Lentil and Potato Stew

It’s the last day of February. With the beginning of March comes promise of spring and it is to that promise that I am holding onto. With an iron-like vise grip! Yes, the snow is pretty, but I am getting tired of it and of the cold as well. Our bedroom was below 60 last night and my nose was cold—I cannot sleep with a cold nose! (yes, I know that it’s probably a sign that I’m healthy...). Even under flannel sheets and a huge, puffy comforter I cannot get comfortable, and I am just longing for the warmth that the sun will finally bring. And soon, I hope.

Until then, it is up to me to warm us from the inside. Big ol’ flakes of snow continue to fall and since Jack was out driving in it this morning, I wanted to make something hearty and filling and warming for lunch. I looked in my recipe binder and pulled out a long-time favorite from Jane Brody’s “Good Food Gourmet”. This adaptation of her Lentil and Potato Stew, although it sounds rather unexciting, is anything but. A thick stew chock-full of lentils, sautéed potatoes, and tomatoes spiced with turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala is ladled over steaming hot basmati rice and provides (at least 20 minutes) of warmth.

I altered her recipe a little, increasing quantities (because this is so good reheated),
cooking the lentils in veggie broth rather than in water, subbing canned tomatoes for the 2 cups fresh in the original recipe (since I make this in the winter and fresh tomatoes are like cardboard), and adding spinach for color and nutrition.

Spooned over steamed rice, the stew is fragrant with Indian spices and absolutely delicious. Adding a bit of plain yogurt on top balances the heat of the cayenne.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Lentil and Potato Stew

Recipe By: Jane Brody

Servings : 8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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4 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups lentils -- brown lentils preferred

2 whole bay leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large potatoes -- peeled, 1/2" dice

2 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

14 ounces canned diced tomatoes -- undrained

14 ounces tomato sauce

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon mild curry powder

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups frozen spinach

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Bring veggie broth to a boil, add bay leaves and lentils. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until just soft. DO NOT drain! Remove bay leaf and set aside.

Drizzle oil into a large nonstick Dutch oven, heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds, and add potatoes. Do not disturb potatoes for 2 minutes (to allow bottoms to brown a little) Sprinkle with turmeric, cayenne, salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste. Stir. Continue to cook and stir for another 3 minutes. (Note: if your pan is not big enough, divide the oil, potatoes and spices and cook 2 batches. You want the potatoes to fry, not steam. I used a 3-quart Dutch oven and did this)

Add the tomatoes and sauce, then the lentils with their cooking liquid. Stir in the spices and sugar. Add the frozen spinach (no need to thaw first) and when the mixture comes to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Serve over steamed rice or with chipati. Dollop some yogurt on top of each.

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Per serving: 258 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (7% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 794mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Enchilada Casserole

Today is a white day. As I sit here in the living room there is a beautifully peaceful view out of the window, and all is white. Well, almost all. A fresh layer of snow covers the ground and the hill and soft, fluffy flakes are continuing to fall. The sky is also white, and it takes a bit of concentration before I can discern where the summit of the hill ends and the sky begins. Color on this blank canvas of a landscape is added by the dark green pine trees bordering the front and side yards, the olive-brown of the bare maple and oak tree branches, and the bright red of the half-dozen cardinals, and their rusty-red mates, fluttering under and around the birdfeeder. I’m tired of winter now, but this particular sight fills me with peace.

Yesterday I needed to turn on the oven. Our kitchen is unheated and it can get a little… nippy… in there during these cold winter days. Conversely, this kitchen also faces west and the windows absorb all of the afternoon sun, so I rarely even turn on the oven from the beginning of June until the end of September.

So why is there no afternoon sun to warm my kitchen now? Because I live in western Pennsylvania, where winter sun is rare and, when it does appear, is very weak.

I wanted to make something hearty, a casserole perhaps, to fill our tummies and warm us up a bit.

Jack requested something Mexican. I looked at what was on hand, what was on the menu for the rest of the week (in an attempt to balance the chicken meals with the meatless meals with the fish meals, and also cuisines as well since Jack admitted recently that although he loves curries, three in a row are just a bit too much). I decided on an enchilada casserole.

I was making this one on my own since I had made breakfast and lunch, both without assistance from my long-suffering husband. ;) He needed to work on our taxes, and I should start becoming more self-sufficient in the kitchen since I've become somewhat adjusted to the lurching/ limping motion of walking with this aircast on.

The following is the recipe which I came up with. Jack loves enchiladas but I couldn’t spend the time making the sauce, then standing while I dipped the tortillas in sauce, filled, rolled, etc. I decided to make a layered casserole with the flavors of enchiladas. I have made a chicken enchilada casserole with a green (tomatillo) sauce before, but only had canned red enchilada sauce on hand.

I supplemented the ground turkey with veggie-based burger crumbles and also added black beans and corn to make this a substantial dish. Sauce and cheese completed the enchilada-like taste of this casserole. I served it with a drizzle of blended light sour cream and skim milk which added a nice creamy texture. A tomato and avocado salad is perfect to add some more

vegetables and round out the meal.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Enchilada Casserole

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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8 ounces ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

3 cloves garlic -- crushed

2 teaspoons oregano -- Mexican preferred

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper -- optional

4 ounces Morningstar Farms burger crumbles

28 ounces enchilada sauce

1/4 cup water

1 cup frozen corn kernels

15 ounces canned black beans -- drained and rinsed

1 small can green chili peppers, chopped

4 ounces shredded lowfat cheddar cheese

12 corn tortillas

1/2 cup light sour cream

3 tablespoons skim milk

In a large nonstick skillet, brown the ground turkey until no longer pink; add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and continue to sauté until the vegetables are almost soft. Add oregano, chili powders, and burger crumbles and stir for two minutes.

Pour 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce and water into the ground turkey mixture and combine well. Stir in the corn, black beans, and chopped green chilies; bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

In a 3-quart casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, layer 3 tortillas on the bottom. Add 1/4 or the reserved enchilada sauce, 1/3 of the ground turkey mixture, 1/4 of the cheese for the first layer. Repeat in this sequence: 3 tortillas, sauce, ground turkey mixture, cheese, 3 tortillas, sauce, ground turkey mixture, cheese, 3 tortillas, sauce, cheese. Cover and bake for 15 minutes; uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer.

After removing form the oven, allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and milk until smooth.

Scoop onto plates and drizzle with the sour cream mixture.

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Per serving: 567 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat (3g saturated); (22% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 82g Carbohydrate; 27mg Cholesterol; 1309mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 5 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 4 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 10 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Although this is great right out of the oven, if made a day in advance and reheated the layers will firm up and look more presentable rather than collapsing onto themselves!

Serve with a tomato-avocado-onion salad

Brownie Drops

While I had the oven all fired up on Sunday, in addition to baking the bread and pizza, I made a batch of Brownie Drops. And as a result, this is why I am now able to walk around without crutches. Ya-hooo!

I’ve been trying to walk for a week and, honestly, I was afraid to place all of my weight on my foot. Still wearing the aircast (which will be a part of my stylish ensemble for another 2 weeks), I first went through the walking motions while placing my weight on the crutches. After a couple of days I was able to add a little more weight onto the foot. Then a little more. But every time I attempted to walk normally I panicked and stumbled. I knew that my ankle wasn’t going to break again, but I was having a difficult time with convincing it.. That Sunday afternoon, tired to death of sitting on the sofa (for Day #43), I decided to spend some time in the kitchen since there was some bread dough rising which would need my attention anyway.

The supply of peanut butter cookies which I made Jack for Valentine’s Day was dwindling, as were the truffles which he bought for me. We needed to replenish our sweet-stash! :)

Last week I found this Brownie Drops recipe on cooksimple.com. They looked easy enough and I loved the fact that along with the melted chocolate, there was only ¼ cup of flour. Little flour, lots of chocolate. Sounded good to me! I assembled the ingredients onto the kitchen counter, placed the mixing bowl in the sink to contain any splatters, plugged in the hand mixer, and away I went. The directions called for beating the eggs and brown sugar together for 4 minutes.

So I stood, propped up at the sink, crutches leaning against the doorframe a few feet away. I placed a little weight on my broken ankle. Hmmmm. No pain, no snap (*shudder*). More weight. A little more. As those four minutes wore on, I was able to transfer all of my weight onto my bad leg. When I was done making the batter, I saw the baking sheets across the room on the table. I took a step. Then another. And another… Cool! I was walking without crutches and without pain!

Anybody who has gone through this knows what a wonderful feeling it is. After 6 weeks of hobbling around with crutches or a walker, unable to carry anything, I am finally getting around on my own. Now I wonder how long it will take for the calluses to go away from my palms where I had to grip the crutches…

I attribute the Brownie Drops to my walking around again (thanks, Carrie!). Okay, I admit that it would have happened sooner or later, but having to stand for four long minutes, propped up by the counter, gave me the opportunity to do this gradually.

So, back to the cookies.

These have a rich, deep chocolate flavor that makes them hard to stop eating. They are moist and chewy inside with the crunch of walnuts, just like pan-baked brownies—I finally put them in a plastic container and asked Jack to please, for heavens sake, hide them from me. I love chocolate, and I have no willpower. A deadly combination around treats such as these are!

No Knead Pizza Crust

In a previous post I had mentioned using frozen bread dough as a pizza crust (and with less than desirable results). For the first few weeks after I broke my ankle, we had made our usual Sunday night pizza with a pizza crust bought in the dairy case which came rolled-up in a tube. It wasn’t bad, but we still longed for my pizza crust. While Jack is helping me in the kitchen, I really don’t want to make breads that require kneading. I am spoiled because several years ago, when recuperating from a frozen shoulder, I realized that my Kitchen Aid mixer could knead dough just as well as I am able to do by hand. This is how I make most of my bread and pizza crust now and, although it is easier, I still didn’t feel as though I could stand at the counter, adding flour, mixing, kneading… Those darn crutches keep falling over.

For this week’s pizza, I did a variation of a no-knead bread as a pizza crust and it turned out wonderfully. On Saturday night, before going to bed, I mixed a batch of no-knead bread dough then also a smaller batch to use as pizza crust. As with the bread, it was allowed to rise leisurely for about 18 hours. Then, because the dough is too wet for the crust to be rolled out, I kneaded in a little more flour. That dough rested for a couple of hours, then was shaped on a greased pizza pan, covered with plastic, and set aside for another half-hour. This produced a very satisfactory pizza crust for our Pizza Du Sunday

The crust was thin in the center, nice and puffy on the perimeter, and had a wonderfully developed flavor. This may be how I make my pizza crust from now on, even after I'm able to stand and use the KA once again.

Recipe for No Knead Pizza Crust

And here is the no-knead bread which was baked while I had the oven going. We just love that thin, crisp crust! Best part, though-- no kneading. I just have to remember to start it the night before.

Baked Rigatoni

Although I was craving Indian cuisine last evening, I finally decided to make a pan of Baked Rigatoni for dinner.

Jack had spent the afternoon at meetings, then went to the grocery store on his way home and braved the crowds (which the local media had whipped into a frenzy with warnings about an impending winter storm). He arrived home late and tired. Baked pasta with a sausage-spiced red sauce seemed to be appropriate, especially since I had been thawing 2 loaves of frozen whole wheat bread dough and the oven would already be on to bake these.

A note on the bread. I make a tried-and-true recipe for five-grain bread, two loaves every other week, and I haven’t bought sandwich bread (except while on vacation) for years. Before Christmas I was at the grocery store and decided that, after the subsequent stops which I needed to make, I would be home too late to make the dough for the pizza which I had planned for dinner that evening. I have tried the prebaked crusts (Boboli) and they seem too “bready”. Not really a word, I know, but an apt description. I was looking at frozen pizzas, immediately counting them out as I read the nutrition labels, when I saw whole wheat frozen bread dough. I bought a package of 3 loaves, took one from the bag and placed it in a plastic bag from the produce department, stored the other two in the cooler against a block of ice. The single loaf was placed on the back seat where it thawed for a couple of hours and, by the time I arrived home, just needed 45 minutes to rise and was ready to use.

For all of the forethought and preparation I did to transform this bread dough into a pizza dough, it was not very good. The crust turned out to be too much like thin bread than crust. So the other 2 loaves sat in the deep freeze until I broke my ankle and we ran out of the five-grain. I was surprised at how good this was (of course, baked as a loaf of bread rather than a pizza crust). It is lighter than the five-grain which I make, and we do enjoy dense breads, but quite suitable for the situation which I am in (the very-little-baking situation).

I had Jack buy another bag of whole wheat frozen bread dough last week and this is what I will probably use until I am in the kitchen, unencumbered by crutches, once again.

So much for the “plug” for frozen bread dough (to make bread, of course). Back to dinner.

I will not turn on the oven to bake anything for less than 30 minutes. It’s quite an arbitrary limit, one which I gave myself. I simply feel that the energy needed to preheat the oven would be a waste if I kept it going for less time. Therefore, if I want to bake something in the oven for dinner which requires less than a half-hour baking time, I make something else.

This recipe for baked rigatoni is very quick and basic, and one which Jack loves. I tried to keep the fat content down through the use of turkey Italian sausage and part-skim mozzarella. I’ve also found that Parmeginio Reggiano cheese, while twice as expensive as regular ol’ Parmesan, adds the same amount of flavor while using less that most other grating cheeses. Using whole wheat pasta really bumps up the nutrition quotient of the dish (I used the 365 Organic brand from Whole Foods). As usually is the case, it was after the pasta was in the oven that I thought of another way to add flavor and nutrition-- the next time I will add a 10-ounce package of thawed, squeezed-dry frozen spinach to the sauce before the rigatoni is added.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Baked Rigatoni

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 6

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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16 ounces whole wheat pasta -- rigatoni, ziti, cavatappi, etc.

16 ounces Italian turkey sausage -- hot, sweet, or a combination

1 cup chopped sweet onion

2 large garlic cloves -- crushed

15 ounces tomato sauce

29 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried basil -- crumbled

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano -- crumbled

2 cups shredded lowfat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook pasta according to package directions and keep warm.

In a large nonstick skillet, crumble and stir the sausage over medium -high heat until broken into small pieces and no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and stir for a few minutes until onion is softened. Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and herbs/spices and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked pasta and combine well. Coat a 9"x14" baking pan with cooking spray. Pour in about 1/3 of the pasta. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella. Add another 1/3 pasta, sprinkle with another 3/4 cup of mozzarella, then add the remaining pasta. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and the Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and place back in the oven (uncovered) for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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Per serving: 583 Calories (kcal); 16g Total Fat (7g saturated); (23% calories from fat); 40g Protein; 78g Carbohydrate; 73mg Cholesterol; 1338mg Sodium

I admit that this is not exactly a lowfat recipe and, as you can see by the photo, it isn't exactly swimming in cheese, either (a few recipes I've found have way more cheese, and also ricotta). I was able to do something to lower the fat a little, and this is not indicated in the nutritional information listed above because I have no idea how to go about figuring it out.

When I brown ground turkey or sausage, I always rinse the meat with boiling water, in a colander, after cooking and before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. I have seen various numbers for this, but one that stuck out is that rinsing can remove up to 30% of the fat. If you soak the meat in a bowl of boiling water then drain and rinse it with additional boiling water, it can take that number up to 50%. I did just the rinsing last night, then I chopped the pieces of sausage further than crumbling in the pan could do. This seems to make it appear as though there is more sausage in each bite.

And it's all about appearances, isn't it???

Blog Ramblings...

I am now firmly convinced that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, more frustrating to me than being housebound with a mobility-limiting injury. Lately my first thought in the morning when I wake is “Great. Another day in the living room.” I have a box full of old photos from the 1970’s which Mom gave me a few years ago to arrange in photo sleeves, and these undoubtedly would be an interesting way to spend a few days, but I just cannot maneuver myself around even a small card-table to do the necessary sorting and arranging. I’ve organized my files. I have even planned menus for our June vacation and for some entertaining that we plan to do this summer.

I find myself looking forward to the mail. Pathetically, receiving the local grocery flyer is an event. *sigh*

Blogging is saving my sanity. Reading, writing, I feel a little less isolated, a little less unproductive. I have been working on the appearance of my blog, as some of you may notice, although I constantly have a nagging feeling that I may do something, accidentally click a button, that will erase the entire thing.

I have been reading a lot more online than I usually do. One article which held my attention enough that I copied it into a Word document then edited it down (from 5 pages to 3) was by a chef in San Francisco (I believe) on making Pad Thai

http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/2007/01/pad_thai_for_be.html

This is an amazing read. The recipe itself is short and to the point, but there is a ton of information on preparation and ingredients. The proper way to make authentic Pad Thai and you can bet that as soon as I’m able to get around the kitchen more easily I am going to make this. I have had a block of tamarind paste in the freezer for 2 years and hope that I’ll be able to rehydrate it.

Well, cross your fingers for me that I can get a new template on this blog and restructure it a bit without losing all of the data. Here goes… :)

Waffle Wednesday (and a cat-nap)

Waffles. Jack and I love breakfast, and these are one of our favorite “breakfast foods”, so several years ago we declared every Wednesday to be (ta da!) Waffle Wednesday ! It takes very little to amuse us…

Anyway, since we both work from home it’s not a big deal to make a breakfast that is slightly more complicated than a bowl of cereal or defrosting muffins.. I would go through the preparation while Jack was in his office, then I would call him in to the kitchen.

For the past 5 weeks, it has not been that way.

Aware of our Waffle Schedule, my friend Jenni brought us enough waffles for the first few weeks after I broke my ankle. She made a multi-grain waffle recipe from Eating Well, then wrapped them individually and froze. Now these were excellent waffles. I didn’t realize that they could be frozen, reheated, and then still taste great. Alas, these were soon gone. As soon as I can get around the kitchen better I plan to make these repeatedly.

Today I had planned to make a pumpkin waffle recipe. In order to streamline the time it would take to prepare them in the morning I was going to mix the dry ingredients while Jack cleaned up the dinner dishes last evening. Unfortunately, when he went to the basement shelves to find a can of pumpkin, there was none.

I am also out of the pancake/waffle mix which I make in large quantities from a Mollie Katzen recipe.

And so we were left with a store-bought buttermilk pancake/waffle mix. Not bad, but not as healthy as we would like. I added some oat bran, a bit of baking powder & soda, cinnamon, cornstarch (my secret ingredient for making light waffles) and plain yogurt to bump up the nutrition quotient. The result was a nice crisp waffle, relatively low in fat (for a waffle!) with a bit of fiber. Not bad at all for a mix!

Um, a very plain waffle photo... Jack wanted to place a grape in each of the recesses!

Add-To-The-Mix Waffles

1 ¼ cups buttermilk pancake/waffle mix

⅓ cup oat bran

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix in a medium bowl.

Into a one-cup measure, spoon ⅓ cup plain fat-free yogurt. Add water to the ¾ cup mark. Mix well, then add more water to the one cup mark. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Pour the water mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring slowly with a whisk. You may need more water. Now, here is the tricky part. The oat bran, as it sits, will absorb moisture so you need to make a rather thin batter. Not watery, but thin. Mix just until ingredients are combined and allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Check and add a little more water if necessary, only (gently!) stirring enough to incorporate. Allow the batter to rest for another 5 minutes while the waffle iron heats up. You can’t hurry this 10 minutes’ worth of resting or there will be little crunchy bits of oat bran in your waffle!

Hopefully, you have made waffles before and know the consistency which the batter needs to be in. It will be slightly thinner than pancake batter but not at all runny.

This recipe makes 3 Belgian-style waffles.

Spooky, for a probably-around-12-year-old cat, is quite active. He has also had to adjust to my immobility since I was the one who would play with him and, yes you are reading this correctly, take him for walks. Having to take care of the house and meals, Jack simply doesn’t have the time. So I have put together some interactive toys for him which I can use from a seated position. His favorite seems to be a long thin dowel on to which I have attached a plastic handle with a bunch of feathers at the end. Or, rather, there were a bunch of feathers at the end. It’s currently down to two, and Jack will have to pick up a replacement feather-toy when he goes out grocery-shopping tomorrow.

So Spooky has had to increase his nap time. This is probably not too difficult for him. :)

He is stretched out behind me, on a pad on the living room radiator. I can’t resist ending this post with a cute “cat sleeping” photo.