Wednesday Recipes

Six recipes to get you through the middle of the week. Enjoy!

CARROTS AND LENTILS IN OLIVE OIL

This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “This is an adaptation of a Turkish recipe, a sweet and savory combination of lentils, onions and carrots that can be served hot or at room temperature, as a main dish or a side.” Serves four to six.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013501-carrots-and-lentils-in-olive-oil.

Ingredients

1 cup brown, green or black lentils, rinsed

3 cups water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, halved lengthwise, then sliced thin across the grain

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced thin (about 4 cups sliced)

1 tablespoon tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Preparation

Combine the lentils with 3 cups water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Set a strainer over a bowl, and drain.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy casserole or skillet. Add the onion and coriander seeds. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, for two to three minutes until the carrots begin to soften. Stir in the dissolved tomato paste, sugar and lentils. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water from the lentils (enough to cover the lentils), salt to taste and half the mint. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils are tender and much of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining mint and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature with cooked whole grains, like bulgur or quinoa.

Tip: Advance preparation: This will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator. The dish is delicious served at room temperature.

MARIO BATALI'S PENNE ALL'ARRABIATA

This was in a recent New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. It begins, “This, Mario Batali wrote in 2013 in The Times, is one of his late-night favorites. Its uncomplicated nature lends itself to an after-midnight feast. It’s basically pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, but red pepper flakes give the sauce a delicious kick.” Time: 30 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons kosher salt

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 4 more tablespoons

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon hot red-pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, like Pomì

1 pound penne

Maldon or other flaky sea salt

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Preparation

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.

Meanwhile, put 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, and then add the tomato paste and pepper flakes; reduce the heat to low and stir just until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and remove from the heat.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

Add the pasta and the reserved pasta water to the tomato sauce, stir and toss over medium heat until the pasta is well coated. Season with salt if necessary, then add the remaining oil, tossing well. Serve immediately, with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.

LENTIL PILAF

This is from the January 1998 issue of Vegetarian Times. Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/lentil-pilaf/.

1/2 cup dry white wine or apple juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 cup uncooked basmati rice

1/3 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over

1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. curry powder

1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1 bay leaf

2 cups vegetable stock or canned broth

Low-sodium tamari or soy sauce to taste

In large nonstick skillet, bring wine or juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, carrots, celery, rice and lentils. Cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add black beans, basil, cumin, curry powder, hot pepper sauce and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until lentils and rice are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Season with tamari or soy sauce to taste.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 283; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 55 g; Sodium: 626 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Vegan

LEMON-TARRAGON VEGETABLE SALAD

This also comes from the January 1998 issue of Vegetarian Times. Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

1 tsp. minced fresh tarragon or 1/4 tsp. dried

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled and diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded

1 cup chopped green or red cabbage

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In medium bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, mustard, parsley, tarragon and garlic. Add bell pepper, celery, apple, carrot and cabbage and toss well. Cover and let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes for flavors to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 67; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 22 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Vegan

GARLIC TOASTS

This makes a nice accompaniment to many meals – or a snack for several people. It also comes from the January 1998 issue of Vegetarian Times. Makes 12 toasts in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/garlic-toasts/.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 (1/2 inch thick) slices French baguette

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bread slices on both sides with cooking spray and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with Lemon-Tarragon Vegetable Salad.

nutritional information Per Toast: Calories: 73; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Sodium: 168 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Vegan

CRANBERRY PIE

This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking, which is for sale on Amazon.com. (To buy a copy of it for your Kindle or tablet, click here.) My dad sent this recipe in a letter dated “18 No 79”. He wrote, “Here is a recipe for a pie. 1st the way it was in the paper and the way I made it.”

2 T cornstarch

1 C sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T butter

2 C cranberries

Pie crust

Blend 1st four ingredients & cook in double boiler until thick. Add next 3 ingredients & cook 10 minutes. Put in pie shell & bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, covering pie with foil for the first 10-15 minutes. (Crust can be any kind you want, whether double crust or simply a bottom crust.)

VARIATION

2 Tbls cornstarch

3/4 C honey + 1/4 C molasses

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T margarine

1 1/2 C cranberries + 1 C canned cranberries (kind with berries in sauce)

Pie crust

Make as above.