Chicken and Lentils

something about lentils. i see them in the store, i think to myself "i like lentils, they come in different colors (fun!) and they're a quick cook, why not?" then i buy a pound. after this i they sit in my cabinet for about a year taunting me, guilting me for ever bringing them home and letting them waste away when someone else could be making a delicious dinner out of them. in my defense; i had a bit of an incident with lentils a few years back when i was vegan and just getting back into the swing of cooking. it seemed that a.) i was very very poor and b.) wanted to cook only super simple (and by this i mean only water and maybe salt) to compliment my bachelorette life. this horrible combo doesn't really give optimal results - in other words everything tasted like crap. but with no one else to share this food like stuff with, i never felt the need to say, go out and by a few spices or maybe some quality olive oil. to make an already long story short - i made some kind of lintel dish that tasted just like - i am not kidding or exaggerating - it tasted like dirt.

alright so now we come full circle: after the being plagued for months by the brown lintels sadly sitting there every-time i reached for the black beans or brown rice i found this NYTimes recipe for chicken and lentils. i'm on a dutch oven kick lately, maybe its just the winter thing, and this was a perfect fit. i think this dinner cured me of my dirt eating phobia. this was perfect! its a great winter(y) dish that isn't heavy or overly "stew like", if that even makes sense. try it out, i promise you wont be sorry. its cheap to make, scrumptious and best of all doesn't take much man power.

i made a few changes to the original recipe: completely omitted the 2 garlic cloves, used apple cider vinegar and removed the chicken skin after browning - i find the skin just gives off too much fat and turns slimy when slow cooked, but make sure to leave it on when you are browning the chicken it adds flavor when it needs to. oh and next time i think i'll add in carrots. delish all the same. enjoy!

CHICKEN AND LINTELS

1 tbs olive oil

2oz pancetta (thick slice - one should be 2oz), diced

1 1/2 lb skin-on, bone-in chicken thigh (organic)

1c finely chopped onion

1/2c finely chopped celery

1 tsp fresh ground cumin

1c lentils

1 1/2c chopped radicchio (1/2 head-cored)

1 1/2 - 2c chicken stock

1tbs finely chopped fresh sage

1 1/2tsp apple cider vinegar

*preheat oven in 300F

*over medium heat, heat oil in dutch oven, add pancetta and cook to golden - remove and reserve

*season chicken with salt and pepper, add to dutch oven and brown

*remove chicken and reserve, remove the skin once slightly cooled, pour off all but 2tbs of the fat

*add the onion and celery, saute until translucent, scraping the pan down to get all the browned bits up .

*add in the cumin - cook until fragrant

*add in radicchio, sage and vinegar - saute briefly

*add lentil, reserved pancetta and stock

*add reserved chicken, bring to a simmer, cover and cook in oven 1 hour

*check after 45 to add more stock if you need to.

*after an hour the lentils should be done and the chicken just about to fall off the bones. season to taste and serve.

(makes about 2-3 servings)

Pesto!

- pine nut and basil -

while i've always really liked the idea of pesto - tons of fresh herbs, earthy nuts and always lovely parmigiano reggiano all bound together with good olive oil - its the presence of raw garlic that i can't handle. basically, i'm a vampire. just the mention of garlic and i hiss. i've spent years avoiding anything that included pesto and considering its not used just for pasta anymore, the list is gets pretty long - and kinda bland.

because of this extensive time away from pesto i've learned to

just kinda wipe it from my mental recipe index and that's about it. then about a month ago i was skimming through a foodie magazine and was jolted back into the world of pesto. what was the reason i never made it again? oh right the toxic garlic. well that's the plus of cooking for yourself - you delete as you please. and that is exactly what i have done. not to mention played around with the nut / herb roster. toss with whole wheat penne and you've got yourself a delicious and nutritious meal!

- walnut and parsley -

WALNUT & PARSLEY PESTO

1/4c walnuts

2c parsley

1/4c olive oil

1/2c parm. reggiano (keep it real)

*pulse the nuts in a food processor

*add the parsley with the oil and process to smooth

*add in the parm. and pulse to combine

*chill or freeze any leftovers

PINE NUT & BASIL PESTO

1/4c pine nuts

2c basil

1/4c olive oil

1/2c parm. reggiano

*repeat as above

Lake Charles, Louisiana

-no restaurant is complete w/out a stuffed alligator flying on a cypress log-

as mentioned in my last post: i ventured back home last weekend for a much needed visit with my parents and best friend (ahhhh). i have to say - the older i get the more i realize what a great place ole Louisiana is. where else can you get a (real) soft shell crab po-boy, a beer for $2 and a fresh chocolate souffle all in one day? oh and did i mention the daytime temperature never dropped below 50ish. life down there is nice and slow - i'm not sure if this is a side effect of the excessive sodium / alcohol intact or just a kind of mellow nirvana that us north easterners have yet to realize. either way...

-soft shell crab po-boy, dressed correctly. this may be my "last meal" choice-

-catfish platter, my parents' favorite. what platter would be complete with out a garden of fries-

-this picture was not taken at a carnival, just a standard notification medium in La-

-is anything better than a piping hot chocolate souffle and fresh whipped cream at 1 am? did i mention the bottle of wine? -

-dad and his two enormous cabbage heads. my parents garden is small but fierce-

- what i learned this night or more so the next morning when i stumbled out of bed: i am closer to 30 than 20 -

Creamy Broccoli Pasta

what do you make for your husband to eat when a: there is half used quart of whole milk left in the frig. b: you went crazy with the on-sale broccoli (that your overly active tummy wont even let you eat) and c: you are going across the country for the next 4 days which will leave all of this to rot away while you are gone? why whole wheat pasta adorned w/ creamy broccoli sauce of-course! I love this because its creamy, but not fatty, has a good deal of veggies, whole grains and protein from the pasta. its a great weekday meal too. this is a loose recipe since i really just threw everything together, but i think you can figure it out.

8 oz penne pasta (whole wheat or as you please)

1 tbs butter

2 tsp flour

1 1/2c whole milk

salt and pepper

pinch fresh ground nutmeg

3/4c parm. reggiano cheese, freshly grated

steamed broccoli florets from 2-3 heads

*finely chop the broccoli, set aside

*melt butter in large skillet over medium hugh heat

*stir in flour, stir constantly for a few minutes

*slowly pour in milk stirring constantly

* add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste

*cook stirring until the milk begins to thicken, take off heat

*meanwhile cook pasta to al dente

*when pasta is done combine with the milk sauce, parm and reserved broccoli - toss to combine

Multigrain Maple Pecan Muffins

this will be short since i have a ferocious headache and i am procrastinating my duty to pack. i'm heading back home to the great state of Louisiana to warm up a bit, see my best friend & hang with my rents. oh and to score a few soft shell crab poboys, frog legs and bloody marys. all of which can only (properly) be found in that hot and sticky state. stay tuned for pictures of my culinary adventures.

but to these muffins - they rock, basically fat free, full of whole grains & sweetened with pure maple syrup. perfect for breakfast or when made into a minis as a snack.

MULTIGRAIN MAPLE PECAN MUFFINS

1/4c buckwheat flour

1/4c AP flour

1/4c wheat bran

1/4c rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger root

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/2c dark maple syrup (pure!)

1/2c buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4c plain yogurt

1/2c chopped pecans

*preheat oven to 350F, line your muffin pan

*sift together all the dry ingredients

*in separate bowl lightly beat the egg, then add in buttermilk, vanilla, yogurt and ginger

*stir the wet into the dry until just combined

*fold in the pecans

*pour into prepared pan, sprinkle with some extra oats and nuts

*cook 20 - 25 minutes until toothpick is clean

Black Bean Brownies (GF)

like i mentioned earlier, josh inadvertently put beans on my brain. and well chocolate - that is always on my brain, its more like a part of my brain. as i was perusing the online food blogosphere i stumbled upon this idea of brownies made out of beans. i've heard of baking with beans before, but never just beans. the more i read (with elation) the more it all made sense. the natural depth of the beans and the darkness of the chocolate was genius! there are varying recipes floating around one i found that was sweetened only with bananas which i will be testing out soon and some that called for tons of butter (which to me is a bit of cop-out; anything tastes great with tons of butter and sugar). so i found one that was healthy enough for my standards and adapted it to be a little more freindly with coconut oil and espresso powder.

the result? amazing. amazing. amazing. we polished them off easily and with zero quilt. try them i promise you'll be happy and all the more healthy!

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

1 1/2c freshly cooked black beans (from dried)

3 eggs

3 tbs coconut oil (melted if needed)

3/4c evaporated cain juice

1/2c cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp espresso powder (or instant coffee)

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1/2c chocolate chips

*preheat oven to 350F, grease an 8x8 baking pan

*in a blender or processor combine the eggs and beans until smooth

*add in remaining except the chocolate chips

*blend just to smooth then stir in the chocolate chips (by hand not blender)

*pour into prepared pan and cook 30 - 35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean, let cool before cutting.

Raw Cashew Vanilla Ice Cream (vegan/ GF)

unexpectantly a friend of our bought an ice cream maker for us. i solidified my suspensions that i was a nerdy foodie when i walked through the door and saw the box sitting on the counter. this is what i had been waiting for. for months, maybe even a year i have been begging josh to give me the okay to buy an ice cream machine. i would try and bribe him with "just think of all the healthy ice creams i can make you!". unfortunately he is too smart for that and is just not interested in "healthy" . if it doesn't have cookie dough in it, he's will take no notice.

well, then i'll tell the truth. this bad boy is for me. i immediately began planning my ice cream attach. scouring the internet for any recipe that doesn't call for cups of cream or eggs. a little beaten, i kinda let it go - vowing i would just make something up. then i remembered my favorite cook book - real raw! and of-course they have stellar ice cream. the only alteration i made was to add coconut water (from the young coconut the meat came from) in place of filtered water. it is amazing - and delicious as i knew it would be. even josh gave it a thumbs up.

RAW CASHEW VANILLA ICECREAM

2c raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours

1c fresh coconut water

2c young coconut meat

1c agave nectar

1/4c coconut butter

2 tbs vanilla

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, pod discarded

1/2 tsp sea salt

*combine all ingredients in a high powered blender, to very smooth.

*chill overnight or until thoroughly chilled

*churn as according to your machine's instructions