Calling for Lentils
Please share your favorite lentil recipe. . .if you use lentils, that is. They're nutritious, cheap, and relatively quick-cooking (compared to other dried legumes and grains). I want to use them more.
To get the ball rolling, here's a recipe for
Mujadrah, a Middle Eastern lentil and rice side dish. We tried it, and it's good.
Labels: Side dish
Brown- and Wild-rice Pilaf
Brown- and Wild-Rice Pilaf
In a medium saucepan cook 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms and ¼ cup sliced green onions in 1 tablespoon hot butter until tender. Carefully add one 14 ½-ounce can chicken broth; bring to boiling. Stir in ½ cup uncooked brown rice, 1/3 cup uncooked, rinsed and drained wild rice, ¼ cup shredded carrot; ½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed; and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 40 minutes or till the rices are tender and most of the broth is absorbed. Stir in ½ cup frozen peas. Simmer for 3-5 minutes more or till heated through, stirring occasionally. Makes about 3 ½ cups (4 side-dish servings).
Nutrition facts per serving: 196 cal., 4 g. total fat (1 g. saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 379 mg sodium, 32 g. carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein
Daily values: 25% vitamin A, 6% vitamin C, 1% calcium, 10% iron
Labels: Side dish
Delmonico Potatoes
According to the all-knowing internet, Delmonico refers to a famous restaurant in NYC in the 1800's. This is unlikely to be the true famed recipe, of course, as famous things develop knock-offs everywhere. Still, it came out of the tried and true Fannie Farmer cookbook. To make it more of a meal, I added diced ham with the potatoes.
It seems kind of labor-intensive, but it really didn't take me long. I cheated a lot. I didn't peel the potatoes--and I only used 2 medium baking size, even though I used a whole sauce recipe--and I sliced them before cooking them in water in the microwave while I made the sauce. I heated the milk in the microwave, just enough to keep it from clumping when added to the flour-butter paste, and toasted buttered bread so it was crisp and easy to crumb. It's probably not the healthiest thing in the whole world, but we both liked it.
6 potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 1/2 c White Sauce (see below)
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt to taste
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 c grated mild Cheddar
1 c buttered bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 2-qt. casserole. Slice the potatoes 1/4 inch thick. Make the white sauce, then stir in the cayenne pepper, salt, egg yolks, and cheese. Stir over medium heat until the cheese melts. Spoon a film of sauce over the bottom of the casserole. Alternately layer potatoes (and ham) and sauce, finishing with sauce. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling.
White Sauce
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/4 c milk, heated
salt
pepper
Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown--about 2 minutes. Add hot milk, stirring as it thickens. Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Labels: Main dish, Side dish
Apricot Barley Casserole
2/3 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
1/4 cup butter, divided
2 cups medium pearl barley
1 cup sliced green onions
7 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup diced dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
In a large skillet, saute nuts in 2 tablespoons butter until lightly browned; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the barley and onions in remaining butter until onions are tender. Add broth; bring to a boil. Stir in the apricots, raisins and reserved nuts. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/4 hours or until barley is tender. Yield: 8-10 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 290 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 12 mg cholesterol, 710 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 8 g protein.
Labels: Side dish
