolina yesterday.   Not exactly soup weather.  I cranked the AC inside and was rewarded with some healthy and colorful comfort food, perfect for unwinding after a long weekend away.  Sweet and mildly spicy, highly flavorful.    The depth of the spices was lightened by liberal use of cilantro and sprinkling of lime.  Filling and nutritious.  Will definitely make this again.

(As a bonus, this recipe is multipurpose.   If you like soup, cook it less.  If you like stew, cook it more.  Great leftovers too.)

How was your weekend?   Has your re-entry into Monday been bearable? 

Tandoori Lentils and Sweet Potatoes  (6 - 8 servings)


Ingredients


1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 medium sized carrots, peeled, sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon tandoori spice*
3 teaspoons grated ginger
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 cup lentils, rinsed
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
garnish - light sour cream, cilantro, lime juice

Preparation


Heat oil on stove in large soup pot until warm.    Add carrots and sweet potatoes and saute on medium heat until slightly softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.    Add chopped garlic and ginger and saute another minute or two until fragrant.   Stir onion powder and tandoori spice into vegetable mixture until coated.

Pour chicken broth and water into pot and stir.   Add lentils and bay leaf and bring mixture to a boil.   Cover and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.     Add in chopped spinach, salt and pepper and stir.   Cook for another 30 - 60 minutes on low heat until you reach desired consistency.  

Remove from heat and remove bay leaf.  Serve garnished with light sour cream and liberal sprinkling of cilantro and lime juice.

*I use Penzey's Tandoori spice, which can be found online or in local retail shops.  

Interstate Pigs and Bean & Leek Soup with Caramelized Radish

Interstate pigs and bean soup?   This might sound a little crazy, but there's a connection, I promise.

I've been having recurring thoughts about pigs lately, spurred by two totally unrelated signs that began with my trip to Charleston this past weekend.  

Let me explain.

We were driving, as you do on road trips.    Staring aimlessly out the window.    Kind of tuning out.  I saw a truck ahead of us.    Now, you see a lot of trucks when driving, really not that unusual.   But this truck was special.   It had special cargo.  

I spotted little tails poking out the side of the truck as we passed.   Piglet tails.  Sweet, soft, tiny, curled up little pink pig tails.   Awwww.  That's when it dawned on me.   These pigs were going somewhere.   It wasn't just another road trip for them.  

I grew sad as I do when I think about animals that we eat.  It is why I regularly go back and forth between being a vegetarian and not.    The more I read and learn about how animals are 'produced' in this country, I am sickened by the conditions and the fact that this all ends up in our bodies.      Don't get me wrong, I do eat meat occasionally and certainly don't judge anyone else who does.  I've just been thinking more about what I consume, where it comes from and the effect that it has on my health.

Those little pigs heading to their next stop in the production process were nestled in my memory.  I settled back into vacation mode and ordered the pork ribs for dinner that night.   And they were amazing.   And I temporarily forgot all about the little pigs piled up in the back of the truck.

Until yesterday morning.    The pigs reappeared.    Back on the interstate again, except this time in a local news story about five pigs who got loose from a truck and ended up in the middle of morning commute traffic.      And while admittedly, some of the comments in the article are pretty darn hilarious, the whole thing just makes me sad.  
I guess the point of all this is that seeing these pigs triggered something in me that makes me want to re-examine my personal position.     I don't know if this will be fleeting or a more solid commitment, but for the moment I'm going to take a little break from meat while I reconcile my feelings.

Long story short, I made bean and leek soup for dinner last night and instead of flavoring it with bacon, I got creative with my seasonings and CSA box and came up with this version instead.  The spice mixture, containing natural hickory smoke and ginger, replicated the smoky flavor of the pork.  The caramelization of the radish added a little sweetness and a tiny bit of crunch.  A wonderful bacon substitute garnish.  The salted butter also helps to round out the flavor in this soup.

I didn't miss the bacon at all.

White Bean and Leek Soup with Caramelized Radishes

Ingredients

For the Soup
1 pound dried white beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salted butter
3 leeks, cleaned, halved and sliced thinly
3 celery heart stacks, diced
48 ounces low sodium chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pork chop seasoning (I used Penzey's)
sea salt and pepper to taste

For the Radishes
1 small bunch of radishes, 7 - 10, large dice
2 teaspoons salted butter
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Prepare beans using overnight or quick method as directed on the package.   Rinse thoroughly and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons salted butter on medium low heat in large soup pot.     Add sliced leaks and celery hearts.   Saute vegetables until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes on medium low heat.   Add 1/2 teaspoon pork chop seasoning to vegetables and mix for a minute or two until combined.

Add beans back into soup pot.    Add the chicken broth to bean and vegetable mixture.    Simmer for an hour until flavors are fully combined.  

Meanwhile, prepare radishes to finish prior to serving soup.    Melt 2 teaspoons salted butter in small saute pan on medium heat.     Add diced radishes and saute on medium low for about five minutes.   Increase heat to medium and saute until radishes begin to caramelize and form a dark crust, about another five to ten minutes.   Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.   (Radishes are best served just out of the pan as they retain a little crunch.)

After about an hour, blend soup with immersion blender or blender until smooth.   Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Pour soup into serving bowls and top with radish garnish.

Heading back to Charleston next with less deep thoughts and more on our weekend away!

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic.   Do you think consciously about where your food comes from and how it is produced?  If you do, how does it impact your eating habits?

Homemade Pasta

And here we are.

Just like that.    October.  

All right.   So my question for you today is, have you tried your hand at homemade pasta?  

The mixing of flour and eggs and kneading and rolling and cutting by hand type all while making a glorious mess in your kitchen kind of homemade pasta?  

I'd so love to hear how it turned out for you.   But first, my story.

I grew up with my mom making fresh pasta at our kitchen table.   It was one of those weekend event things, usually in preparation for a dinner party with similarly Italian loving friends.    Or sometimes it was just for her family, when she wanted to give us a little extra special love.     It was always appreciated and I have fond memories of her having fun doing it, looking forward to the process and results.    I know this love for making pasta was amplified by many return visits to Italy, where, of course, they've got this down.

So by now you know that while I was in Rome, I spent a day in a chef's kitchen learning some tricks of the trade.   The highlight, for me, was making the pasta from scratch.   Despite having watched my mom do it, I never attempted it.    Fear, I suppose.   I know, dumb reason.

Our results from that class were so fabulous.   You could just taste the love mixed up in our dishes, made all the more better by getting to share them with new friends.  

With this as background, I decided to try and recreate my experience at home.    I have to tell you, I had built it up in my head for a couple months and I was pretty excited.  I had visions of delicately tossing the pasta by hand, perfect strands of pale gold, ready to jump into that boiling water and turn into something fabulous.  I had high hopes.  

First, I'll share the recipe.  Seriously, two ingredients.   Sounds simple, right?  

Fresh Pasta

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 cups all purpose flour, sifted first
4 eggs

Steps

On a cooking sheet, silpat type object or some other surface that is clean and can get a little dirty in the process, dump your flour into a small pile in the center.    Turn your pile of flour into a small volcano type object by making a deep hole in the center.   Be careful to leave a layer of flour at the bottom.

My Sad Looking Volcano

Crack eggs into the well in the flour.    With a fork, very gradually whisk those eggs into the flour.    Be patient with this process.   It is really meant to go slow with a very gradual taking of flour from the sides of your 'volcano' into the egg mixture.    Eventually you will get to a point where it the flour is incorporated and dough like mixture begins to form.     Keep going until you have everything incorporated.  I used my hands at the end to get everything in there.   It is also not an exact science, so you'll have to use a little personal judgment as to when to stop.   Don't let things become too dry (this is where practice and experience helps).

So now you have dough.

Dust a little more flour on your working surface and on a rolling pin and start rolling out the dough.    You can also do this in a pasta machine if you have one.   After you roll it out, fold it over and start rolling again.    Keep repeating this process until you achieve the right level of pliability (you will get a feel for this as you go).   When 'ready', begin rolling out your dough until very thin, almost transparent.   I found this almost impossible, so my advice is just to keep going and get it as thin as you can without tearing it.  

Do as I say, not as I do.   I wouldn't exactly call this transparent.  

When ready, you can begin cutting your dough into thin pasta resembling shapes.   I prepared for this by dusting my work surface with a little cornmeal and the top of the pasta sheet with a little cornmeal.   This will help prevent things from sticking.   Roll your dough very gently until you have something that looks like a jelly roll.    From here, you can begin slicing the ends off, each slice producing a new strand of pasta.    Cut as thin as you possibly can.   Once you have all of your slices, gently open them up and toss them lightly with cornmeal again and lay them out on a surface to rest.   Let them 'dry' for a couple of hours in the open air if you can.  

Comparing this to our version from class up above makes me giggle. 

Now you are ready to make the pasta.     Get some water boiling in a large pot.    Add your pasta to the boiling water.    Stir in a tablespoon of salt.   Stir often to prevent from sticking.   Taste your pasta after 3 or 4 minutes to see if it is done (it should be!)    Drain your pasta and use as you see fit!


Okay, having made this, I am now truly convinced that pasta making is an art that requires skill, practice and lots of love to perfect.  I now also understand why my mom got so into it.   She too wanted to reach that level of culinary achievement.  

She also had a pasta maker which I truly believe is necessary for my novice self.  I just do not possess the arm strength to roll out the dough to the perfect thinness.   I really did try.   And tried.   And tried.   It just didn't happen.   Our pasta was 'thick' and 'chewy' (not in a good al dente way).  

It wasn't perfect, but it was made with lots of love and determination, and this found its way into the end product.    Kind of like life, I think.    You get out of it what you put into it.  

And guess who's getting a pasta maker as a wedding gift?   Yup, so next time I'm here pontificating about homemade pasta, we may have a slightly different story.   Practice makes perfect, but I think strong arms, or a little machinery, will help.     I am very much looking forward to my next trial.

I'd love to hear your stories.   Successful attempts?   Not so successful?   The real question is... did you have fun with the process? 

Ciao.

Garden Herb and Walnut Pasta

What on earth happened to September?   Just a few days ago it was Labor Day weekend and we are now just moments away from October.  

I'm not sure exactly how it got away from me, but here we are.     And I'm finally getting to say Goodbye to Summer.    North Carolina has been breaking temperature records all month and we are finally getting a reprieve from the 90s.   This weekend it was like a light switched off.   One day we were drowning in hot and humid summer and the next we dove right into rainy cooler temperatures.    So much for smooth transitions, but, finally, Fall!

Saying goodbye to Summer for me means I am one step closer to our big day.   Just under a month now until our wedding.   I am looking forward to sharing some of the details as we get a little closer.   Warning, if wedding stuff bores you, you may want to tune out for a bit.

Before we go there though, I think it is the perfect time to share with you one of those recipes that just epitomizes the turn from summer to fall for me.   Woodsy, rustic flavors.   Fresh pasta.   Herbs.  Walnuts.  Garlic.    I just love this recipe and it gives me a chance to show off my pasta making skills.

You may recall, during my time in Rome, I spent a day at Cooking Classes in Rome with Chef Andrea.   We had such a fabulous time and one of the highlights of the day was making fresh pasta.   It was a swoon worthy experience, one I wasn't quite sure I'd be able to duplicate at home.

My instincts were right.   I gave it my best shot, but my homemade pasta did not live up to the reputation of that we produced in Italy.   Not even really close.   But, I know this.   Practice makes perfect and I am looking forward to lots more practice.    And the experience of making fresh pasta is so worth it.   It gives me a chance to really get my hands dirty and produce something from nothing.   Even if it doesn't turn out, you can't help but feel a little proud.

So today, I'll share with you the recipe that I modified from the Carrboro Farmer's Market here in North Carolina.     This is one of those handy recipes that you can really play around with.   I made lots of herbal modifications simply by using just those herbs that I actually had on hand.    Every spring I put a couple of pots out with fresh herbs and have a small window of opportunity to add them to almost everything I make before the hot sun dries them out and no amount of watering can save.

Garden Herb and Walnut Pasta

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 Cup Walnuts
1/3 Cup Pine Nuts
1/4 Cup Fresh Dill
1/4 Cup Fresh Thyme
1/2 Cup Fresh Sage
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3/4 Cup Dry White Wine
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
Fresh Pasta
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation
Melt butter in large pan.    Add chopped walnuts and pine nuts and coat evenly with butter.   Cook until warm and toasty.   Be careful not to burn.   Remove nuts from pan and set aside.

Add olive oil to same pan and return to burner.   Add garlic, stirring until fragrant.   Add the dill and sage to the pan and stir.   Add thyme and stir.    Once combined, add the wine and stir some more.   Add the stock to pan.   Simmer for several minutes.

Pour sauce over freshly cooked pasta and toss.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Top with the buttered walnut and pine nut mixture and toss to combine when serving.    Serve hot, warm or cold!   Also good with addition of Parmesan and extra drizzle of olive oil.

There really is a lot of flexibility in this recipe and it is a great way to use up extra herbs that you may have sitting around.  I think it is a perfect introduction into what I hope will be a Fabulous Fall.

Tomorrow, I'll share the trials and tribulations of my first attempt at making homemade pasta!

Zucchini Prelude

Zucchini is one of those words I just never feel like I spell right.     Is it the double cc's?  The silent h?    It has a nice ring to it though... a little Italian I think.  

My date night in Paris had me thinking.   It may have been the steak frites, but I started thinking that in my wedding preparation zealousness, I may be depriving my little household of iron in the form of meat.   Red meat.  

My fascination with quinoa, barley and all other kinds of whole grain goodies has me delving pretty heavily into the world of vegetarianism again.    I have gone through several phases of this in my life, the current entry prompted by a recent study of Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" which, as far as I'm concerned, should be required reading.    I am not 100% ready to make the full switch yet, but I like to think I've been practicing for the good of our health.

As a result, things like steak are typically reserved for date night.   In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that on any given night out, my fiance will order something involving red meat.  

So, between the reflecting on the fantastic steak frites in Paris, the need for a date night of the at home variety and the end of summer approaching, I decided it was time to indulge in one last summer steak.  

But first, we must get our veggies in.  

The prelude to our fabulous steak dinner, which is coming, I promise, was a simple vegetarian first course built upon, you guessed it, zucchini.   Zucchini.   (I just like saying that).

This one's easy, fun to assemble, colorful, light and fresh and makes for a fabulous first course, perfect for preparing one's palate for the totally indulgent and mouthwatering steak to follow.    

Zucchini Garlic Herb Cheese and Roasted Tomato Roll-Ups
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
2 medium size zucchini
1 cup grape tomatoes
Garlic Herb Cheese Spread (I used the light version of Alouette)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
Start first by roasting the tomatoes.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Rinse, dry and add whole grape tomatoes to an oven proof dish.   Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Roll the tomatoes around in the dish to cover them.      Roast in oven for 45 minutes to an hour.     Remove from oven and cool.

Tomatoes (pre-roasting)

While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the zucchini.   Slice both ends of zucchini.   Standing upright, slice zucchini lengthwise into 4 or 5 long slices that would be suitable for rolling.   Drizzle lightly with olive oil.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Set aside.

Prepare your grill.   I used an indoor grill pan for these and it worked perfectly.    Heat to high temperature.   When ready, grill zucchini slices, 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on thickness).    Remove from grill.   Set aside and let cool.

Zucchini (post-grilling)

When zucchini and tomatoes have cooled, it is time to start assembly.    Lay one zucchini slice flat and spread with a thin layer of garlic herb cheese.    Drop one tomato at the top of slice and begin rolling, tucking in a tomato every layer or so.     Continue with each zucchini slice until all have been rolled.   Set aside until ready to serve.    

Ta-Da!  (easy!)

Stay tuned for the meat and potatoes portion of this delicious date night (at home)!