Lentils with Fennel and Sausage...and the love of my life

I'm back!! At least for long enough to write this post. I know that it's been months (six to be exact) since I last posted here and for that I apologize. However, I believe my excuse is pretty valid. Three months ago I gave birth to an amazing little girl, Lyra Amber. She has completely changed my life in incredible ways, some difficult of course but all worth it. So I have been spending my time getting to know her and tending to her needs instead of creating new recipes. I have managed to cook some good meals, despite the difficulties of the cranky dinner hour, but nothing particularly new or of note. Except for this latest dish. I decided I was ready to try something new and hopefully get a chance to write about it. As many things in my life, this post will probably take longer to write than I want it to. I tend to get a few things done while Lyra is sleeping or happily playing on her jungle mat (see below) and then have to go feed/change/comfort her before I can finish. But I will attempt to get this done!

The best and easiest meals for me recently have been the kind that I can eat without needing to use a knife and preferably all in one bowl. This allows me to hold Lyra if necessary and still eat my dinner. This meal fits that bill perfectly and also happens to be very tasty. I've written about lentils before as they are both incredibly healthy and quite delicious. And they take to many different flavor combinations very well. This dish combines the sweet flavors of fennel with the savory and salty flavors of sausage. I used chicken sausage for its slight health benefits but pork would also be delicious. You could also increase the amount of fennel and possibly add in some wilted spinach for a vegetarian version of this dish. I might try that next time. Either way, this is definitely a dish to try - satisfying enough for a cool winter evening without weighing you down.

Lentils with Fennel and Sausage

• 1 cup lentils (I used French green lentils)
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lbs or so of sweet Italian sausage
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 medium to large fennel, bulb sliced and stalks discarded, reserving green fronds
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

In a medium sauce pan, bring lentils, water and 1/2 tsp of salt to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes until lentils are tender but not falling apart. Drain lentils, reserving the cooking liquid.
While lentils cook, heat a large skillet with 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.
Sear sausages until well browned on each side, about 10 minutes total.
Remove sausages and cut diagonally into slices.
Turn the heat down to medium, medium low and add remaining 1/2 tbsp oil.
Add onion, sliced fennel, garlic and fennel seeds, seasoning with remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and about 1/4 tsp black pepper.
Ladle about 1/3 cup of lentil cooking liquid into pan to help release the brown bits from the sausages.
Saute vegetables until very tender, about 15 minutes, adding more lentil cooking liquid as the pan gets dry.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the sliced sausages to finish cooking, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked lentils, red wine vinegar and about 1 tbsp chopped fennel fronds.
Season with a pinch more black pepper and salt, if needed.
Garnish with more chopped fennel fronds.

For a printable recipe click here

Polenta Pie with Roasted Vegetables

My very good friend Lily is incredibly smart. In fact, she is currently taking the bar exam, which I'm sure she will ace after three successful years of law school. In addition to being smart and motivated and all that, Lily is also a great cook. Clearly more interesting than her law skills in my opinion and, fortunately for us foodies, also something she finds worth exploring and expanding even in the midst of studying for said bar exam. So while most law students hunker down and don't leave the library until the bar exam is over, Lily decided to start a food blog, appropriately named Bar Food. So while she was presumably doing a lot of studying, she was also exploring a whole list of food tasks that she's been meaning to tackle. One should eat while studying anyway so why not make it an enjoyable learning experience at the same time? Seems reasonable to me and the result is a very funny blog full of good food tips and fun recipe ideas.

Lily and I often talk about food and different things we like to make or want to try making. One food we've discussed often is the delightful dish of polenta. It's so versatile and easy and absolutely delicious. A recent recipe on her blog was for a vegetable pie with a polenta crust, something that both looked delicious and fit into my need for gluten free delights. So I decided I had to make it using up all of the delicious produce available at the farmers' market. Our versions are slightly different based on what we each had available. But give it a try with whatever you have on hand. It's easy to make and tastes amazing. I only wish I had had some goat cheese to melt on the top like she did...next time!

Polenta Pie with Roasted Vegetables

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large zucchini and 1 yellow squash, sliced into thin half moons
• 1 eggplant, peeled and sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp + olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup polenta
• 3 cups water or vegetable/chicken stock
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 450*F.

Toss onions, zucchini, squash, eggplant and tomatoes with enough olive oil to lightly coat and season well with salt and pepper.

Arrange vegetables in an even layer on a large baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, bring stock to a boil with a pinch of salt.

Turn heat to low and slowly pour in polenta, stirring thoroughly to avoid any lumps.

Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 5-8 minutes, until polenta is thick.

Spread cooked polenta into a lightly greased (vegetable spray works) pie pan, making it as even as possible.

Put both the vegetables and the polenta pie into the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and the polenta begins to get golden on the edges.

Meanwhile, mix together eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese. Season with black pepper.

Remove polenta and vegetables and layer as many of the vegetables into the polenta pie as you can fit, pressing down the polenta as you go.

Turn the oven down to 375*F.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, pressing with the back of a spoon to get it to soak in.

Place the veggie pie back into the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the eggs are set.

Garnish with fresh basil and more Parmesan cheese.

Let the pie rest for a bit before cutting to let it set. I was too impatient for this and mine fell apart a bit. Still delicious though!

For a printable recipe click here

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille with Feta

I've written about this type of dish before but it's just too good to not include this version of it on my blog. And besides, it's been awhile since we've had an abundance of summer produce available so it's time to start thinking about these great vegetables dishes again. The farmers' market is full of different types of squash: zucchini, yellow squash, Lebanese, patty pan and eggplant (not really a squash, but you get my point). Not to mention bright red tomatoes waiting to burst they're so juicy. So with these incredibly fresh ingredients at the ready, there are tons of delicious dishes just begging to be made. One of my favorites is a ratatouille type dish, served over gluten free pasta (or regular if you can eat it of course), topped with cheese. For this version, I went with feta, a change up over the usual Parmesan or other similar cheese but equally delicious. I chose feta because that is what Chapel Hill Creamery had at the time I went to the market. But I think it was just a cosmic push to include this wonderfully salty, briny cheese into my dish to add a whole new level of flavor that just wouldn't have come from anywhere else. Although the vegetables are incredible on their own, sauteed in a bit of olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper, I added a few things to create something new and add to the overall yumminess of the dish. The red wine vinegar adds a brightness to the dish while the sugar brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes. Finished off with some fresh basil and a bit more feta cheese and you've got yourself quite a meal.

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille with Feta

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 zucchini, chopped into small cubes
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 4-5 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried thyme, or 2-3 tsp fresh
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled, plus more for garnish
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably with straight sides, over medium heat.
Add garlic cloves, zucchini and yellow squash, season with a pinch of salt and pepper; saute for a few minutes.
Add eggplant and tomato, stirring to combine. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, red wine vinegar, thyme and sugar. Season with a bit more salt and pepper.
Simmer sauce for about 8-10 minutes until all of the flavors are well combined and the vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat and stir in crumbled feta and fresh basil. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Serve sauce over cooked pasta or rice and garnish with a bit more feta cheese.

For a printable recipe click here

Geer Street Garden: Another Durham Gem

Image courtesy of www.geerstreetgarden.com

Gavin and I are always in search of great new places to eat and Durham rarely disappoints when introducing a new restaurant. In the past couple of years, we've been lucky enough to have a number of great new restaurants, especially in the downtown area. The next area to be developed - with more to come, I'm sure - is the Central Park district. Already home to the Durham Farmers' Market and Piedmont Restaurant, this stretch of Foster Street and surrounding area seems to be exploding. Fullsteam Brewery recently opened on Rigsbee Avenue, serving up cold seasonal and local beers along with music and food truck eats. And even more recently, this Central Park district has welcomed Geer Street Garden, an old gas and service station turned casual eatery, using local produce, meats and cheese. The restaurant combines a lot of what is great about Durham: an old, brick building repurposed to serve great food highlighting local farmers' and artisans.

I was a little nervous about trying it out when I first looked over the menu, wondering if they would have any options for me that didn't include gluten. Although their sandwiches sound and look amazing, I am unfortunately unable to eat them. For most of the gluten-eating population, however, the menu is full of great looking finds, from the locally raised beef burgers to the giant pimento cheese sandwich - a southern classic. However, when we arrived at the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of gluten-free options and a very helpful bartender who was willing to check and assure me which menu items I could eat. Instead of being forced to order the one and only gluten free option, I actually had choices! I was thrilled with what I ended up ordering - the seasonal vegetable stew, pictured above - but I'm sure the other choices would have been equally as tasty.

Gavin and I started the evening off with the local salami and cheese board. Unfortunately we gobbled most of it up before I remembered to take a picture but it was complete with thin slices of salami, local fresh goat cheese covered in honey, apricots, and almonds, delicious little pickles and black olives. The toasted crostini rounded it out for Gavin but I didn't miss the bread with all of the other great flavors on the board. As I mentioned, I ordered the seasonal vegetable stew, which was exactly that: a mix of all of the vegetables I had just seen at the farmers' market earlier that week. Mine included patty pan squash, snap peas, carrots and greens, but yours might look a bit different depending on whatever is the freshest available that day. Topping the soup was a generous triangle of polenta cake with sprinkled Parmesan cheese. An absolutely delicious and satisfying meal, showcasing the best our local farmers can produce. Gavin chose the local, pasture-raised burger, complete with a slice of cheese and spicy red cabbage on the side. Not to mention a delicious mound of fresh-cooked French fries, which I was happy to sample. To accompany your dinner, Geer St. offers several beers on tap and in the bottle, a short but tasty looking wine list, and a number of signature cocktails along with anything you want the bartender to whip up for you. The inside of the restaurant is rather small but the big patio outside nearly doubles the space and makes for a lovely evening. All in all, our visit to Geer Street Garden was a huge success and will definitely be followed up by more visits. Nothing beats an affordable meal, highlighting both the history of Durham and the incredible food produced locally.

Vegetable Gazpacho: Perfect for a Hot Summer Night

Sometimes in the summer - especially a North Carolina summer - you just don't feel like cooking. The thought of turning on a hot stove and then standing over it for 30 minutes or so sounds unbearable. But just because you don't want to cook anything, doesn't mean you have to miss out on a healthy, homemade meal. Besides, getting takeout usually involves going outside, which will probably be hotter than turning on the oven anyway. And we all know that homemade food is better for you than takeout (not that the occasional Thai takeout meal hasn't saved me during pregnancy-induced exhaustion). But making something at home is definitely the better bet when you can. Although I love me some salads, sometimes I want other options for no-cook dinners. So instead of eating vegetables tossed in salad dressing, I blended them all together and made gazpacho. This delicious, cold soup - usually made with tomatoes - fits the bill perfectly for a healthy meal that requires absolutely no heat. It's full of good for you veggies and heart healthy fats like avocado and a touch of olive oil. I served the soup with some crackers spread with a bit of cheese and had a delicious dinner that didn't cause the temperature in my house to raise one degree. I used a blender and did the pureeing in batches. A food processor would also work, just be careful to not overfill it. Most gazpacho recipes call for onion, but I don't really like the bite of raw onion so I left it out. But feel free to include a small onion or other vegetables that you like: bell peppers would also work nicely. Basically you can throw the whole vegetable garden in there and create a delicious soup that takes very little time to prepare.

Vegetable Gazpacho

• 2-3 large tomatoes, diced
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced; reserve 1/2 of 1 cucumber
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1/2-1 cup tomato or vegetable juice
• 1 avocado
• 1 bunch basil, divided
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2-1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

In a blender or food processor, chop up tomatoes, 1.5 cucumbers and zucchini. Add about 1/4 cup tomato juice to help the vegetables combine. Do this in batches if needed, making sure everything is finely pureed.
Dice the remaining 1/2 cucumber into small cubes and reserve.
Roughly chop half of the avocado and add to the blender. Cut the other half into cubes and reserve.
Chop half the basil and add to the blender. Thinly slice other half and reserve.
Add balsamic vinegar, 1/4 - 1/2 cup tomato juice, juice of half a lime, and about 1/2 tsp of salt to blender and puree until well combined. (Amount of salt will vary depending on saltiness of tomato juice).
Pour all of the pureed soup into a large bowl. Stir in diced cucumber (I like the added texture, but puree everything if you want a totally smooth soup).
Add more tomato juice if too thick. Stir in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add more lime juice, if desired.
Soup can be served immediately or refrigerated for up to a day before serving.
Garnish each bowl with a few chunks of reserved avocado and ribbons of basil.

For a printable recipe click here

Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes with Spring Veggies

I must admit that I have been less than inspired by my cooking recently. It's not that I haven't been cooking or that it hasn't tasted good, I've just been relying on things I'm comfortable with or variations of things I've made many times before. And while it provides nourishment for me and my hubby, these meals have not compelled me to write about them and share them with you. This meal, however, was an exception. It started with a trip to the Durham Farmers' Market, which is always cause for some cooking inspiration, especially as we move into new and exciting spring produce. As usual, I didn't enter the market with much of a plan, hoping to find some products that would work well together and create a simple, seasonal meal. I ended up with some great little red-skinned potatoes, Lebanese squash (a cross between zucchini and yellow squash), shiitake mushrooms, and red pepper goat cheese. Armed with these fresh items, I headed home to come up with something to make.

Since potatoes and cheese are a match made in heaven, I decided to start with smashed red potatoes seasoned with the flavored goat cheese. The red pepper added a touch of sweetness while the fresh goat cheese made the potatoes nice and tangy. I like my potatoes to have some texture, so I left the skin on and simply mashed them with a fork for an uneven consistency. I then sauteed the squash and mushrooms, added some sun-dried tomatoes and white beans, and finished it off with a splash of red wine vinegar. The whole meal took less than 30 minutes to make and tasted fresh, healthy and exciting. It's also a great meal to try if you want to eat less meat. The beans and goat cheese add protein and make the dish satisfying enough that you won't miss the meat. Hopefully this meal, and the season's great produce, will inspire you to make something new and bring some excitement back to the dinner table.

Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes with Spring Vegetables (serves 2, with leftovers)

• 1 lbs. red-skinned new potatoes, halved if large
• 4 oz fresh goat cheese, flavored if desired
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup milk (if needed)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 2 medium Lebanese squash (or zucchini), chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
• 1 15oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper

Put the washed potatoes into a small saucepan and cover with cold water.
Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, season water with a generous (1 tsp +) pinch of salt and boil potatoes uncovered until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
Drain potatoes and return to hot pan.
Stir in goat cheese and butter, mashing potatoes with a fork or potato masher.
Add milk if needed to make potatoes easier to mix.

While potatoes are boiling, heat oil in a large saute pan.
Add garlic and saute for a minute.
Add mushrooms and cook until mostly browned, about 4-5 minutes.
Add squash and season with salt (1/2 tsp or so) and pepper (1/4 tsp or so).
Saute for about 8 minutes, until squash is nearly tender.
Add in sun-dried tomatoes, white beans and vinegar, cooking for another couple of minutes to heat through.
Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve vegetables over mashed potatoes and enjoy!

For a printable recipe click here

Fast and Easy Veggie Burritos and A Big Announcement

So it has been a ridiculously long time since my last post and for this I am very sorry. It's not that I have forgotten about this little blog, I just have been cooking very basic dishes that I've made a million times or relying on take out. Why do this when usually I love creating new things and get bored of too much repetition, you might ask? The reason is simple and very exciting...I'm pregnant! And for anyone who has been through it themselves, or knows anyone who has, the first trimester is not a time to be whipping up exotic new creations and experimenting with new flavors. If you're nausea doesn't prevent you from entering the kitchen altogether, the exhaustion will keep you from putting in much effort when all you want to do is eat something that sounds remotely appealing and then lay back down.  I was fortunate in that I did have nights where I was able to cook simple dinners for me and my hubby. But as far as creating new recipes and then writing about them, that was more than I could handle.

I did, however, manage to take some pictures of a couple of the things I made over the last few weeks. Now that I am feeling better and have more energy, I will share them with you. This first one is a great recipe to have in your arsenal since you can always have the ingredients on hand and it takes very little time to whip together. Like many of my recipes, this one is based on a recipe my mom used to make us as kids. It's always fun to eat things with your hands and there's lots of healthy things all mixed together with flavorful spices. Although I generally like to use fresh produce, frozen is almost as good and great when you haven't been to the store in awhile and don't feel like making an extra trip. We used flour tortillas growing up but if you prefer corn, or can't eat the flour ones like me, those work just as well. I'd probably just heat up a few more since they tend to be much smaller. Feel free to play around with the toppings, adding whatever you have or whatever sounds good, like sour cream, hot sauce, avocados, etc.

Fast and Easy Veggie Burritos (serves 4)

• 8 10-inch flour tortillas
• 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks or small cubes
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 16oz bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
• 1 10oz bag frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Dash, or more, of hot sauce, depending on your taste
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• Shredded Cheddar or your favorite cheese
• Salsa, sour cream, or any topping of your choice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute onion, carrot and garlic for a few minutes to soften. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir in tomato sauce, broccoli, corn, black beans, chili powder, cumin and hot sauce. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and let the mixture simmer for about 5-8 minutes, until everything is heated through.
Warm the tortillas in a low oven or, covered, in the microwave.
Serve the burrito mixture in the tortillas topped with cheese and any other toppings you like.

For a printable recipe click here