WIAW #65: Lentil Cassoulet

Moving is always stressful. But when you are making a military move from Texas to Maryland, with a month in between, “stressful” takes on a new meaning. You may be asking, wasn’t that a while ago? Well yes, but when you are in your new place for three weeks without wifi, any phone data, and no camera, it makes it a lot harder to blog. By hard I mean impossible. So this is my first official blog post from Silver Spring (Wheaton), MD!

With that I must admit I haven’t been creating a lot of “new” recipes lately but rather sticking with the favorites while I still get the hang of my new kitchen and new grocery options. Yes, I do have two Trader Joe’s in reasonable driving distance along with a Giant and the monthly Commissary trip I do have options. And one of those options will be never going to a Safeway despite it being the closest option to me. It’s horribly expensive with a very limited offering. 

So near the end of the month, I’m taking stock of what’s left in my fridge and how to make new summery meals. One of those meals was what I’m calling Lentil “Cassoulet.” There is no other way for me to describe this dish. And it'll take a while to finish this baby let me tell you!

The classic cassoulet is a wonderful French creation of white beans, tomatoes, bacon, pork, and topped with breadcrumbs, normally served with duck confit. I wanted to take the essence of this classic dish while using up what was in my pantry. I had a couple potatoes that were about to go bad as well as some leftover green lentils. I thought, why not replace lentils for the traditional legume? I threw in the potatoes, some mushrooms, and fresh herbs. Voila, lentil Cassoulet was born.

I figured it would go perfectly with another French classic-chicken in a pot. The incredibly moist whole chicken, steamed in a Dutch oven. All this meal needed was some homemade bread (leftover and thawed,) and the reduced drippings from the chicken. I’m getting hungry just writing this….

I originally wished this dish was a little “wetter” in order to sop with the bread, but it ended up being perfect the way it was. This is also a great dish to use up your own unique leftovers. Add leftover baked chicken, bacon, leeks, roasted potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, wilting fresh tomatoes with the canned. Lentils are so filling and healthy so this makes a perfect vegetarian or vegan dish (omit butter) with bread and a salad. For gluten free, use GF breadcrumbs. Either way, throw it in a casserole dish and enjoy the benefits!

Lentil Cassoulet

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cooked green lentils, (make 1/2 cup dried lentils when preparing)

1 can (14.5oz.) diced tomatoes, pulsed for a few seconds in food processor

3 medium-small Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

5-6 small mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 tbsp. butter

Olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

1 tbsp. water

Topping:

2 pieces nice bread, pulsed in a food processor until small bread crumbs

Olive oil, salt

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Freshly chopped basil, 3-4 leaves, cut into thin strips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl, add water, and cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes until potatoes are soften. Set aside.

While oven is preheating, sprinkle breadcrumbs on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in oven and cook for about 5 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, and then add mushrooms and sauté until soften and starting to brown. Add a splash of the red wine and stir until mushrooms have absorbed the liquid. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add butter, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for 3 more minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, thyme, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3-5 minutes until flavors are melded. Stir in potatoes and ladle mixture into an large, oiled baking dish or ramekin quiche dish. Make sure the dish isn’t too full but close to the top.

Bake dish in the oven for 30-35 minutes until hot and potatoes are cooked through. Take the dish out of the oven.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of the dish and put back into oven for 10 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden brown. (If not turning brown, turn on the broiler to low and cook for 2 minutes.) Take out the oven and top with fresh basil.

Serve while warm with bread and roast chicken, or a crisp salad.

To reheat leftovers, turn oven to 400 degrees until inside is warmed and topping gets crispy again. Delicious topped with a fried egg on top!

Enjoy!

Roasted Heirloom Carrots

Sometimes, simple is best. Simple recipes are often all high-quality ingredients need to shine on the dinner plate. Take for example: heirloom carrots. I picked up a bag of organic, multi-color heirloom carrots at Trader Joe’s on my way back from Philadelphia to Small Town. I loved all the different colors in the bag from lemon yellow to bright red. It made my day to say the least.

So when I needed to decide what to do with these beauties, I landed on the humble vegetable’s best fried: roasting. Just a few ingredients, a really hot oven, and a little bit of time is all these babies need to come out golden brown and caramelized sweet.

There’s little to say about this recipe as it so simple. Rather, there is more to say about what to do with the roasted carrots once you pull them out of the oven. The possibilities are truly endless. You can put them on a plate next to salmon, beets, and baked potatoes like us. But I’d rather hear about them on top of a big green salad; tossed with quinoa and kale; a bed for a poached egg next to their buddy-the roasted potato. Hey, even on top of ice cream! No, I’m kidding about that.

And if there happen to be any leftovers by chance, chop them up for Shepard’s Pie, or in a hummus and roasted veggie sandwich. I mean these carrots are pretty amazing. I mean it.

 

So if that hasn’t convinced you to make the easiest gourmet side dish in the world then I do not know what will…

Roasted Heirloom Carrots

Makes 4-6 sides

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. heirloom multi-colored carrots, peeled and topped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil (more for the pan)

½ tsp. kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

Desired Seasoning: Greek, dill, Italian, even dukkah all work well

½ tsp. garlic powder

 Directions:

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 Cut carrots in 2-3 inch pieces, the small ends intact, the large ends haved.

 Toss carrots with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and spread out evenly on a dark baking sheet with a little more oil if necessary to grease the pan.

 Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through. Carrots are done when they are golden brown on sides and soft when pierced with a fork.

 Serve while still hot or later when cold over a salad.

Enjoy!

Mango Black Bean Salsa

It is always funny to me what a particular item will cost depending on the season. Last week, mangoes were 68 cents each while limes previously 5 for $1 the previous week are now 50 cents each! I soon found out that due to a terrible Mexican lime crop this season, restaurants and paying up to $100 for 40lbs. of limes while previously they were paying $15-25. So right now a mix of lemon and limes is more than a good rounded flavor but simply good economics.

So when I needed something to bring to a ladies night for snacks and cocktails, I wanted to make something everyone would like both taste and allergies wise while limiting how much time I had to cook. Empanadas were out of the question then so mango salsa seemed perfect. Especially with mojitos....

To say the least: I was right. The salsa was a hit and has always been a favorite recipe of mine when mangoes are in season. For Ladies' Night I served the big bowl of salsa with chips but it is unreal on tilapia, grilled tuna steak, shrimp, grilled chicken, or even on simple rice.

What is great about this salsa is that it almost acts as a fruit salad because it's so chunky and delicious. You'll want a strong chip for this dip.

If you want an easy, passable hor-d'oeuvres, try a spoonful of this salsa in a crispy wonton cup with or without a bite of grilled chicken.

No matter how you serve it, you and your guests will be going back for more than one bite.

Mango Black Bean Salsa

makes about 4 cups of salsa

Ingredients:
2 ripe Mangoes, chopped into small chunks
2 cups Black beans, cooked (or 1 1/2 cans, rinsed)
1/2 Red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
2/3 cup Red onion, finely diced
1-2 Limes/lemons, juiced (2 tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Add salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. 

Allow salsa to chill in the fridge for several hours or over night for best flavor. Before you are ready to serve, taste the salsa and add more lime juice or salt to personal taste.

Serve with tortilla chips, on fish, grilled chicken, over rice, even in mini wonton cups.

Enjoy!

WIAW #64:Portuguese Chickpea Stew

I’ll be the first to admit that books often inspire my next culinary pursuit.  A good book can transport to the coasts of Spain or the rivers of India. Currently two books have made me yearn for experiences not so easy to come by in West Texas.

Peter Mayle, the prolific English ex-pat who lives and writes about Provence once again makes me want to return to France. In The Vintage Caper, set in Marseille, Rose wine is practically a requirement of conversation. I must admit I tend to stereotype the pink-hued wine as here in the States, “White Zin” and Arbor Mist have crowded the market making the readily available options on shelves and at restaurants to be one step above fruit juice. But despite the stereotype, I am on the hunt for a light, crisp, hardly sweet rose. I think I found one for Easter supper thanks to the local wine boutique down the street. They let you sample if you’re buying…

The second book is A Year in the World, by Frances Mayes, famous for her previous book, Under the Tuscan Sun. In this travel-autobiography, Mayes and her husband travel the world for a year in order to have new experiences and fulfill life long travel goals. She first takes us to Spain, then to Portugal. I’m quite familiar with Spanish cuisine and the tapas tradition. But like most Americans, Portuguese food is an unknown to my eating, and cooking experience.

I’ve always wanted to go to Portugal, known for its seafood and vibrant ingredients and bakeries. For some reason it is the one European cuisine that is not prolific in America. I’ve never been to a Portuguese restaurant, or known of one. In Mayes’ book, you can almost taste the fresh clams, the paprika, and the lemon. After reading this part of the book I long to travel to Lisbon and the neighboring towns. 

I’ve always heard the bread, pao, is incredible. I cannot wait to taste it one day.  Inspire as I was, I decided to take to the book quite literally and use as many of the ingredients as possible to make a Portuguese chickpea stew, as described in the book. Mayes talks about chickpeas, squash, and above all fresh coriander (cilantro,) being common and important ingredients in the cuisine. Fresh bread of course goes without saying. I love how hearty this dish is with just enough broth to soak up with bread, but not too much making this a soup. And what a lovely hued broth it is.

 

After looking over some recipes, I made my own version. I encourage you to mix and match depending on what you have around the house. I only included sausage in my stew, but beef, pork, and especially chorizo are all worthy ingredients. Make sure to use a good quality smoked paprika. This is a great dish to use up any vegetables you may have lying around such as carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, spinach, or any other type of hearty greens. It's even better the next for leftovers so bring on the veggies!

This is easily doubled or then some for a large crowd. The simplest one-pot version relies on a Dutch oven that you can sauté the vegetables in, and then transfer to the oven. You can even serve it tableside if you have a pretty one! If you don’t have a Dutch oven simply sauté vegetables in a pan then transfer to a baking dish. Or better yet, use a stovetop safe baking dish.


I've been happily eating this all week so it's my WIAW. And considering I sprained my ankle yesterday at work, I'm happy to have something to eat!

Portuguese Chickpea Stew

(Adapted from Rachel Ray and Saveur Magazine)

Makes 5-6 dinner sized portions

Ingredients:

1 lb. of your favorite sausage (smoked or chorizo goes well, even turkey sausage), sliced 1-inch thickness

3 cups loosely packed kale, washed, stemmed, and torn into medium size pieces

1 can (14.5oz.) diced tomatoes and liquid

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups prepared chickpeas or 1(14.5 oz.) can

2 cups sweet potatoes or butternut squash, cubed into 1-inch pieces

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

3 carrots, diced

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tbsp. butter

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. smoked sweet paprika

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 pinch cayenne pepper or ¼ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

black pepper and salt to taste

½-3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

olive oil

Bread for serving

Variations: Try spinach in place of the kale (stirring in near the end of cooking,) add a pound or two of cubed Yukon gold potatoes for a larger crowd. 6oz. of Pork, lamb, or beef shoulder is also works. You could even stir in peeled shrimp at the last minute of cooking. If you aren’t a huge tomato fan, this would also be just as good if you supplement two cups additional broth for the tomatoes and add a few more carrots and celery.

Of course, this is very easy to make vegan simply by swapping the butter for olive oil, as well omitting the meat, Worcestershire, and using vegetable broth.

For gluten-free: Omit the bread and serve over quinoa or rice.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large Dutch oven, begin to brown onions over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once onions are soft and translucent, add butter, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook for additional minute. Sprinkle with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir the spices, including the bay leaves and Worcestershire.

Turn heat off and toss in sweet potatoes (or squash), kale, chickpeas, and broth. Pour tomatoes on top of the mixture and arrange sausage slices on top.

Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove lid and continue to bake for 15 minutes until sausage looks browned and crispy. Fish out bay leaves and discard.

Either serve stew in the Dutch oven tableside or dish portions into shallow bowls and top with lots of cilantro. Serve with bread.

Enjoy!

Have you ever been inspired by a book to try a cuisine? Have you tried Portuguese food?

Thai Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu and Mago

Volunteering at a library bookstore does has its perks. Most importantly, I get them half off. Secondly, I get first pick of some beautiful cookbooks (and other books) for gifts and personal use. At two different library bookstores I’ve found editions of Food & Wine Magazine’s series, Best of the Best. I love the series because it is literally a collection of the best recipes from the top cookbooks of the year. That means you get an incredible variety of recipes from some of the best chefs and writers around. This one from the simply titled Recipes by Susan Spugen is no exception. 

Peanut Noodles with Mango is a simple Asian inspired dish that is easy to recreate at home. The recipe as is really good as a side dish but I wanted to make an entree for two hungry people. So crispy fried tofu seemed like a good fit. Chicken, or shrimp would also be delicious in place of the tofu. I like how crispy thinly sliced tofu gets in a shallow oil bath inside a dutch oven. That baby makes frying TOO easy. You can also pan fry the tofu in a skillet with just a couple tablespoons of olive oil.

I was afraid this recipe would be a little out of our normal dinner comfort zone as it is served cold. To my delight and surprise, Aaron loved this unconventional dish and promptly scarfed it down in about a minute. He also called dibbs on the leftovers. That’s how I know I have a hit on my hands.

I just happened to have a lovely soften mango and sugar peas on hand, so luckily this dish came together quite easily. I often keep toasted sesame oil on hand because it adds so much flavor. Try to get if you can. I also recommend a couple dashes of Thai fish sauce if you want to add a little umami to a dish, which is slighlty the sweeter side.

Another adaption I made to the original recipe was the use of PB2 instead of peanut butter. You can definitely use regular smooth peanut butter if you have yet to discover PB2. One reason that I recommend the former is the addition of flavor with only a ¼ of the calories of regular fatty peanut butter. The addition of 45 calories per tablespoon versus 200 calories of the traditional condiment makes this a little lighter for a weeknight meal. If you are serving this as a side dish at a barbeque, go ahead and use the regular stuff. I don’t believe in reduced fat peanut butter. There, I said it.

This is a crowd pleaser and perfect for when the weather gets a little warmer and the produce gets fresher. For kids, the mango and tofu are optional. They’ll love the peanut sauce! I’m sure you will too.

Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu 

and Mango

(Adapted from Recipes by Susan Spugen featured in 

Food & Wine’s Best of the Best, Volume 9)

For 2-3 entrée sized portions

Ingredients:

For the Peanut Sauce

½ cup PB2 peanut butter prepared with ¼ cup water, or ½ cup regular smooth peanut butter

3 tbsp. warm water

1 ½ tbsp. rice vinegar

3 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp. grated or finely chopped fresh ginger root

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. vegan sugar

¼ tsp. black pepper

For the Noodles

½ lb. spaghetti noodles (thicker, not thin noodles are best)

1 cup sugar snap peas or snow peas, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 lime, juiced

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1-2 green onions, chopped

salt

optional: ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped for garnish

sriracha and sesame oil for serving

For the Tofu

½ block extra-firm tofu, sliced into ½ inch strips, then cut in half

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

water and salt for soaking

Vegetable oil

Gluten-free version: Simply replace tamari sauce for soy sauce, don’t flour the tofu, and use your favorite gluten free spaghetti noodles.

Directions:

Add all ingredients for the sauce to a small food processer or blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. (you can make this 2-3 days ahead of time)

In a small bowl, mix chopped mango with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Chill until ready to serve.

For the noodles, bring a pot of salted (2 tsp.) water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. You don’t want soft noodles, so cook just a little more than al dente since you will chill noodles until allow them to rest to doneness.

At the last minute of cooking time, stir in snap peas to pasta water, cooking for no more than 1 minute until bright green and softened. Once pasta and peas and cooked transfer to a large colander and rinsed well with cold water at least twice so noodles do not get gummy with the chilled toppings and peas do not get over cooked.

Toss noodles and peas in the peanut sauce until well coated.

For the tofu, add slices to a shallow baking dish with warm water and 2 tsp. salt. Soak tofu for at least 15 minutes. Pull slices out and place on a plate or cutting board lined with paper towels. Cover slices with more paper towels and gently press down to press out water. Repeat one to two times until tofu is no longer soaking wet, only slightly damp.

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and peppers.

If deep-frying, heat a large dutch oven or cast iron pot over medium heat with enough vegetable oil to cover bottom by about two inches. Test by dropping a piece of green onion into the oil. It is ready if the onion begins to sizzle on impact.

Once oil is hot, bread tofu slices in the flour mixture on both sides. Working in batches, carefully place slices in the hot oil and fry for 3 minutes, then flip for an additional minute, until both sides are lightly brown and crispy. Carefully take pieces out of the oil and place on paper towels. Sprinkle slices with the salt.

Serve dish as soon as the tofu is cooked. Spoon noodles and peas on plates, top with chopped cilantro, green onions, mango and tofu slices. Drizzle plates with additional sesame oil and top with chopped peanuts. Serve with sriracha.

Enjoy!

Dutch Oven French Bread

Valentine's Day concluded this year like most gift-holidays. I picked out what I wanted and Aaron bought it for me...and flowers. But hey, he got a bottle of Maker's Mark; so don't feel bad for him.

 

I've had my eye on this Le Creuset dutch oven for almost a month. I first saw it on clearance while browsing at Marshall's and almost got giddy. The 5 1/2 quart enamel cast iron oven usually goes for several hundred dollars on retail. This one being a "second" quality (though there was only two discolorations you can barely see) usually goes for $250....I got it for $80.

So let's just say I was so excited to break it out that I started using it the first night I got it. Two weeks later, I've started the tradition of "Sunday Bread." Since this recipe takes several hours of inactive time between rising, it is perfect to start before church or any Sunday morning activities and finishing later in the day in time for dinner and weekday sandwiches.

One good thing about this recipe (at least for me) it isn't the "no-knead" Dutch oven bread everyone else has been slinging around the internet because you do knead it in a mixer for 10 minutes, saving you the 24 hours in the fridge that the other version requires. If you have the time and/nor the mixer, here's the famous recipe for good "no knead" dutch oven bread.

I got this recipe from Le Creuset itself and I made it twice: once their way and once my way. What's the difference? Well as good as the bread I made first was, I wanted a slightly softer, more moist bread. Luckily my experiment paid off and I was rewarded with the same height and color of the previous loaf....while having a softer inside.

Alas, this changed how the dough appeared before baking it. Like some of the other breads and recipes I've made since I starting bread-baking a few months ago, my version makes a softer dough as well. With the addition of a little olive oil and pinch of sugar, I got the soft French bread I wanted. It also last at least a day without drying out. (After that I recommend freezing and thawing as needed.)

I do love the simplicity of this recipe and it makes me miss REAL French bread. I would love to see someone try this recipe in an oval Le Creuset to see if it turned into the oval loafs I love so much.

This is the best bread fresh as well as the next day for the best paninis, sandwiches, and my new favorite….French toast. Anyway you eat it you won’t be disappointed.

Dutch Oven French Bread

(Adapted from LeCreuset Technique Series with Michael Ruhlman)

Makes 1 large loaf

Ingredients:

4 cups All-Purpose Flour (such as King Arthur)

1 ½ cup warm water (between 105-115 F degrees)

1 tsp. active dry yeast (about half of a packet)

1 tsp. Coarse sea salt plus additional for baking

1 tsp. sugar

Vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray

2 tsp. Olive oil plus more for baking

Note: It is important that your water is warm so the yeast will proof, but not too hot to kill it.

Also, try not to scope the flour with the same cup for measuring as you will acquire 30% more flour from the scooping. Instead scoop with a separate cup or flour scoop and carefully pour into the measuring cup.

P.S. make sure your dutch oven has a phelonic knob for the hot temperatures, otherwise remove the knob prior to baking.

Instructions:

 

Add flour, water, yeast, sugar, 2 tsp. olive oil, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and at least a 5 ½ quart bowl.

Mix on medium speed (4 for Kitchen Aid) until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes. The dough should be coherent, but will also be soft and sticky.

Lift dough from the bowl, spray with vegetable oil, and then return dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl from the mixer with a pot lid or tightly with plastic wrap.

Let dough to rise until it has doubled in size and does not spring back when a finger covered in flour does not bounce back into it, 2 to 4 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured work surface and knead it to release the gas and redistribute the yeast in the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and cover loosely with a towel, letting stand for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax from the kneading.

On your floured surface, shape the dough into a ball as tightly as possible by rolling it between your hands and pinching the bottom.

Using the vegetable oil, spray or coat the bottom and sides of a large French oven that’s at least 5 ½ quart big. Put the dough in the center of the pot and place the lid on. Allow the dough to rise again, for 30 minutes if warm and humid, 60 minutes if room is colder.

Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees.

Rub at least 1 tablespoon olive oil, gently over the surface of the dough. Score the bread with a sharp knife or razor, making an X or a hash mark (#) to let the dough to expand freely in the oven. Evenly sprinkle the dough with the salt. Cover the pot with the lid and place it in the oven.

After 30 minutes of baking, remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 375 F degrees. Continue baking until the bread is nicely browned and cooked through with an internal temperature of 200 F degrees with a thermometer (about 10-15 minutes.)

Remove bread from the dutch oven and allow the bread to rest on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes so that the interior finishes cooking.

Enjoy!

The Cuisiner