Author: Smart Green Gourmet

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Red Lentil Soup with Cilantro-Almond Pesto Drizzle


Happy, healthy, and hearty in half an hour. Try it paired with chickpea-flax skillet flatbread. Quantities are flexible. I used 3 T cilantro because that’s what I had leftover from last night’s dinner. With this recipe it’s hard to go wrong.

Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes (10 active)

Ingredients:

For the soup:
1 small onion, diced
2 c red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 bay leaf
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/2 t cumin seeds
1 T EVOO
pinch of salt
cayenne to taste
water or stock

For the drizzle:
3 T cilantro
1 handful almonds
1 clove garlic
big pinch of salt
3-5T EVOO

1. Heat EVOO, onion, lentils, bay leaf, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and cayenne over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, for ~5 minutes, until onions are translucent and mixture is fragrant.
2. Cover with water or stock to 1″ above lentil mixture. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the drizzle. Whir all drizzle ingredients except EVOO in a blender. Slowly drizzle in EVOO until mixture is desired consistency (from a thick pesto to a runny-er sauce, as you prefer).
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender. Taste and correct seasonings.
5. To serve, ladle into bowls, and add a dollop of the drizzle on top.

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Chickpea-Flax Skillet Flatbread

I was intrigued and inspired by the skillet flatbread experiments over at Bitten, and wondered if I could use this new weeknight dinner tool to bring more whole grains and fiber into our diet. Flatbread made with flaxseed meal proved too dense and bitter, but a mix of chickpea flour and flaxseed meal makes for just the right flavor complexity. I’ve been making this simple flatbread at least once a week with a salad or hearty soup for a light, healthy meal.

If you’ve heard the buzz about flax as a superfood, it just may be true. Flaxseed meal is high in fiber, lignans, alpha-linoleic acid, and protein, and is low in carbs. It has been associated with a host of medical benefits, explained by the Mayo Clinic here and with less jargon by about.com here. Chickpea flour, also known as besan, is also loaded with fiber and protein. You should drink plenty of water with Chickpea-Flax Skillet Flatbread and other foods containing lots of fiber.

You can add any number of seasoning combinations to this flatbread. I’ve included some suggestions below. Experiment!

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: Up to 4? But sometimes I eat the whole thing myself. I often make a second flatbread as soon as the first one comes out of the oven.

Ingredients:
1/2 c chickpea flour (besan)
1/2 c flaxseed meal
1 t salt
2.5-3 T olive oil
1-1.5 c lukewarm water
pepper to taste

Optional seasonings:
1 T fennel seeds and 2 t garlic powder or 2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 diced onion and 1T rosemary (shown above; creates an onion-kulcha-like effect)
1 T herbes de provence

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Combine the chickpea flour and flaxseed meal in a medium sized bowl with salt and pepper. Whisk to break up lumps. Slowly add 1.5 c water, whisking until lumps disappear and batter is the consistency of heavy cream. This makes a custardy-textured flatbread; use less water if you like more of a cracker. Whisk in 1 T olive oil.
3) Heat a 10″ (medium-sized) nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1-2 T olive oil to coat the pan well. When oil is shimmering, add the batter.
4) Pop the pan into the oven. Bake 18-20 minutes, until edges begin to crisp and center is set. (Oven times may vary; you can let it bake for longer, ~30 minutes, if you prefer).
5) Keeping pan at least 2″ from broiler, broil about 2-3 minutes until flatbread is spotty-brown throughout.
6) Flatbread will release easily onto a plate. Cut into wedges, or simply break off pieces and enjoy.

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Coffee With a Cause: Support Parkinson’s Research


In honor of the NYC Marathon this weekend, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® pledges to donate $1 per bag of its delicious marathon blend coffee to The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research through marathon Sunday, 11/1/09.

The blend is a “smooth-bodied coffee that is rich in caramel flavor, with a nutty and fruity aroma, and a crisp finish” sure to get you through a marathon of a work week. Please support this coffee for a cause here.

The SGG will not be running the NYC Marathon this year but she will be cheering Team Fox Members along while drinking this delicious coffee.

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Weeknight Mushroom Ragu


I was home alone on a Sunday night, staring down Peter Berley, Mario Batali, and some hen-of-the-woods mushrooms that I’d picked up at the farmer’s market. Peter said to oven-roast the mushrooms before returning to the skillet — too fussy for a weeknight. Mario demanded his delicious tomato sauce as a basic ingredient, and I had none on hand.

Could I make a rich, delicious mushroom ragu using only a skillet and a knife, without having so much as removed an onion from the pantry drawer, in only 30 minutes? Nah. I could do it in 25. Boys? Game on.

Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4, with whole-wheat pasta, thick slices of toasted whole-grain bread, or polenta.

Ingredients:
2 T EVOO
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, diced
1 bay leaf
3 baby carrots, sliced (optional)
12-16 ounces of wild mushrooms, or a mix of wild and button mushrooms, chopped coarsely or sliced into pieces appropriate for a chunky sauce
1 c red wine
1 t salt
1.5 t thyme
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1 T butter or heart-smart margarine (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add onions. Saute about 5 minutes until golden-brown. Add garlic and bay leaf and carrots, if using.
3. Add mushrooms. Saute about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until ingredients are well-mingled and mushrooms have released most of their liquid.
4. Add wine and stir to deglaze pan.
5. Add salt, thyme, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Grind in some fresh black pepper. Reduce heat.
6. Stir in additional 1T butter/margarine, if desired. Taste to adjust salt and pepper and correct seasonings.

image shared pursuant to the GFDL

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Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Salmon, Walnuts, and Mustard Vinaigrette . . . and Other Ways.


I recently went to the farmer’s market, saw a woman try a green bean, and start moaning. I chose to keep my public expressions of joy over these magic beans a little more restrained, but I must admit — they really were that good. Since then I’ve been bringing home green beans and heirloom tomatoes every week to make a salad. Each week has been different. Sometimes the salad is a side dish with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Other times it’s a main course, with walnuts, canned salmon, and Omega-3s to spare. Whatever it is, it takes no more than 15 minutes, it’s stunningly delicious, and it’s so fresh that it makes me feel almost as if I’ve picked the fruits myself. Once you’ve found your favorite farmers market stand, I offer you the following expanding list of ideas. You may steam the green beans first, or just leave them raw. With some whole grain bread or this wonderful socca from Bitten, you’ll soon be in whole food heaven.

Time: ~10-15 minutes
Serves: 2-6, depending on whether you are planning a salad or main course, which variety you make, and what you accompany it with.

Base Ingredients:
1 lb green beans, tips removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Walnuts, Canned Salmon, and Mustard Vinaigrette (pictured above):
Flake 1 can (wild) salmon over the green beans. Whisk in a small bowl 2 t dijon mustard, 2 t honey, 2-3 T sherry vinegar, 2-3 T EVOO, 1 clove minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss dressing with salad and sprinkle with (toasted) walnuts.

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Whole Grain Croutons and Lemon Vinaigrette:
Toast chunks of whole grain bread tossed with garlic (or – gasp – garlic powder), salt, and pepper or red pepper flakes to taste. Meanwhile, whisk in a small bowl zest of 1/2 lemon, juice of 1 lemon, 3T EVOO, 1 clove minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add a drop of honey if dressing is too acidic. Toss with salad; add croutons.

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Lightly toast hazelnuts in a small skillet or toaster oven. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk 2-3 T balsamic vinegar, 2-3 T EVOO, 1-2 T honey, 1 clove minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss dressing with salad; sprinkle with hazelnuts and crumbled goat cheese.

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Toasted Macadamia Nuts and Lemon Vinaigrette:
Toast macadamia nuts in a small skillet or toaster oven. Meanwhile, whisk in a small bowl zest of 1/2 lemon, juice of 1 lemon, 3T EVOO, 1 clove minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add a drop of honey if dressing is too acidic. Toss dressing with salad; sprinkle with macadamia nuts.

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Corn and Spicy Lime Vinaigrette:
Whisk in a small bowl or blend in a blender or mini-food processor juice of one lime, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or fresh hot pepper to taste, 3T EVOO, 1 clove minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Toss with green beans, cherry tomatoes, and 1 can corn kernels or fresh corn kernels.

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar:
Simple. Delicious. Done.

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Simmered Japanese Squash with Ground Chicken

Sweet, succulent squash makes this dish both simple to make and crowd-pleasing. Even my picky nieces would eat it as children.

This recipe calls for a Japanese kitchen gadget called otoshi buta, or a wooden drop lid, pictured at left. The drop lid fits inside the pot, directly atop the food, to help the food simmer faster. Don’t have a drop lid? Neither do I. Just use a regular pot lid 1-2 sizes smaller than your pot.

Shoyu is Japanese soy sauce. It can be found at Japanese markets, at Whole Foods, and increasingly, at regular grocery stores. It’s deep, mellow flavor is much more complex than regular soy sauce.

You can use ground turkey in this dish instead of chicken but it tends to dry out. I’d recommend kneading the raw turkey with an onion and some of the shoyu before adding it to the pot to help keep it moist.

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4, accompanied by rice, soba noodles, or whole grain bread

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut or red kuri squash, or 2-3 delicata squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1″ chunks.
1/2 pound ground chicken
4 t shoyu or soy sauce; more to taste
1.5 T agave or 5 T sugar

1) Place the squash, 1 1/4 cups of water, agave, and 2 t shoyu in a 3-4 quart saucepan. Cover with the drop lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until squash is tender.
2) Using an oven mitt, remove the drop lid. Crumble chicken over the top of the squash. Sprinkle with remaining 2 t shoyu or more to taste.
3) Replace pot lid (not drop lid). Cook 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

This recipe is adapted from Masako Yamaoka, “A First Book of Japanese Cooking,” Kodansha International, 1996.

This Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons image is from the user Chris 73 and is freely available at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OtoshiButa.DropLid.jpg under the creative commons cc-by-sa 2.5 license.
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Collard Wraps with Pumpkin and Seitan


Once you roast the pumpkin, these delicious and exotic wraps take just 15 minutes of work. If you roast the pumpkin with the garlic and a bunch of other vegetables early in the week, you can enjoy a bounty of vegetables and easy meal preparation all week long. Rich, yet mellow pumpkin makes these simple wraps quite filling and satisfying. Wraps make this a fun way to get kids and others to try collards.

Time: 45 minutes to roast the pumpkin and garlic; 15 minutes to prepare after that
Serves: 2; easily doubled (just use multiple small pumpkins to ensure sweetness)

Ingredients:
1 sugar pumpkin, 2-3 pounds, stabbed several times to vent and roasted for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
liberated cloves from 1 head of roasted garlic (cut top from head to uncover open cloves, sprinkle with olive oil and roast alongside pumpkin)
2 T mellow white miso
1 package seitan, chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 T shoyu
collard greens

1) Bring a 2 or 3 quart saucepan of water to boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add 3 T shoyu and seitan. Let seitan simmer while you prepare other ingredients.
2) While waiting for water to boil, scoop pumpkin from shell. Mash well with miso and garlic cloves.
3) Dip collards in the shoyu-water mixture to moisten.
4) Drain seitan. Drizzle remaining 1 T of shoyu over seitan.
5) Construct wraps. Spread about a tablespoon of pumpkin mixture on a collard leaf. Top with a few pieces of seitan. Fold leaf and eat the constructed wrap like an exotic, healthy, green burrito. Repeat.

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Green Salad with Pomegranate, Peaches, and Pepitas


Sweet late summer peaches and glistening ruby pomegranate jewels pop over a bed of baby spinach where pepitas and sunflower sprouts crunch. High-magnesium pepitas and anti-oxidant pomegranates make this salad burst with nutrition, too. For best results, share with friends. This is more of a list of ingredients than a recipe. All measurements should be done to taste.

Serves: 2-4-6 (depending on the proportions you use)
Time: 15 minutes, including chopping time

Ingredients:
1 pomegranate
baby spinach
sunflower sprouts
2 peaches, diced
handful mint leaves, coarsely chopped
handful pepitas

Vinaigrette:
2 T balsamic vinegar (fig-balsamic vinegar if you can find it)
3 T EVOO
1 T honey
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

1) Cut the pomegranate crosswise into ~4 slices and place the slices into a bowl of cold water. Winnow out the seeds. The pith will float to the top and you can skim it off.
2) Rinse and spin in a salad spinner the spinach, sunflower sprouts, and mint.
3) Toss together the pomegranate seeds and all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Whisk together the vinegrette and dress the salad.
5) Crunch with glee.

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Muhammara (Pomegranate Walnut Paste)


Jews traditionally eat pomegranates at the time of the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah. The many seeds of the fruit are said to symbolize the 613 commandments of the Torah, and so the pomegranate has been a symbol of righteousness in Jewish tradition since ancient times. The many seeds also symbolize fertility and plenty. To health-conscious Americans, pomegranates also represent an anti-oxidant bonanza. For everyone with a Mediterranean-inspired palate, pomegranates are simply delicious.

I discovered muhammara in Claudia Roden’s seminal cookbook, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. Upon further exploration, I was delighted to learn that muhammara originated in Aleppo, a city in Northern Syria whose richly flavored Arab, Armenian, Turkish, and Jewish-inspired cuisine is renowned throughout the Middle East. One of the highlights of my summer was introducing some Jordanian friends to the delicious part of their culture that is muhammara. I hope you, too, will share many special moments over this simple yet exotic dish.

Pomegranate molasses can be found at Whole Foods, at Middle Eastern groceries, and at kosher markets catering to an Israeli or Sephardi/Mizrachi clientele. It usually comes in glass bottles. It is also marketed as pomegranate syrup or concentrate.

Consider serving muhammara as part of a larger mezze spread, with plates of hummus and baba ganouj and some toasted pita as an appetizer or a light meal. Maybe throw in a plate of olives. And don’t forget the za’atar. Alternatively try muhammara as a condiment for grilled veggies.

Adapted from Claudia Roden’s The New Book of Middle Eastern Cuisine.
Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6-8

1 1/4 C shelled walnuts
2 T tomato paste
1 slice lightly toasted crustless whole wheat bread
2 T pomegranate molasses
1/2 C EVOO
1 t red pepper flakes or a pinch of ground chili
1 t cumin
2 t sugar
salt to taste

Whir all ingredients in a food processor or blender until they form a rough-textured paste. Enjoy.

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Roast Chicken with [Saffron/Herb/Spice], Onions, Parsley, and Mint

Succulent juicy chicken, perfectly flavored, with a clean Spring-y sauce for any season.

I brought back an enormous bag of saffron from the Middle East, and I’ve been using it liberally in my cooking. If saffron isn’t in your pantry or your budget, try pepper flakes, crushed fennel seeds, lemon peel, rosemary . . . experiment!

Tip: My chickens arrive with the neck still attached. Remove the neck, place in a saucepan, heat on high until sizzling (no added fat needed), fill with water, bring to a boil, and simmer while you’re doing everything else. Voila, stock! Use as needed in the recipe, and freeze the leftovers for next time.

Time: ~1:15; most of which is not work time.
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 whole 3-4lb chicken
2 handfuls parsley, coarsely chopped
1 handful mint, coarsely chopped
1 T olive oil
2 T margarine or butter (or more olive oil in a pinch)
1 pinch saffron (or other herb)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
~1 c stock or water
salt and pepper

1) Preheat oven to 500 degrees
2) Mix juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1/2 c herbs (ballpark), 1/2 the garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub all over the chicken, over and under the skin. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and begin roasting. If you don’t have a roasting rack, make a thick ring of tin foil and set the bird on that. The key is to keep it out of its own juices so it doesn’t get soggy.
3) In a medium skillet over medium heat, swirl olive oil and margarine. Add onions and saffron cook until onions are softened (~10 minute). Reserve ~2T herbs for garish. Stir in remaining garlic and herbs and ~1/2 c stock. Keep ready on low heat.
4) After 20 minutes, baste chicken with skillet mixture, turn breast side up, and baste again. Roast 8 more minutes and baste again. When breast begins to brown, turn heat down to 325 degrees, baste, and roast until instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 160 degrees. This should take about an hour of total roasting time.
5) Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before carving for maximum juiciness. Garnish with remaining 2T herbs.
6) Remove sauce from heat. Add juice of 1/2 lemon and additional chicken stock as needed. Serve with chicken.
7) Dine and sigh with contentment.