Lentil Stew-Pot Chili

I’ve come to realize that the weather completely dictates what I eat.  Given this week-long downpour we’ve been hit with, I was craving something heart-warming last night.  Matt, the chef of the evening, was inspired to cook something Indian and Daal-esque. I said, ‘Yes. That sounds great.  Im going to yoga.  Indian + wine is perfect.’ (i.e. done deal).  Our fridge was running on empty, so in an attempt to stay dry, we decided an ingredient-scavenger-hunt through the cabinets would be a much better idea.  Lentils + chorizo + tomatoes + slow cooker never fails, I tell you.  As long as you have a well-stocked spice rack, you’re almost always good to go.  It did turn out de-lish, and we also enjoyed a bottle of the Sattui Family Red, from the famous Sattui Winery in St. Helena, CA (a bottle we shipped back from our Napa trip in July!)

Ingredients

• 1-2 medium chorizo sausages
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 red peppers, chopped
• 1 cup veggie stock
• 3-4 whole tomatoes, chopped or a 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry lentils, soaked
• 2 tbsp coriander
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan and saute onions, garlic and paprika.  Add chorizo and peppers and saute until cooked.

Add the veggie stock, tomatoes and lentils and reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or so. (a tip for cooking lentils: microwave for a couple minutes in a bowl of water to pre-cook).

Add remaining herbs to taste and top with a dollap of greek yogurt or sour cream.

mangia!

Heirloom Tomato + Peach Salsa with Goat Cheese

Its unfortunate that I dont have a photo of this because its quite beautiful to look at.  Its also quite delicious to eat, so perhaps thats the reason why I wasn’t quick enough with the camera when Red, Mikey and I were picnicking yesterday, amidst our adventure and eventful bike ride along the river!  I know I will be making this again before the heirloom tomatoes and peaches trickle out of season, so Ill be sure to snap a photo then.  Until then, use your colorful imagination as you find yourself heading to your local farmers market to grab your produce and whip up this simple, summer pleasure.

serves 3 hungry, bike-riding adventurers

Ingredients

• 2 heirloom tomatoes, preferably from the local market
• 2 peaches, again from the local market
• 2-3 mint leaves
• 1/2 log of goat cheese
• whole wheat pita or flat breads

Instructions

Chop the tomatoes, peaches and mint and combine into a colorful blend.  Serve on flat bread (or on a bed of arugula) with goat cheese.

mangia!

Veggies-on-the-Bottom Bread

I wanted to try something new and tasty to bring to the SlowFoodDC Board meeting tonight.  It was a grand evening with delicious food.  I mean one cant really complain after an evening as follows – sitting up on the rooftop garden terrace of BreadForTheCity, chatting with a group of DC food advocates about food how we can promote its goodness! – sun setting in the background (on a particularly cool night for DC), amidst a hand-crafted spread of heirloom tomato + basil + peach salsa, local peaches and watermelon, blackberry pie from Mom’s in Leesburg, bean + avocado dip, and my savory bread.  The recipe below is adapted from Mollie Katzen’s recipe in The Enchanted Broccoli Forest - I added jack cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and left out the red peppers and cauliflower (but Im sure all versions are good).  Also, it took a good hour and a half to prep and bake, so make sure you have some time to spare.

serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the Veggie Layer

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup of broccoli florets, broken apart into tiny trees
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 cup of corn, fresh or frozen
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
• 1/2 cup cheddar or jack cheese

For the Bread

• 1 1/2 cups white or whole wheat flour (or a mix of the two)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme, garlic, pepper
• 1 tbsp chia seed  + 2 tbsp water (this is your ‘egg’, so if you wish to use an actual egg, you can do that)
• 1 cup yogurt or buttermilk (buttermilk=milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

For the Veggie Layer (Part 1)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a round bundt pan or an 8 inch square pan with olive oil.  Boil a medium-size pot of water.  Get strainer and bowl of cold water ready.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the onion until soft.

Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, drop in the broccoli and carrot and blanch for about 30 seconds.

Strain immediately and then place into cold water.  Let it sit and then pat dry with a paper towel.Add onion and the other uncooked veggies, spices and herbs to the mixture.  Spread the mixture on the bottom of the pan and cover with cheese.  Set aside and move to part 2.

For the Bread (Part 2)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a large bowl.  Stir in sugar and herbs.  Make an indentation in the center for the wet mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine the ‘egg’, buttermilk/yogurt and melted butter.

Pour the wet mixture into the center of the dry mixture and mix carefully until blended (it should form a sticky dough).

Carefully spread the dough over the veggie layer and distribute as evenly as possible.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until bread is cooked through.  Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.  When you go to cut it, it seems as if the veggies are going to fall out from underneath, but the cheese actually allows it to stay on a good amount – but be careful (note: its not a good idea to be talking on your phone when cutting the bread).

mangia!

BBQ Seitan with Quinoa, Avocado and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 package of seitan
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced into quarters
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 5 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh corn, lightly roasted (or the frozen roasted corn from TJs is great!)
• BBQ sauce
• 1 cup quinoa
• salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine quinoa with 1 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan.  Simmer on medium heat until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, pat dry the seitan and pull apart to small pieces (about 1-2 inches).  Lather with BBQ sauce and place in the oven on Hi Broil for about 10-15 minutes (you want to cook just a bit, but more importantly evaporate the water content).

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, corn and avocado.  Add the seitan and season with salt and pepper to taste.  You can then either add the quinoa to the rest of the ingredients to make it as a salad, or serve the quinoa as a base and keep it separate.  Either way its a delicious and fresh lunch or dinner!

mangia!