Puy Lentils with Red Wine - my favorite new recipe of the year
Good cold or hot, cheap and flavorful, healthy and filling… Love this recipe from Eating the Greek Way by Fedon Alexander Lindberg… Doubled it below, worth doubling again for leftovers since it’s great as a side dish or added to salads!
1. Put 2c Puy (aka French) lentils in a saucepan with 1c red wine and 2.5c water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer until tender—this will take about 30 minues. The cooking water should have been absorbed completely; add more water during cooking if necessary
2. Once the lentils are cooked, add 4 finely chopped shallots, 4tbsp olive oil, 4tbsp finely chopped herbs (or dried sage, mexican oregano, what have you), 2tbsp+ basalmic vinegar and cook gently for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a little fructose powder (or sugar)
Serves 4
per serving glycemic load 12; protein 20g; carbs 57g; fat 15g; fiber 14g
DIY FIRST AID TIP: Egg whites as burn remedy
My french press morphed into a volcano of near boiling coffee water during the press-process the other night and burned my thumb/inner wrist area—a burn that kept stinging even after being soaked in cold water, sprayed with lidocaine from med cabinet, etc… The internet suggested I try rubbing a thin layer of egg white on the burn which I tried, albeit with great skepticism. Guess what? The burning burn-y-ness immediately subsided! Had to share in case anyone else is as clumsy as me or sustains fourth of July related burns tonight…
It’s always the right weather for a scarf. Just depends on the scarf. Does anyone want to make me this one?
Boozy granita - corner store version
Is it hot outside? Do you want a drink? One with alcohol in it? Are you going to turn off your inner snob voice and disregard dietary sugar intake? Lastly, do you live within a few blocks of a 7-11?
For you… I introduce… The corner store boozy granita!
Slurpee + ice cold alcohol = boozy granita
Personally, I vote for Coke + Bourbon but I could see a Lemon/Lime + Gin concoction being okay with some extra lemon juice…
May the cocktail gods forgive us all.
lovely photo by nalsa via Flickr
Better beans
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I try to keep grocery bills down by shopping in the bulk section as much as possible and this means I am always trying to make beans in new and delicious ways. Thought I’d do a quick grab-bag of recent ideas/tips.
Things to add to bean cooking water before cooking:
- beer instead of some of the cooking water to add complex flavor (de puy lentils and red wine are amazing together too-recipe in separate post)
- whole garlic cloves will turn smooshy and add roundness to final dish
- half an onion (root side will stay together better) adds roundness and sweetness
- pieces of carrot add sweetness
SECRET FLAVOR KICKS to add once beans are almost done cooking:
- cocoa powder (unsweetened) to add richness to black beans
- tomato paste to thicken/flavor pot liquor
- soy sauce or tamari adds both salt (so important) but also umami-savory flavor
- a tablespoon (or several, depending on size) of apple cider vinegar/white vinegar/lemon juice/acid of any kind can add a high note to the flavor of the dish even if you can’t taste the vinegar itself (you shouldn’t) and this prevents beans from tasting flat
- a few tablespoons of any oil, canola for neutrality, olive oil for grassiness, walnut for a hit of bitter/nuttiness… stir in to make the beans taste better
- more salt than you initially think the beans will need (health permitting) will make them taste better BUT WAIT TILL THEY ARE DONE TO ADD IT or the beans won’t cook properly
OTHER SECRETS:
soaking beans overnight then rinsing 3x will prevent them from causing gas
try taking out a cup of the final product (and any remaining chunks of garlic or carrot) and smushing them around before adding back—will make pot liquor thick and beans nice and creamy
Quote of the day: “Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear” attributed to Aesop
Polenta with flax for breakfast.
My reasons for putting flax in polenta: it holds the polenta together when you slice and pan fry it, it is full of omega-3’s and fiber and lots of other things that are good for you so you can add more maple syrup
