Lentil Salad with Ramps, Currants, Capers, Almonds and Feta

I was finally able to get asparagus at yesterday’s market – shockingly tender, thin, beautiful asparagus. In the meantime until I am able to get that recipe up, I have a recipe that makes use of more of last week’s young allium, still at peak. I picked up some beautiful ramps along with that young garlic I used in these rice balls. The sharp but fresh, subtle leek flavor of these ramps is intense and wonderful when toned down with vinegar. This salad, however, has so much more than a bit of raw-onion flavor. This salad is packed. Earthy, firm yet tender lentils are simply lovely, but a few more ingredients make them absolutely addictive.

The combination of currants, red onion (which I replaced with ramps) and capers is what drew me to this recipe; it sounded unique but completely perfect. What makes this salad so crazy is actually the vinaigrette. It packs a ton of spices and the Southeast Asian flavors somehow are perfect with the other bold ingredients: sweet and chewy currants, plump and briny capers, tangy feta and deeply sweet maple syrup. This recipe takes advantage of a global pantry. It is hard to explain just how delicious a humble lentil salad can be, but this recipe has a lot going on.

French Green Lentils are used here, but you could also use Black Beluga lentils with great success. Avoid plain brown, green or red lentils as they lack the firm texture of a French Green or Black Beluga. And avoid overcooking  for the same reason. The salad gets better and better after sitting in the refrigerator for a day or two, as the flavors become acquainted.

1 year ago, today: Chicken Korma

Lentil Salad with Ramps, Currants, Capers, Almonds and Feta:

adapted from My New Roots
serves 4-6

– 1 lb french green lentils (or black beluga, NOT red or brown lentils)
– 1/2 cup currants
– 1/2 cup almonds (raw or toasted), roughly chopped
– 1/3 cup capers
– 1/4 lb feta

vinaigrette:
– 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
– 4 oz ramps (1 small bunch), greens discarded/white and red portion thinly sliced
– 1 tsp cumin
– 1/2 tsp turmeric
– 1/2 tsp coriander
– 1/2 tsp cardamom
– 1/4 tsp cayenne
– 1/4 tsp cloves
– 1/4 tsp nutmeg
– 1/4 tsp cinnamon
– 1 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
– salt & pepper
– 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Rinse lentils in a fine-meshed sieve and transfer to a small pot. Cover with water by several inches and bring to a boil, down to a simmer for 10-15 minutes longer or until the lentils are fully cooked but before they have lost their texture (mushy lentils are no good in a salad). Strain into a fine-meshed sieve and rinse with cold water to cool quickly. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the vinaigrette: transfer the sliced ramps to a small bowl and cover with the vinegar. Add all of the spices and let the ramps soak in the vinegar while the lentils cook and cool. Whisk in maple syrup and mustard, then oil and season to taste. Toss cooled lentils (they don’t have to be completely cool, you just don’t want the lentils to end up cooking the other ingredients) with currants, almonds, capers and the vinaigrette. Crumble feta over servings and enjoy.

Tamarind-Aji Beef Stew with Potatoes, Quinoa and Carrots

My sister is currently finishing a semester in Ecuador. While I have only left the US to visit Toronto and Montreal, this is my (little) sister’s second time staying in the country. She is a budding world traveler. She is pretty cool.

When Gina was younger, she was the pickiest eater in the family. And by a lot, because my brothers and I were barely picky at all. I think she became a better eater when she started college and had to cook for herself. Now that she is staying in another country with very foreign cuisine, I am very impressed with her ability to adapt and enjoy what is placed in front of her by her host family. She has taken to telling me all about her favorite dishes with, probably because she isn’t cooking for herself right now, the expectation that I will recreate them and blog about them. She has also taken to sending me ingredients from the open-air markets that she visits to make those recreations a bit easier.

The quinoa I use here is one of those items. Some say the quinoa coming out of Ecuador is more nutritious than quinoa from elsewhere (Peru and Bolivia); higher in fiber and protein. I don’t have any specific nutritional information about the quinoa I used, but I do know that it has a deep earthy flavor without the metallic taste quinoa can have. I also used ground red aji from Ecuador, which is a deep and mildly smoky chili. There are several varieties of aji available in the US, such as black and yellow in addition the red. I have found yellow aji to be the easiest to find and the chilies are more often sold whole.

While I used traditional stewing principles to create a thick and flavorful stew featuring fork-tender beef, I took advice from my sister on the spices and aromatics. With carrots and potatoes, the main ingredients of the stew are exactly what is expected from an American beef stew. The small bites of quinoa that coat the beef, potatoes and carrots add really interesting texture to these tender components. The use of cumin, turmeric, aji and cayenne add a different kind of spice than what is expected, but the tamarind is what really shakes things up. It creates the prominent sweet and sour flavor which works perfectly with the other ingredients. If you prefer a less noticeable sour profile, you could substitute half of the tamarind paste with tomato paste and use it in the same way. Matt preferred it made this way when I first made it a couple of months ago (the two trials were spaced so far apart because I was waiting for good stewing cut of meat to go on sale), but I prefer the bold, citrusy tamarind.

What may stick out most, though, is the garnish. I toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish, another ingredient sent to me from my sister. It is always best to toast nuts and seeds, but I find that pumpkin seeds especially need to be toasted for the best texture (they can have an unpleasant stale, woody taste when left completely raw). The more interesting garnish, however, is the popcorn. Apparently freshly popped, un-buttered popcorn is a traditional garnish in Ecuador, so I decided to buy kernels and actually pop the corn myself. I just heated a couple of tablespoons of oil in a medium-sized saucepan and covered the bottom in popcorn kernels, covered the saucepan and lightly shook over the stovetop while the kernels popped. I honestly thought you needed a special apparatus to make popcorn, but it could not be easier. And, as a lover of all things butter(ed), I am surprised to say that I absolutely flavor of the popcorn without any butter, oil or seasonings, freshly popped.

Tamarind-Aji Beef Stew with Potatoes, Quinoa and Carrots:

I used basic stewing principles for this recipe, but my sister directed me on what seasonings to use, how to garnish, etc. In addition to the popcorn and pumpkin seed, cilantro makes a great garnish if it is available.


– 1/3 cup flour
– 1 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 2″ pieces
– 1 onion, diced
– 4 tbsp tamarind paste (substitute half or all with tomato paste if desired)
– 2 tsp ground cumin
– 2 tsp ground turmeric
– 1 tsp ground aji rojo
– 1/4 tsp ground cayenne
– 6 cups stock
– 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, med. dice
– 1/2 lb carrots, med. dice
– 1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
– popcorn for garnish
– pumpkin seeds, toasted, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot (ie, dutch oven). Dredge beef chuck in flour, reserve remaining flour and sear beef on all sides. Remove beef from pot and set aside. Saute onion in oil/residual fat. Add reserved flour and stir to incorporate, then add tamarind paste (and/or tomato paste, if desired). Stir in cumin, turmeric, aji and cayenne until fragrant. Add stock and return beef to the pot. Bring to a boil and place uncovered in the oven, checking occasionally to add more liquid if necessary. The beef should become fork tender. Remove the pot from the oven and return to the stove after one hour to add the potatoes and cook at a heavy simmer until potatoes are tender. Continuing at a heavy simmer, add carrots and quinoa and cook until both are tender. Garnish with popcorn and toasted pumpkin seeds.

[Revisiting] Spiced French Green Lentil, Parsnip and Carrot Soup with Bacon

I recently went through some of my posts from last winter to get some cold weather inspiration and came across a lentil soup I made in the new year. Despite the lacking photographs, I instantly remembered the soup’s flavor and how much I loved it. It was immediately worked into this week’s meal plan. I made some positive changes to the soup to make this version my new go-to.  I added parsnips to the mix; any sweet, mild root vegetable would work nicely here, celariac perhaps. I swapped smoked paprika for sweet paprika (pimenton) just because. Either do well but each bring something a little bit different. The overall flavor is still smokey and spicy from the cayenne. I wouldn’t suggest omitting the bacon for a vegetarian version because it creates very meaty flavor and is completely satisfying. This is a perfect soup to make in a large batch to freeze for future filling lunches.

The change really made the difference was swapping regular green lentils for french green lentils. Let me tell you right now, all lentils are not created equal! I have only used regular red and green lentils in the past, but I decided to get french green lentils when they were on sale. I have heard people rave about these, but I always stuck with the cheaper option. It isn’t as though french green lentils are expensive; they might be $1.00/lb more than other varieties. I just never felt the need to try them when I enjoyed the cheaper lentils. These beautiful forest green legumes stand up to long cooking processes and retain a tender bite rather than becoming mush. They also don’t have the starchy taste that other lentils have (especially when overcooked). These characteristics would let the lentils shine in a salad, but they are also incredibly appetizing and satisfying in a soup.

1 year ago, today: Roasted Potatoes Pont Neuf with Apple Barbecue Sauce


Spiced French Green Lentil, Parsnip and Carrot Soup with Bacon:
originally adapted from Three Many Cooks
– 4 oz bacon, small dice
– 1 onion, small dice
– 2 carrots, small dice
– 2 parsnips, small dice
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 tsp sweet paprika (pimenton)
– 2 tsp cumin
– 1 tsp turmeric
– 1/4 tsp cayenne
– 1 pound french green lentils
– 2 quarts + 1 cup stock
– salt and pepper
– sour cream, asiago cheese for serving

Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook bacon, stirring often, until crisp. Add onion and cook until softened. Add carrots, parsnips and garlic and cook until softened. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and stir until fragrant, 30 second to 1 minute. Add lentils and stock and bring to a boil, down to a heavy simmer. Continue to cook uncovered until lentils are tender and the liquid has reduced. Puree 8 cups of the soup and return to pot to incorporate. Season to taste and serve with freshly grated asiago cheese.

Baked Yams with Spicy Tomato Sauced Pinto Beans and Caramelized Red Onions

On evenings when my mom and I were alone for dinner, a common meal was baked yams (often in the microwave) with butter and cinnamon. I often would add a handful of chocolate chips to mine and still call it dinner …(not sure if this would be news to my mom). Needless to say, I am fond of using yams in a simple sweet application.

Matt isn’t as smitten with sweetness in his meals. Occasionally he tolerates pancakes or cinnamon-sugar dusted oatmeal for breakfast, but he rarely puts up with a sweet component in lunch or dinner unless it is incredibly subtle. The sweetest component of this meal is the yam itself, and there are other flavors to balance it: the rich, meatiness of the beans. The spicy, acidity of the sauce. The caramelized onions didn’t need to be considered since I knew he wouldn’t be using them, but I was still concerned that the balance of flavor wouldn’t counter the sweetness of the yams. Still, he (almost) cleaned his plate; once he finished eating the beans with the yam flesh, he didn’t continue to eat the remaining flesh but he thoroughly enjoyed the combination of flavors.

The recipe that inspired this meal was posted at Sprouted Kitchen less than two weeks ago and I originally re-created it that very day. It is such a simple recipe, but I was instantly intrigued by the idea of loading up a yam like a traditional baked potato. Matt initially hesitated over the sweetness of the yams, but once he gave the go ahead we just needed a can of tomatoes and the yams to make this happen. I decided to replace the onion in the tomato sauce (the beans and tomatoes are called a “chili” in the original recipe) with a caramelized red onion to top the sauce. I also adjusted the spices because I didn’t have chili powder (I go through it so quickly), keeping it pretty simple but smokey. After we had the two remaining yams for leftovers, I was completely satisfied, yet disappointed that the recipe only served four. I can’t wait to make it again.

Baked Yams with Spicy Tomato Sauced Pinto Beans and Caramelized Red Onions:
adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
serves 4, or use smaller potatoes to serve more with a side salad. A quarter recipe is very filling.
– 1/2 lb dried pinto beans, soaked and cooked
– 4 small yams (3/4 lb – 1 lb)
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 2 tsp cumin
– 1 tsp smoked paprika
– 1/2 tsp cayenne
– 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
– 1 28 oz jar crushed tomatoes
– 2 red onions, thinly sliced+ 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp butter
– sour cream, cheddar cheese (grated), chives for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the yams clean, use a fork to poke wholes all over the yams to allow steam to escape while cooking, loosely wrap in foil and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour, depending on the size, or until fork tender in the thickest part. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and saute garlic and spices until aromatic. Add tomatoes and cooked beans, bring to a boil and down to a simmer and allow to reduce while the yams cook. Heat oil and butter for onions in a saute pan. Add sliced red onion and reduce heat to low. Allow onions to caramelize, shaking the contents of the pan very occasionally. When yams are fully cooked, slice down the middle and fluff the inside with a fork. Top each yam with a quarter of the bean mixture, a sprinkle of cheddar, a quarter of the red onion, a dollop of sour cream and garnish with chives.

Summer Squash and Fenugreek Curry

Why are we only allowed to eat certain hot food in the summer? Why would it be so weird to have a beef stew with seasonal vegetables when burgers and hot dogs and barbecue style cooking are all totally cool? Spicy curries seem to fall in a gray area because they aren’t exactly summer food, but maybe the heat of the spices cancels out the temperature and combats the heat? Can you fight heat with heat? Has every sentence of this post really been a question?

farmer’s market loot

I bring up this question because I actually wanted to make a soup today despite the weather (not the hottest day, but still pretty warm). I went to the Sunday market in hopes of gathering tomatoes and bell peppers for a roasted tomato and red pepper soup, but it seems that it is still a bit early in the season for (local) red bell peppers. So I picked up a bunch of squash like I have been for weeks, but, for the first time this season, yellow summer squash! I also found an herb in a bin marked as “mint” but I could see, smell and taste that it was not mint at all. I was excited to find out it was fenugreek so I picked up a bag and decided to go the Indian route with this evening’s dinner.

Simple curry: kidney beans, coconut milk, usual spices, ginger and garlic … you know the drill. I think that the summer squash is a bit different for a curry because most curries simmer for hours and the meat/vegetables are cooked to practically falling apart, but we always try to keep from being too heavy-handed with the cooking time on our precious summer vegetables because they are so fresh and perfect just the way they are. I didn’t cook the squash to death, but its 10 minute simmer in the curry allowed it to absorb all of the flavors and get a dreamy tenderness that you don’t usually see with summer squash. If you haven’t used fenugreek before, it is a pretty mild tasting herb and I am sure I will have fun experimenting with the rest of it. It has a slightly bittersweet, floral flavor reminiscent of oregano. I have read that it reminds some people of maple syrup, but I don’t totally get that. Either way, this pretty great – a steaming hot and spicy dish featuring fresh, local and flavorful ingredients.

Summer Squash and Fenugreek Curry:
– 1 onion, small dice
– 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, minced
– 1 green chili, minced
– 3 cloves garlic, minced

– 1 1/4 tsp cumin

– 1/2 tsp turmeric

– 1/4 tsp coriander

– 1/4 tsp cayenne
– 3 cups cooked kidney beans, water reserved (approx. 1 1/2 cups dried plus 28 oz water)
– 1 can coconut milk
– 1/4 cup red curry paste
– 1/2 cup fenugreek, minced
– 1/3 cup shredded coconut
– 3 lbs summer squash

In a heavy bottomed pot, cook onion until soft. Add ginger, chili, garlic, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne and cook for about thirty seconds longer, until fragrant. Add beans and reserved water, coconut milk, and red curry paste and bring up to a boil and down to a simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until it has reduced to your desired consistency (be careful not to over reduce or you won’t have enough room for all of the squash). Add the fenugreek, coconut and squash and simmer 10 minutes longer, or until the squash is tender to your liking. Serve over rice or by itself.

Spicy Lentil Soup with Bacon

I started my second cycle of culinary school today and I got a new job (in the right industry) so I am excited, busy and I will keep it brief.

This particular soup was amazing when I made it on Friday, but the leftovers have been even better as the flavors continue to combine and complicate each other! It is a perfect post holiday soup because of the fact that it has great flavor and heartiness but it is also pretty healthy and low in fat due to the vegetables and lentils. Perfect for the new year!It is also great for the cold snap currently occurring in the Portland area; the heat and spice just warms your whole body up! I really LOVE lentil soups, but this is just my favorite lentil soup of all time. A lot of lentil soups taste kind of like bean broth, but this soup has some serious flavor! You can easily make this vegan (and healthier) by omitting the bacon and just using a bit of oil, but I wouldn’t recommend it …

edit, 11/10/11: I revisited this recipe and made some positive changes here


Spicy Lentil Soup with Bacon:
adapted from Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika and Pancetta at Three Many Cooks
serves 6
– 4 slices bacon, 1/4″-1/2″ dice (the original recipe calls for pancetta)
– 1 onion, 1/4″ dice
– 2 medium carrots, 1/4″ dice
– 1 celery stalk, 1/4″ dice
– 2 tsp cumin
– 2 tsp smoked paprika
– 1 tsp turmeric (my addition)
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 3/4 cup white wine
– 2 quarts stock
– 1 pound green lentils

Cook diced bacon in a heavy bottomed saucepan (dutch oven) over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Deglaze by adding the onions and cook until soft and translucent, then add carrots and celery and cook until soft. Add cumin, paprika, tumeric and cayenne and stir until fragrant. Deglaze with wine. After a few minutes, add broth and lentils and bring to a boil, down to a simmer. Cook until lentils are cooked – just tender. Serve and enjoy! Alternatively, you can puree half or all the soup, but I liked it nice and chunky.

I submitted this to Souper Sundays with Deb from Kahakai Kitchen and the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Spicy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Matt found the recipe for this soup and did most of the cooking (I just hovered helped gather ingredients). Even though Matt took the reins on this one, I still have to share it because it is so delicious. Broccoli is perfect with cayenne, it is just unbelievable. I think it would be nice to try this soup with fresh or whole dried chilies. Matt didn’t make any significant changes to the original recipe: we used more cheese to thicken the soup rather than adding cream, we also called her “pinches” teaspoons so there might have been a little extra heat from the cayenne. The recipe we used from There’s Always Thyme to Cook was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe and the only changes to Martha’s original recipe were the addition of cayenne and nutmeg. And that is all it needed! Oh, and cheese. But it is the cayenne that makes this soup so good.

Spicy Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
Serves 4-6
adapted from Cream of Broccoli Soup by There’s Always Thyme to Cook
– 3 Tbsp butter
– 1/2 medium onion, 1/4″ dice
– 1/4 cup flour
– 4 cups stock
– 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
– 1 tsp ground nutmeg
– 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
– salt & pepper to taste
– approximately 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (1/2 cup of this used to garnish)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes depending on the heat). Add the flour and stir it all together to make a blond roux (or whisk it if you aren’t handicapped by a non-stick pot). After about one minute, add the stock and bring the pot up to a boil and down to a simmer while continuing to stir (this is called a velouté sauce). After the sauce simmers for about 10 minutes, add the broccoli and seasonings, stir to combine and bring the pot back up to a boil and down to a simmer. Once everything is incorporated, let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree the soup in a blender or with a food mill or immersion blender in batches and return the soup to the pot over low heat. Stir 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese into the soup and add cream if needed. Serve and garnish with the rest of the cheddar. Enjoy!