Sweet potato and lentils à l'indienne

To make this delectable one-pan dish for two, all you need is one large sweet potato (peeled and diced), one large onion (chopped), a few cloves of garlic (minced), a good bunch of fresh cilantro (washed and chopped fine), about 3/4 cups French lentils and this spice combo: 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground coriander, a pinch each of ground cinnamon and ground cloves, and freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste.

In a pot, sautee the onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil over heat until translucent. Add the sweet potato and and the lentils and stir to cover with oil. Add the spice combo and just enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer until the potatoes and lentils are soft, about a half hour. Stir occasionally ; you may need to add a little water as you go. When the potatoes and lentils are soft, remove about half of them into a bowl and mash them with the back of a fork. Put them back into the pot along with almost all the cilantro. Stir and allow to cook for about 5 or 10 more minutes.

Serve in bowls with the rest of the cilantro sprinkled over the top.

If you wanted it to be a heartier meal, serve over brown rice.

Deep Sea Dip

A most refreshing and surprising dip, packed with omega-3's!

All you need is a can of sardines in olive oil, one minced garlic clove, about 1/3 of a small jalopeno pepper (minced), about a handful of fresh cilantro (minced), 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of salt. Put it all together, mix it up, and eat it with some good crackers. Enough for several people.

Penne with kale and baked squash

I had no intention of making this dish... it just kind of happened. I had a delicata squash baking in the oven and some kale simmering in onions, thinking I would just put it all on a plate for a light veggie meal, but then I threw some leftover penne in the kale and decided it would be fun to peel the cooked squash, cube it and throw it in the dish. I have no regrets, as it was all very lovely!

Here's what you do:

1. Peel and cut a small squash in cubes and bake covered in olive oil at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Meanwhile, slice a large onion and sautee in a large pot in olive oil over low heat until translucent.
3. Wash and chop up a bunch of kale and add to the onions. Stir to cover with oil. Salt and pepper generously. Add just enough water to create some steam. Cover and let the kale wilt, stirring occasionally and adding a bit of water at a time if you notice it has all evaporated.
4. When the kale is very tender, add cooked penne (or other pasta) and stir.
5. Add a couple heaping teaspoons of creme fraiche. (Sour cream may work, but you should heat it first before adding it to the kale or it will curdle.)
6. Add the cooked squash and stir.
7. Shred some fresh romano cheese and add to the dish, stirring.
8. Serve hot with some more fresh romano grated over the top. YUM!
   

Poor Little Rich Soup

We got a bunch of parsnips in our winter CSA the other night that were already on the wilty side, so I whipped up this creamless (yet very creamy) soup. With a salad and some croutons, it made the perfect cold winter meal.

Ingredients and prep:

1. 1 medium sized onion, roughly chopped
2. 4 or 5 large garlic cloves, roughly minced
3. 5 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
4. Chicken broth
5. Olive oil
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
7. About 1 tsp ground cumin
8. About 2 tsp dried cilantro

In a medium-sized pot, sautee the onions and garlic in the oil over medium-low heat. Add the parsnips, salt and pepper and the cumin. Stir to cover with oil and cook for a few minutes. Add enough broth to cover and bring to a boil. Drop the heat, add the cilantro, and simmer until the parsnips are very soft, at least 20 minutes. You may need to add some broth as you go. When the parsnips are soft, put all the ingredients into a food processor and puree.

Serve piping hot with croutons or bread and a green salad. Enjoy!

Detox soup à l'asiatique

Just what the doctor ordred after a holiday season of too much alcohol, too many smokes, too much coffee and too many sweets!

Prep (for a large soup, about 6 servings):

1. 1 onion, chopped
2. lots of garlic, minced
3. 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
4. 1 zuchinni and 1 summer squash, julianned
5. a couple tablespoons fresh minced ginger
6. a couple generous tablespoons of olive oil, water and lots of salt
7. soba or rice noodles, cooked and drained
   

In a large pot, sautée the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil over low heat until translucent. Fill the pot to about two-thirds full with cold water. Add a couple teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add the carrots and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the zuchinni and summer squash. Continue to cook for a few more minutes. Start testing the carrot and stop cooking when it is still crisp or to your desired tenderness. Adjust the seasoning (salt) as you go, taste-testing every once in while as the soup cooks.

Place some of the cooked noodles in a bowl and ladel some of the soup over them. And here's to good health in 2010!