Sweet & Sour Bombay Lentils

This is my favorite Indian lentil recipe! A bit sweet, a bit spicy, thick and filling and contains about 11 grams of protein per serving. It's well worth the effort. Gather your ingredients before starting. I find it easier to line up the spices in little containers so it's all ready to go. Watch the turmeric though - it stains everything! The recipe is from my Indian cuisine go-to cookbook – Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking." Every recipe I have prepared from her book is excellent!

Recipe

FOR THE LENTILS
1-1/2 c. red lentils (masar dal)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 T. vegetable oil
4-1/2 c. water
1 heaping tsp. tamarind paste
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
3 T. shredded coconut, unsweetened or sweetened (for garnish)

Wash the lentils in several changes of water. Put in a saucepan with the turmeric, oil and water; bring to a boil. Stir often. Cook over medium heat, partially covered for 25 minutes. Cover, reduce heat and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until soft. Add tamarind paste and brown sugar and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the salt. Turn off heat and beat with a whisk for a minute or two to smooth and thicken the puree. Keep on a low simmer while preparing the spice-perfumed butter.

SPICE PERFUMED BUTTER
3 T. ghee (or vegetable oil)
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. garam masala

Heat the oil in a small frying pan (I use cast iron) over medium-high heat. When hot add the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When the spices turn dark brown and the spattering of the mustard seeds subsides, add the turmeric, cayenne and garam masala. Let the spices sizzle for a second or two and immediately pour over the dal and mix well. Let it cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro and flaked coconut. Serves 4-6.

– Julie Sahni, "Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking"

Surimi, Lemon, Artichoke & Pesto Pasta Salad

An easy, fresh, delicious salad for the end of a beautiful Portland sunny Sunday. I happen to love surimi (fake crab made out of other fish, in this case Alaska Pollock) - it's meatier (and cheaper) than real crab - just chop and add to the salad. The most time consuming item is the pasta which needs to be cooked and cooled before adding.

Recipe

8 oz. cooked pasta (rotini, shells, etc.)
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 T. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 T. minced fresh garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 c. purchased (or homemade) basil pesto
1 can whole or quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 c. small-diced red onion
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 c. coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1 lb. Alaska Surimi Seafood (imitation crab)

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain well and let cool. I stirred in 1 T. olive oil while it was still hot so the shells wouldn't stick together.

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Stir to coat well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6-8.

– wildalaskaseafood.com

Fettuccini with Butter and Sage Sauce

I've been so excited to try out my new Philips automatic pasta machine, and for my first batch I made about 10-1/2 ounces of fettuccini with a mix of semolina and all-purpose flour, water, egg and a touch of olive oil. Fresh pasta is such a treat. I cooked it immediately after it came out of the machine in heavily salted water. It took about 7-8 minutes to cook. Since I have loads of fresh sage in the garden right now, Mario Batali's butter and sage sauce was a no brainer! Simple yet elegant.

Recipe

Pasta of choice (in this case, fettuccini), cooked in liberally salted water
4 T. butter
10 sage leaves, torn or cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. lemon zest (for garnish)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
1/2 c. reserved pasta cooking water

Melt butter in a 12- to 14-inch saute pan and continue cooking until a golden brown color ("noisette") appears in the thinnest liquid of the butter. Add the sage leaves and remove from heat. Add the lemon juice and set aside.

After pasta has cooked, drain (reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking water), and gently pour into the saute pan and return to the heat. Add the cheese (and a little pasta water if needed)and toss to coat. To serve, sprinkle with the lemon zest and more freshly grated parmesan.

– Mario Batali

Curried Chickenless Salad

You don't have to worry about this salad going bad at a picnic (no eggs)! I've been making this vegan recipe for decades and it's always a hit. Serve as pictured with some lettuce, or use it in sandwiches. The longer you let it sit in the fridge (a few hours or overnight), the better the flavor.

Recipe

12 oz. package of tempeh, poached and cooled
1 celery rib, minced
2 scallions, minced
2 T. red bell pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 c. golden raisins
2 T. slivered almonds
1 T. fresh parsley, minced
3/4 c. Vegenaise (or soy mayo)
2 tsp. curry powder
1 T. sweet pickle relish
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar (or other natural sweetener)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To poach tempeh, place in a saucepan with water to cover and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes, then remove from the water and pat dry. Grate and put in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Cheesecake with Apricot-Blueberry Sauce

Gray skies, raining, the wind wildly blowing today ... I know, I'll make a cheesecake! Creamy, not too sweet, slathered in apricot preserves, plum brandy and blueberries. Mmmmmm.

Recipe

CHEESECAKE
2 T. softened butter
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
(4) 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 T. grated lemon rind
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

SAUCE
(1) 12-oz. jar apricot preserves
2 T. water
3 T. apricot brandy or plum brandy
1 c. blueberries

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Butter a 3- to 4-inch deep springform pan (or cake pan), sides and bottom. Add the graham cracker crumbs and shake the pan back and forth to coat the sides and bottom of the pan with the crumbs.

In a food processor, process the cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract for 20 seconds, or until well combined. Add the eggs and process for another 30 seconds, or until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula.

Place the cake on a roasting pan and put in the oven. Put a smaller pan with a few cups of water in it on the bottom shelf of the oven (adds a bit of a humid environment for the cheesecake while it's baking). Bake for about 45 minutes until golden and still jiggly in the middle. Turn off the heat, crack open the oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 40-60 minutes (if it looks like it's getting too brown, take it out of the oven sooner). Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for an hour, then remove the sides of the springform. Let cool for another hour, then invert onto a plate and put in the fridge for a few hours to cool.

For the sauce, combine the preserves, water and brandy in a bowl and mix until smooth. Add the blueberries.

Serve each slice of cheesecake with 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce.

– Jacques Pepin, "Essential Pepin"

Vegan Mac & Cheese

Long day at work today ... I arrived home tired and hungry and needed a quick meal. I've been craving mac and cheese but since cheese and I don't exactly get along, I thought I'd try a cheese-free version. If you have a Vitamix it takes no time at all to prepare. I used quinoa elbow macaroni to keep it gluten free. The flavor is very good. Next time I think I'll mix in some roasted broccoli, or sauteed mushrooms or spinach  ... and/or bacon! Feel free to experiment!

Recipe

10 oz. macaroni (cooked per package instructions)
1 c. Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. carrot, diced
3/4 c. water (from the boiled veggies)
1/2 c. raw cashews
1/4 c. coconut milk
2 T. nutritional yeast flakes
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
Freshly ground pepper to taste
*Garnish with chopped chives or parsley

Cook macaroni (takes about 8-10 minutes), drain and return to the warm pan.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the potatoes, carrots and onion and cook until soft (about 10 minutes). Transfer cooked veggies to Vitamix with a slotted spoon. Save 3/4 c. of the veggie water and add to the blender, along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Pour sauce over the cooked noodles, adjust salt and pepper if needed. Best served hot.