One Great One Bad

Chickpea Curry with Whole Spices

Let's start with the "great." Tonight I whipped up Jack Bishop's "Chickpea Curry with Whole Spices," and we loved it. I haven't made this in a while, so it was nice to have some unfamiliar flavors, and it's a really easy dish to make.

I didn't discuss it with Tommie, but I'm going to give it 5 stars. Easy, tasty, nutritious, how can you go wrong?

Notice the steam coming off the upper right portion of the bowl? That's some piping hot vittles!

Curried Carrot-Apple Soup

Conversely, Jack's Curried Carrot-Apple Soup on p. 18 of the book came out horribly last night. I don't know what I did wrong, but the curry powder was too strong, and I think the apples gave an overly sweet flavor.

I've made this soup before successfully, so I don't know what happened. It is recommended that you saute tofu cubes with it and plop them in the soup, but we opted for sour dough toast instead. The bread helped. I don't know that taking out the tofu was the reason it failed. It just didn't come together quite right.

This one is getting 1 star. Blech.

Warm Greek Lentil Salad with Feta and Dill

Well, if you look closely, you'll notice that this "Warm Greek Lentil Salad with Feta and Dill" has no Feta.

Presenting: The Vegan/Cheeseaphobic adaptation of this recipe.

You can, of course, find the non-vegan version in A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.





1 1/4 cups dried green lentils, rinsed and picked over to remove any stones
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
3 bay leaves
Salt
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
1 medium celery stalk, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
3 medium radishes, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
3-4 tablespoons minced fresh dill (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
8 cups of packed tender salad green (Jack says mesclun; I went with arugula.)

1. Bring the lentils, garlic, bay leaves, and 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer briskly for 15 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and the carrots and continue cooking until the lentils and carrots are tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard the garlic and bay leaves.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste together in a large bowl.

3. Add the drained lentils and carrots, celery, radishes, and dill to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to combine and then adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Let the lentil salad cool for about 10 minutes.

4. Divide the greens among four large plates. Spoon the lentil salad over the greens and serve with toasted pitas.

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew

Unlike my good friend and cooking buddy Mrs. Tracy Jill, I am still a meat eater. But I asked for Jack Bishop's "A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen" for Christmas, because I am interested in bringing more vegetables into my diet. I consider myself a good cook, but without this cookbook my veggie selection was basically limited to broccoli steamed in the microwave and occasionally asparagus. My dinners are much healthier and more nutritious now that I have recipes that are easy to cook, taste delicious and have me asking for seconds of the vegetables, not the bread, pasta or meat. I made this stew last night and loved it! The flavors worked so well together and start to finish it took me less than 30 minutes to make. I definitely had seconds, but I never felt like I had over-eaten. Usually I fall into a post carb and meat dinner coma every night, but this stew gave me energy, woke me up, and made me feel great. I highly recommend it. 5 stars:)

Red Bean Chili with Ancho Chiles and Coffee

Cold, snowy day after Christmas + Head Cold Tommie = CHILI!

I haven't made this recipe since last winter, because it takes 3-4 hours to make, and the rest of the year I'm somewhere out on my bike rather than indoors cooking all day. But in the winter, especially on a snowy day, this is the perfect activity. 

I also went ahead and baked a loaf of "Lighter Wheat" bread (see picture) from my Bread Baker's Apprentice cookbook. This bread baking thing is not as hard as I thought it would be. With my eternal quest to control all substances that enter my stomach, I'm happy to have overcome my initial trepidation and am now on my second type of sandwich bread as well as homemade bagels.

Anyway, enough on the bread. As I said, the chili takes forever to make, because the recipe calls for dried beans. None of the steps is really difficult to do, so if you have an afternoon free, this is a rewarding dish that makes your home smell very yummy, and the result is a completely authentic tasting chili. I can't put down John Grisham's newest book, "The Confession," so I had a great afternoon of primarily reading while the bread and chili did their things in the kitchen. Come to think of it, I also fit in a half-hour of yoga while they were cooking. Wow. I actually accomplished a lot this afternoon. Huh.

I was tempted to give this dish 4.5 stars because of the time factor, but the truth is, it is too good, so it gets 5 stars. Oh, and BTW, I dumped in like 4 heavy shakes of cayenne pepper to add some kick. It's not in the recipe, but I just feel like chili should make your mouth tingle.

Couscous Tagine with Turnips and Dried Apricots - Take Two

If you're paying attention you'll remember that Tommie made this dish last month (seriously I expect NO ONE to remember that). Tommie and I had made homemade bagels this week, and so I needed a nice, healthy, nutrient rich meal to combat the overload of simple bagel carbs in addition to the chocolates, cakes, and cookies that have been accompanying the holidays.

Enter one of my favorite and extremely easy to make dishes: Couscous Tagine with Turnips and Dried Apricots. The sweet flavor of the apricots blends just beautifully with the peppery turnips. Love, love, love this dish. Tastes fabulous, extremely low calories, chock full of nutrients with tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, cilantro, turnips, apricots, onions, and couscous. We give this one the full 5 stars.

Seriously, DON'T FEAR THE TURNIP. If you are afraid, at least give it one shot. If you hate it, no worries. But you may find that you love it like I do, and then you'll just maybe be open to trying even more vegetables that seemed like a no-go area before, like perhaps chard, fennel, leeks, parsnip, beets... There's a world of delicious flavors to discover that can help to make your body stronger than ever. Start now with THE TURNIP!

Indian-Style Squash Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Tonight's Jack Bishop soup has a guest star: fresh-baked Anadama bread by ME! More on that later. Let's talk soup.

Another out of the ballpark hit. This soup requires a few different steps to make, but it's all very easy. The soup on its own is delicious, but I love the spiced pumpkin seeds that you sprinkle on top. They are just delicious, and I love the crunch that they add to the soup. They're also yummy to snack on sans soup.

And now, my bread. A certain conservative political blogger friend recommended to me the book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I had tried to make bread from a different cookbook, and the flavors were not there. So, I read this highly scientific book and followed the recipe for Anadama bread (combo of polenta and bread flour plus some light molasses, salt, water, yeast, and a little butter). This bread is a two day event. Sadly, I messed up Step Two this morning, and I think that's why the bread didn't rise all the way. BUT, it tastes amazing. Bread baking is an art and a science, but with only a little knowledge I was able to make delicious bread even after messing it up!

As you might have guessed, I'm giving the soup the full 5 stars. It's just fabulous. Tommie will be eating well when he gets off his plane tonight.

Spinach and Pesto Risotto

When the cat's away the mice will play... WITH THE CHEESE!!!!! So, Tommie's out of town, and I thought to myself, CHEESE! (Tommie, if this is too much for you, step away from the blog.)

My good friend, who I will refer to as Memily, in case she would like anonymity, came over this afternoon, and we made Jack's Spinach and Pesto Risotto. I can never make anything like this when Tommie's home, due to the CHEESE factor, so we took advantage of the opportunity.

This was my first risotto, and, no surprise-- thank you Jack, it came out delicious. Jack has an incredibly delicious pesto recipe in the book that is an ingredient in the dish. If I had made the pesto in advance, the risotto would have taken maybe 30 minutes or so to make. But since we were making it an afternoon of hanging out and cooking, we made the pesto first. Fabulous pesto. I, of course, gave the leftover pesto to Memily to take home, because Tommie would be horrified to find its yummy, CHEESY, goodness in our fridge. Enjoy, Memily!

We both agreed that this risotto tastes as good as anything you'd find in a nice restaurant; therefore, it gets the full 5 stars. Tommie -- if you're still reading this, Memily took the rest of the leftover CHEESE with her too.

Black Sesame Noodles

She shoots, and she scores!!!!!

OK. The first thing you might wonder is "Black Sesame Noodles?" Yes. I couldn't find black sesame seeds, so I went with the oldy but goody white sesame seeds. And, the only thing I'll say about that is, that I wish I put more in, because, um, YUM!

I'm gonna tell you some of the flavors, but just know that it's super easy, even though there are a lot of components. You basically throw a bunch of stuff in a food processor, shred some veggies, and cook some pasta.

So here goes: fresh ginger, garlic, carrots, cucumber, radishes, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot pepper, some other odds and ends, and then top it off with fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Yummmm-frickin-y.

Clearly, tonight's dinner gets the full 5 stars. I actually did not get a second serving, because I wanted to leave room to have a slice of my freshly baked bread tonight for a snack. Food just tastes so much better when you make it from scratch.

Linguine with Leeks and Tomatoes

Crazy news: I used a different Jack Bishop cookbook! I was in the mood for a new pasta this week, and so I visited Jack's The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, and found this recipe. Tommie and I are thrilled that I did, because this dinner rocked.

Aside from the linguine, there are only a few ingredients: leeks, extra-virgin olive oil, tomatoes, fresh thyme, and of course, salt and pepper. The hardest part of the recipe was finding enough thyme to use from my garden, as it's getting colder and colder here, and my herbs are ready to fly south for the winter.

Neither of us wanted to put our forks down. I over-ate, and then still got depressed when I realized my stomach was about to rebel on me if I didn't stop eating. Therefore, this dish also gets the full 5 stars. We've eaten some good food this week. I hope I can keep it up!

Creamy Tomato Soup

Tommie's all-time favorite dish: Creamy Tomato Soup. Despite the name, this soup does not have any dairy, just a whole lotta tastiness. I often make this as a starter when I have company over, and every time guests love it.

It's not the simplest of all recipes -- you have to roast some tomatoes, saute some leeks, and then step by step add in the layers of flavors, but it is worth the time.

One tip: for all the soup recipes that call for a blender, I use an immersion blender instead. You hold it in the pot, and it purees the soup right there. Saves time cooking and cleaning, and you can make quick smoothies with it too.

Tommie was literally depressed that he was full after two servings; we, therefore, are in agreement that Jack Bishop's Creamy Tomato Soup deserves the full 5 stars.

Coconut Rice with Edamame and Leeks

Comfort food vegetarian style. I could not possibly tell you how many times I've made this dish over the last 4 years or so. It's relatively easy to make, and the combination of coconut milk, fresh ginger, leeks, cilantro, and edamame is heavenly. When I know that I want a hands down yummy dinner, I often turn to this one.

No question: Jack Bishop's Coconut Rice with Edamame and Leeks gets 5 stars. One of my favorite recipes.

Roasted Fennel, Potatoes, and Artichokes with Fennel Gremolata

Gremolata: (according to Wikipedia) A chopped herb condiment typically made of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley.

I might have to make it my life's mission to discover everything that you can put gremolata on, because it is fracking delicious.

This is one of Jack Bishop's "spring" recipes, but to "fall" it up, I roasted carrots in place of the mini artichokes. From where I sit, I think you could take any root vegetable, roast it, and add a gremolata to it. The combination of roasting plus lemony-garlicky-parsley(-y?)-fennelly goodness is out of this world.

We're giving this dish 5 stars. Tommie had to force himself to not get thirds. I wonder what veggies I can roast next...

Penne with Broccoli and Pumpkin Seed-Parsley Pesto

Wow. This recipe is a keeper. First time making this pasta, and I love it. I was turned away in the past because it calls for Parmesan cheese, and it also seemed like a lot of work.

Wrong. The only chopping was snipping parsley leaves from the stems. I seriously took the lazy route and purchased broccoli already prepped rather than having to cut it myself.

As to the Parmesan, I made this a vegan dish, so that Tommie wouldn't have to be subjected to The Cheese. Instead, I added two tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the pesto (processed with all the other ingredients). I think it completely worked: thicker consistency and more flavor. Go me.

Tommie won't be eating this one until late tonight, so I'll be curious to hear if he agrees, but I'm giving this Penne 5 stars. I was definitely sad when I had to put the fork down. (I actually kinda ate a little more than I should, which is another giveaway.)

Split Pea Soup with Carrots, Leeks and Tarragon

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh C-A-N-E-S Canes! Why is so much of my food orange and green?

After riding our bikes for a couple hours today in barely 50 degree temperatures, this soup really hit the spot. We realized looking back at last week's menu, that we've been eating a lot of stews and soups. At first I was sad that the air was finally cooling, but it's so nice to have seasons and not only change up our activities quarterly, but also change up our meals. How apropos that our favorite cookbook is broken into sections by season. Whether you live up north or in Florida, do you find that you change your menu season to season?

Without hesitation we give this meal 5 stars. Possibly my favorite soup in the book.

Butternut Squash and White Bean Stew

Does rosemary make everything taste delicious?

I'm so glad this stew turned out well, because I really dislike working with squash. Scooping out the seeds isn't so bad, but peeling it is just tiring. Whole Foods had a huge display of different varieties of squash this week, so we selected delicata to be different. The taste seems the same to me (in this stew at least) as butternut. Because the delicata is a smaller variety though, I felt like I had to do double duty prepping two rather than one big butternut squash.

Other ingredients include tomatoes, beans (I went with Great Northern), and onions, but the lead flavor was rosemary that I picked fresh from our garden. I love rosemary. Love it.

Tommie and I give this dish 5 stars. You burn some calories prepping the squash, but it's worth it.
(BTW, since this blog is about food, and not my crazy political views, we felt anonymity was less important, hence Hubby's name now being Tommie.)

Black Bean Soup with Onions and Bell Peppers

I love black bean soup. Let me clarify -- I love Jack Bishop's black bean soups. This entire recipe uses only two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. And, yet, despite it being incredibly light, it is extremely flavorful. The splash of balsamic vinegar at the very end adds a delicious complexity to the flavors. With the gobs of protein that come from the black beans, this to me is the perfect dinner.
I give it 5 stars.