Old English Fish Pie

My daughter is coming home for Thanksgiving and she loves this dish! I highly recommend the cookbook this recipe comes from, 50 Ways with Fish, by Katherine Blakemore.

1 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled
1 oz butter
1 1/2 C milk
12 oz smoked fish
8 oz fresh fish (haddock, cod, or ling)
1 bay leaf
1 blade mince (I use a pinch of ground mace)
6 black peppercorns
1 T cornstarch
3 T chopped parsley
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 C sharp cheese

Cook the potatoes in lightly-salted water for about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain well, then mash with the butter and 3 T milk.

Put fish into a pan with the remaining milk, bay leaf, mace and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat, cover pan and let stand until fish is cool enough to handle.

Strain the milk into another pan, discarding the bay leaf, mace blade, and peppercorns. Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water, add to the milk, bring to a boil stirring continuously. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Flake the fish, removing any skin and bones, add to the sauce with the parsley and eggs Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer the mixture to a deep ovenproof dish, top with the mashed potatoes, running the prongs of a fork down the length of the potatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Cook in a preheated oven (400F) for about 25 minutes until topping is browned.

 **Yum!

Pressure cooker chicken soup

Last week I happened to catch a part of Dr Oz. He was exploring health myths. One of them had to do with the efficacy of using chicken soup during a cold. His conclusion? Not a myth- chicken soup really does help. Last week, I caught a cold from my daughter. Ugh. So out came the chicken from the freezer (they were on sale at Whole Foods the week prior- so I bought two) and down came the pressure cooker... I pulled this recipe from the internet- the Boston.com site. I have adapted it below.


Pressure-cooker chicken soup
Serves 6
6 carrots (leave whole)
2 medium onions, chopped
6 stalks fresh parsley 
3 celery stalks- top with the greens
1 bay leaf
4 peppercorns
1 chicken (3 1/2 pounds), cut in half (you could do quarters if it fits better in your pressure cooker)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 cups water (or as much as you can safely put into your pressure cooker)


1. In a pressure cooker, lay the carrots, onions, parsnip, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns in the bottom. Add the chicken pieces with the neck and gizzard, extra breasts, and salt. Pour in the water.
2. Lock the lid and set over high heat to bring the pressure up. Adjust the heat to maintain medium pressure and cook for 15 minutes exactly. (Important: do not leave the kitchen while the pressure cooker is on; modern cookers are perfectly safe, but you still need to babysit.)
3. Let the pressure cooker sit for 5 minutes. Carefully carry the cooker to the sink and run very cold water onto the top to bring the pressure down. You'll hear the valve make a big sigh. When it's safe to remove the lid, lift it off.
4. Let the soup cool for 20 minutes. With tongs, transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Put the vegetables into one container, tip the broth into another. Discard the parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Let everything cool.
5. Refrigerate the broth. Remove the meat from the chicken bones and transfer the meat to the vegetables. Refrigerate.
6. Remove the fat from the broth. Tip the broth into a soup pot. Add the vegetables and chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Adapted from "The Way We Cook"

**Oops. Forgot to take a photo. Tasted good. I still have the cold. 

Provencal zucchini and greens torte

Receiving zucchini this late in the season meant I needed to find a nice autumn dish for dinner. When I saw this that includes greens, it seemed like a great one to try. I supplemented the spinach we got in the box this week.with chard from my garden. We also got one pound of zucchini rather than the 2 pounds called for in the recipe.

Although I found this recipe from Martha Rose Shulman's cookbook, Ready When You Are, I found it  online from her column in the New York Times. Please note that she recommends either a yeasty dough or turning it into a gratin with breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, I used a pre-made gluten free crust.

1 recipe whole wheat yeasted olive oil pie pastry
1 pound greens, such as Swiss chard, beet greens, or spinached.
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds zucchini, cut in small dice (1/4 to 1/3 inch)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)
3 large eggs, beaten
Freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens, and wash them thoroughly in several rinses of water. If the ribs are wide, wash and dice them, then set aside. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and the greens. Blanch for one or two minutes, until just tender. Using a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer, transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water and chop. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet, and add the onion and diced chard stems, if using. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the zucchini. Season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring, until just tender and still bright green, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook with the zucchini and onion until the garlic is fragrant, about one or two minutes. Toss in the parsley, thyme and rosemary and take off the heat. Stir in the greens. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste), the zucchini mixture, and the Gruyère. Mix everything together, add pepper, taste once more and adjust seasoning.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan.
If using the yeasted dough:
Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line the pan, with the edges of the dough overhanging. Freeze the remaining dough. Fill the lined pan with the zucchini mixture. Pinch the edges of the dough along the rim of the pan.
If using pre-made crust:
Fill the crust with the zucchini mixture.
If making as a gratin:
Fill the gratin dish with the zucchini mixture.
Mix 1/4 C breadcrumbs with 1 T oil and sprinkle on top of the gratin.

Place in the oven and bake 40-50 minutes, until set and beginning to color. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving (preferably longer). This can also be served at room temperature.
Yield: One 10-inch tart, serving eight to ten.

Advance preparation: The blanched greens will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator in a covered bowl. The finished tart keeps for a few days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently at 275 degrees to re-crisp the crust.

**Very delicious!

Meatloaf with chili sauce

This recipe was requested by my daughter. I used my home made ketchup mixed with a heaping teaspoon of sriracha chile sauce. You can find this recipe on the Martha Stewart site.

• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces (I used gluten-free)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chili sauce, plus 1/4 cup for glaze
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. In a large bowl, pour milk over bread; let soak, about 30 seconds. Add sirloin, pork, onion, garlic, 1/2 cup chili sauce, parsley, Parmesan, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using your hands, mix until combined; do not overmix or meatloaf will be dense.
2. Divide mixture in half. Gently pat each half into a log, and place each log in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Do not press down or into corners.
3. Bake 50 minutes. Brush tops of loaves with remaining 1/4 cup chili sauce; continue cooking until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven; let rest 5 minutes. Turn loaves out of pans; slice each into eight 3/4-inch-thick slices.

 **Very nice. Make sure to use a thermometer so it doesn't overcook and get dry.

Mini Skillet Meatloaves

Since I didn't end up making the eggplant stir fry, I had some LPO ground pork thawed and needing to be used. I found some ground beef in the freezer from Whole Foods, so I decided to do a quick meatloaf. These are very quick since they are made individually. You can find the recipe on the Food Network site.
Below is my version (I used less sugar than in the original recipe).

• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (GF)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small onion, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (chipotle is nice)
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1 1/2 pounds meat (ground beef and pork)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

Mix the breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion, chili powder and garlic in a large bowl. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until combined. Shape into six 3-to-4-inch oval loaves.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the loaves and brown about 3 minutes per side.
Whisk the ketchup, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and brush a few tablespoonfuls over the meat. Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes. (This time depends on how thick your loaf is- so watch it)
Transfer the loaves to a plate.


Per serving: Calories 380; Fat 24 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 111 mg; Sodium 800 mg; Carbohydrate 16 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 23 g

 **This were great. Very similar to the hamburgers that I make. Very quick and easy.

Butternut Squash and Potato Pie with Tomato, Mint and Sheep's Milk Cheese

I got three butternut squash out of my garden this summer- I saw this recipe and thought my squash coupled with my mint, parsley, and tomatoes and LPO's potatoes- this was sure to be a winner! I have amended the recipe below (less mint than originally called for).

Butternut Squash and Potato Pie with Tomato, Mint and Sheep's Milk Cheese
Serves 6 as a side dish or 3 to 4 as a main course

2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, shredded
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds butternut squash, quartered, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1 large ripe tomato, halved, seeded and grated, or a few spoonfuls of drained, diced tomatoes from a can
2/3 cup grated hard sheep's milk cheese, like Greek mizithra or Spanish manchego
1/4 cup fresh ricotta
1 1/2 pounds red or Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the mint, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, or a little bit more to taste, and the pepper. Remove and reserve half the mixture. Add the squash to the bowl and mix well. Add the tomato, and the hard and fresh cheeses and toss to combine.

2. Toss the potatoes with the reserved garlic-herb mixture and add another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place half the sliced potatoes on the bottom of a generously oiled 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Taste a small bit of the squash-tomato mixture for seasoning, adjust if needed, and spread on top, covering with the remaining potatoes. Pour the milk over all, dust with the flour (preferably through a sieve) and drizzle the oil on top.

3. Bake for 40 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake for 30 minutes, or until the gratin is brown and the liquid is nearly absorbed. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

**Delicious! I would recommend using your food processor for most of the prep work-otherwise you'll be grating and slicing for a long time...

Quinoa with olives and roasted tomatoes

I found this recipe on the smittenkitchen site. I changed out the couscous for quinoa and followed the rest of the recipe. Quinoa is super easy to make- remember it is 2 to 1 (liquid to quinoa).


Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes
Gourmet, September 2002
Makes 6 servings
For roasted tomatoes and dressing
2 pt red grape or cherry tomatoes (1 1/2 lb)
3 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For couscous
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 1/4 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Roast tomatoes and make dressing: 
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Halve tomatoes through stem ends and arrange, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan. Add garlic to pan and roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are slightly shriveled around edges, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes.
Peel garlic and puree with oil, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes in a blender until dressing is very smooth.
Make couscous: Bring broth to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and stir in couscous, then simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.
Spread couscous in 1 layer on a baking sheet and cool 15 minutes. Transfer couscous to a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, dressing, roasted tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Do ahead: Roasted tomatoes, dressing, and couscous can be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

**Nice salad. The dressing made the quinoa turn a bit orange. It was OK, quite mellow.

Grilled eggplant topped with caprese

While I was looking through local food IQ, I ran across this recipe. It is from Dave DeWitt's column, Playing with Fire.

Grilled Eggplants Topped with Caprese 
Eggplants come in a variety of shapes and sizes and this year I planted the long and slender Japanese eggplants, so I’m going to have to slice them in half lengthwise to grill them. Caprese is usually a salad with mozzarella cheese, but here it’s going to be a dressing for the grilled eggplant slices.

For the caprese:
1 Large ripe tomato, seeded and minced
5 oz. Mozzarella cheese, cut into a 1/4-inch dice
8 Fresh basil leaves, minced
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Fresh lemon or lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
For the eggplants:
4 Small Japanese eggplants, sliced lengthwise (peeling optional)
2 Tbsp. Coarse sea salt
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
3 tsp. Fresh oregano, minced
1 tsp. Coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp. Hot red chile flakes
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. Italian parsley, minced

To make the caprese, combine the tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator until needed. After the eggplant is grilled, add the lemon or lime juice and gently mix everything together.

To prepare the eggplants, sprinkle the salt over the eggplant slices and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the slices and dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine the oregano, black pepper, chile flakes, garlic and parsley. Brush olive oil over both sides of the slices and sprinkle them with the mixed spices.

Grill the eggplant slices over medium heat for five to eight minutes per side, depending on their thickness, then remove from the grill and transfer to a serving plate. Allow the slices to cool to room temperature, top with the caprese dressing and serve.

Yield: 4 servings • Heat scale: Medium

**This was delicious!

Eggplant baked with tomatoes and cheese

This is similar to eggplant parmesan, but without the bread and eggs. It is a delicious gluten-free version! It is easy to make and could be even easier if you choose to not make your own tomato sauce and substitute a high quality tomato pasta sauce. Try as I may, I could not find this recipe on-line- although there are hundreds of other versions to choose from. My recipe is a copy from a cookbook, page 60, the summer chapter.

4 large eggplants, about 2 1/2 lbs
1/2 C sunflower oil (I use much less)
1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese (can also use cheddar)

For the Sauce:
3 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2- 14 oz cans tomatoes (can use fresh or frozen)
1 t tomato paste
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t dried oregano
2-3 T chopped fresh flat leaf parsley


Trim the eggplant and cut lengthways into 1/2" slices. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the slices briefly in batches. Lift out as soon as they are golden on both sides and drain on kitchen paper.

Arrange the eggplant slices in 2 layers in a baking dish. (I use a smaller dish- so mine has more layers) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Make the sauce. Heat the oil gently in a large pan, add the garlic and saute for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and oregano and season to taste. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and velvety, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Spread the sauce over the aubergines to cover them. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 40 minutes.

**Delicious. Mine is a bit runny because I used my frozen tomatoes from last year's garden.

Southwest Salad with Black Beans and Corn

This is a delicious salad that I make everytime it is fresh corn season. Although the recipe calls for cooked corn, I always use raw. You can also substitute canned black beans.

Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu. You can get the complete recipe online from the A Life Divided blog. Although I often cook my own beans, I've show this adaption with canned black beans.

2 cans black beans 
2 cups raw corn (about 2 largish ears worth- make sure it is organic!)
2 medium-sized cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup well-minced red onion 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice 
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, minced garlic, red onion, cumin, olive oil, and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. 

**Delicious. We ate it with tortilla chips.

Quinoa Tabouli Salad with Chickpeas

One of my favorite summer salads. I used to use bulgher until wheat became an allergy issue in this house. Now I use quinoa and love it. This recipe comes from The New Moosewood Cookbook. I found the recipe on-line on the food.com website . However, what you see below is how I've adapted it over the years. Depending on what is in season, I'll add the tomatoes or if I have kalamati olives, I'll add them. I usually add chickpeas for the protein.

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• pepper
• 3 scallions, finely minced
• 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley, packed
• 8- 10 mint leaves, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced or 4 roma tomatoes,diced
• 1/2 cucumber,  minced

1. Cook the quinoa in the water for about 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.Fluff up the quinoa.
2. Emulsify the lemon juice and oil. Then mix in the salt, garlic, pepper, and scallions.
3. Chill for 30 minutes.
4. Before serving, add the rest of the ingredients.

 

 **Delicious, as always.

**Made a different time, with black olives, tomatoes, and carrots.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I love these rolls wrapped in rice paper. They are perfect for a warm day. You can find a multitude of recipes on-line for the fillings and for the sauces. Here is what we did:

For the spring roll
Cucumber, cut into long slices
Carrot, long peels
Tot Soi, washed and left whole
Basil, cut into strips
Mint, cut into strips
Parsley
Tempeh, cut into strips
Rice vermicelli

For the Sauce
1/4 C hoisin sauce
2 T almond butter
1 t rice venegar
1 garlic, crushed
1 squirt Thai hot sauce

In bowl of warm water, dip each rice paper wrapper for about 3-5 seconds (depending on rice paper thickness). Do not over soak your rice paper wrapper! Place on work service and allow rice paper to soak up water and become gelatinous and pliable (about 30 seconds to 1 minute, again, depending on the thickness rice paper).
On top 1/3 side closest to you, lay noddles and greens on the bottom for added strength to the wrapper. Then place herbs and other vegetables. Roll up spring roll about 1/3 way through, then fold in the sides.
Serve with hoisin almond dip (or any other sauce).

**Delicious. Keeper.

Zucchini Fritters

I've tried a fair few zucchini fritter recipes. This is my favorite so far. You can get the recipe online at cuisine.co.nz 

6 small zucchini
salt
3 spring onions, chopped
2 T parsley, chopped
1 T mint, chopped
1 T dill, chopped
1/2 C feta cheese, crumbled
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 C flour

Grate the zucchini into a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out moisture by hand then wrap them into a towel to get the rest of the moisture out. Transfer to a bowl and add the onions parsley, mint, dill, feta cheese, eggs, and salt and pepper to taste.

Mix well then blend in the flour. Drop by tablespoons into a hot skillet and fry till golden. Turn and cook the second side.

Delicious with yogurt. Makes 24 small ones.

 **Yummy!

Basque Eggs

I found this recipe a while back on one of my favorite sites: cuisine.co.nz It is a great dish once the zucchini is ready to harvest. The perfect dish if you have chard, tomatoes and zucchini. I have adapted this recipe. The original is on the link.


6  tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely diced
4 zucchini, sliced less than 1” thick
1 small hot red chili thinly sliced or a roasted chopped green chili or two
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch of swiss chard, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leafed parsley
4-6 organic eggs
1 cup cherry tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat in a heavy frying pan (preferably one that can go straight into the oven). Add the onions, zucchini, chili and garlic. Panfry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until everything has softened and browned.

Stir in the chard and saute for a minute or two. Then add the paprika and parsley, mix well then remove from the heat. If you are not using a frying pan that is oven-safe, oil a shallow ovenproof dish with the remaining oil. Pour the vegetable mixture evenly into the dish and break the eggs on top, leaving them whole and evenly distributed over the surface. (Use as many eggs as your dinner companions need)

Push the tomatoes in beside the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Remove from the oven and serve. Serves 4

 Going into the oven

**Delicious. I love the smokey paprika with the fresh veges. Keep your eye on the eggs- you'll need to poke them to know how runny or cooked they are.

Risotto cakes with fontina

Having leftover risotto and leftover roasted carrots, I looked around for a risotto cake recipe. I found a few and this is what I came up with.

2 C leftover risotto (mine was made with roasted garlic and thyme)
1 C roasted carrots, chopped
1/2 C fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 C chopped parsley
1 egg
1/2 C breadcrumbs

Mix the cold risotto with breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, carrots, and egg. Shape into 4" rounds and chill. Heat oil and saute cakes until crisp and brown.

**Delicious- Keeper

Grilled sweet potato and scallion salad

I wanted to find a light recipe for the sweet potatoes. Here is one from Bobby Flay on the Food Network. I'll be following the reviewers suggestions of less vinegar and less dressing.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 4 large sweet potatoes, par-cooked and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 8 scallions
• 3/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat grill to high. Brush potatoes and scallions with oil and arrange on grill. Grill potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just tender. Grill scallions until softened and marked. Remove scallions from the grill and cut into thin slices.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, the mustard, vinegars, and honey. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add potatoes, scallions, and parsley and toss until potatoes are well coated. Transfer to a platter and serve.

 **Good salad. I didn't think grilling (I have a gas grill) made much of a difference to the sweet potatoes- however, if you use a charcoal grill, I'm sure it would. Nice salad. Can't wait to try it on day two.
##It was not all that much better on day two. I won't make it again.

Warm lentil salad

This recipe comes from the Orangette blog. What a great site! I'll be serving this lentil dish with a fresh salad of greens with sliced sugar snaps on top.

French-Style Warm Lentil Salad
Adapted from Epicurious.com

This lentil salad isn’t exactly like the ones I’ve eaten in France – those were usually plainer, with just vinaigrette and flecks of raw shallot – but I like it just as much. (And – bonus! – it doesn’t leave me with shallot breath.) It also keeps and reheats well, and it tastes even better the next day, which makes it perfect weekday lunch material.

1 cup French green (also known as “Puy”) lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 cups water
1 Turkish bay leaf
½ tsp. salt, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. red wine vinegar
½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Crunchy sea salt, for serving
2 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley, for serving

In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils, water, and bay leaf to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt, and then simmer, covered, for another 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.

While the lentils simmer, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just softened, about 7 to 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons vinegar, mustard, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, and whisk to emulsify.

When the lentils are ready, drain them in a colander or sieve, and discard the bay leaf. Dump them into the skillet with the vegetables, and add the vinaigrette. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until heated through. Stir in the remaining ½ tsp. vinegar, and serve warm, with crunchy salt and parsley for sprinkling.

Yield: 4 side-dish servings

 **Great salad. Easy to make. Should have put the parsley in it. I will next time!
##Keeper. 

Vegetable Tagine

I got this recipe from the New York Times. My comment reads, "Good, Filling". It calls for a spice called zaatar. You can find it at the Istanbul Cafe on Wyoming. They don't have a website, but I found this great local blog called Elva Eats that reviews the cafe. I love going into the shop- they have a great selection of basmati rices, spices, and it is a good place to find sheep and goat feta, rather than cow feta.


2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 fresh small chili peppers, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup dried lentils
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup tomato puree
1 cup chickpeas, cooked or canned (if canned, drain and rinse)
1 cup carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
3/4 cup green peas, frozen
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon zaatar (see note)
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a medium or large saucepan over medium heat, warm the butter or oil. Add the onions and chilies and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the paprika, cayenne and cumin and continue to sauté until the onions are tender and fragrant, a few minutes longer.
3. Add the lentils, tomatoes, tomato puree and water just to cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas, carrots, green beans, zucchini, and green peas. Simmer until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Note: this recipe can be prepared in advance up to this point. Allow to cool, refrigerate and serve within a couple of days. Add the parsley and zaatar during the last five minute of cooking. Season to taste. Transfer to a warm serving dish and serve immediately.

**Delicious. The zataar really made an interesting addition to the tastes.

Cuban Green Rice

This recipe comes from a cookbook I received many years ago from my sister. It is a great vegetarian cookbook with recipes from all over the world, World Food Cafe: Global Vegetarian Cooking. Normally I would serve plain rice with the aloo gobi, but I felt like this week's menu has been short on greens, so I thought to try this rice. If it isn't green enough, I might saute some spinach as well. I didn't make it in time to save the parsley from the deep freeze, so I ended up buying it.

Serves 4-6
3 T oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded de-ribbed, and finely chopped*
large handful of fresh parsley sprigs, chopped
large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 C rice, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 C vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and saute the onion and bell pepper until they start to soften.
Stir in the parsley and cilantro. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains in oil. Add just enough stock to cover the rice and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until all the moisture is absorbed. Add salt and pepper.

*I don't like bell peppers, so I'll skip this ingredient. I'll use Basmati rice.

** No picture. But I can tell you this was a great rice dish. It went well with the aloo gobi. The flavors were great. You'll need to keep your eye on it at the end of the cooking- it didn't take very long. I was surprised the rice cooked through with just 2 1/2 C of liquid, but it did.