2 Lentil Recipes

Hi all,
This week I wanted to share with you two delicious lentil recipes. Lentils are cheap and quick to cook. You can find brown lentils at the grocery store next to the other bags of dried beans. You can also buy fancy French green lentils at specialty store, they are pretty expensive and when cooked have more "bite" than the brown lentils. The first recipe was adapted from the Boston Globe and the second recipe comes from a Sunset article about Ethiopian cooking.

This lentil salad is one of K’s favorite recipes. Both lentils make a good side dish to a protein dush such as chicken. They can also be served as a vegetarian main course with rice and a vegetable.

Lentil Salad

2 cups lentils (brown or green)
Put the lentils in a large pot, rinse several times and check for debris. Drain. Add enough water to cover the lentil by about an inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering. Cook 20 minutes of so, checking until the lentils still have some bite. You don’t want the lentils to be mushy. Drain the lentils in a colander.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
generous amount of fresh ground pepper
1/2 red onion cut in very thin slices
6 green onions, cut into slivers
1/2 chopped fresh parsley

While the lentils cook mix the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard together with the salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the onions and parsley and cooked lentils. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, adding more if needed. Great warm and also very good the next day. And the first lentils are done!

Lemony Lentils

2 Tablespoons butter
3 Cloves garlic, minced

Melt butter in a pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.

2 cups lentils

Rinse lentils in a bowl. Drain and add lentils to pot with butter and garlic. Stir to coat with butter.

4 cups chicken broth (if you don’t have you can substitute with bouillon cubes)

Add broth and simmer, covered until the lentils are cooked about 20 to 30 minutes. You can let them get a bit softer than in the lentil salad, but you don’t want them to turn totally to mush.

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Grated lemon peel from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro (optional)

Stir into the lentils the above ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

I hope you'll try these new recipes. J was always skeptical about lentil recipes, but now I think she is a convert. Write and tell me what you think!

Hugs,
Mameekosan : )

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Hi All,

I'm at it again. I've been cooking lots and as always trying new recipes, but just not posting. I hope to start posting again weekly with yummy easy recipes made from scratch.

This is a favorite recipe. I adapted it from Family Circle Recipe. J was very skeptical but she became a believer after eating them and then making them herself.

Preheat the oven to 350.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl or on a sheet or waxed paper.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar

Cream the butter and granulated sugar together using a hand mixer or a standing mixer until creamy. (You can also do this by hand, it just takes a bit of elbow grease.)

1 egg
1 cup ricotta
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely grated peel (yellow part only) of one lemon

Add egg, ricotta, vanilla and lemon peel. You can grate the lemon on the finest side of a box grater. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixter and beat until blended. Use two teaspoons and drop onto a greased or parchment covered cookie sheets. Bake for about 14 minutes, until the bottoms are browned and the tops are lightly browned around the edges. Let cool a bit before using a spatula to remove to a cooling rack.

2 cups confectioners' sugar
Juice from one lemon

While you bake the cookies, prepare the glaze. Mix together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. If the glaze is too thick you can add a bit of milk until the glaze is thin enough. When the cookies are cool, turn the cookies over and dip the tops into the glaze, set back on the cooling racks where the glaze will harden.

These are perfect with tea. They aren't too hard, you just need to allow enough time for the cookies to cool so you can glaze them and then you have to wait for the glaze to harden. I hope you'll try them!

Hugs,
Mamekosan

Tacos

Hi all,

Tacos are a great fun dish. We had friends Pam and Gary who said that tacos are a creative way to have dinner guest feel at home. Everyone can have a laugh as they drip taco filling out of the end of their taco shell and generally be messy eaters. This is a pretty quick meal, especially if you have a microwave and a package of frozen ground beef. Add a green salad and maybe some cut pineapple or grapes and there you have it...yummy dinner.

I have tried a variety of shells. Sometimes I'll use packaged hard corn tortillas or heated soft flour or corn tortillas, both are good. I've also tried frying tortillas to make them crispy, but frying just makes a big mess so I don't do that any more.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Crumble ground beef into a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook stirring until meat is browned. Pour off excess fat if necessary.

1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Stir in the above spices and diced tomatoes. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated.

Fresh diced tomatoes
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Sliced avocado
Fresh cilantro

I usually prepare a platter with at least the cheese and lettuce. The tomatoes, sliced avocado, and cilantro are extra.

8 flour or corn tortillas

Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes while the taco filling cooks.

Hope this taco recipe works for you! You can probably substitute ground turkey for the beef, but you may need to add a bit of oil when you are browning the turkey. Leftover taco filling can be heated up and served on salad for an easy taco salad.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Lynn's Luxe Mac 'n Cheese

Hi all,

This is not your ordinary Mac 'n Cheese. You could easily make this and a big green salad and it would make a delicious lunch or light dinner that would serve 4, but with no leftovers. Some of the ingredients you may not have on hand so be sure to read the ingredient list before you start this recipe. This recipe was adapted from a Sunset recipe.

Preheat oven to broil.

12 ounces elbow macaroni

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook according to package directions. Make sure not to overcook the elbows. Drain pasta in colander

3 strips bacon

While pasta cooks. Fry bacon in medium frying pan until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon to paper towels, chop bacon and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.

Reserved bacon fat
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 chopped herbs (tarragon, parsley, chives, and/or rosemary)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup brie cut into chunks
1/2 cup cream cheese cut into chunks

Using the warm pasta pot, mix the above ingredients, warm pasta, and bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into 4 separate 1.5 cup oven proof cups or an oven proof serving casserole.

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese onto the pasta and cheese mixture.

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (fresh if you have them)
1 tablespoon melted butter

Mix the bread crumbs and butter together. Sprinkle evenly over cheese. Broil until golden and bubbling.

I think the last time I made this I used a mix of herbs from the window box herb garden. The mac 'n cheese would probably be good with just fresh parsley if that's all you had on hand, although with the mix of herbs it would really be more luxe.

Hope this works out for you!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Braised Beef with Honey and Almonds

Hi all,

I had a request for a beef Crockpot recipe. This one is quite delicious and a bit unusual. I like using the crock pot because you can throw everything into the pot first thing in the morning, turn it on, and when you walk in the door at the end of the day you are greeting with the warm smells of dinner. This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's, The Best Recipes in the World.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion roughly chopped

Put the oil in the crockpot if it has a removable liner that is stove top safe. Otherwise use a large deep pot or pan. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft.

2 pounds stew meat or chuck roast cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks, remove excess fat
Salt and Pepper

Remove cooked onion with a slotted spoon, set aside. Add just enough meat to not crowd. (Alternately, you can brown the meat on a rimmed oiled cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven. I like to do it this way it seems much faster.) Brown the meat, turning as necessary, it will take 3 or 4 minutes per batch. Salt and pepper the meat. Total time to brown meat will be 10 to 15 minutes. In the oven it will take about as long.

1/2 cup honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon caraway
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fennel
1 cup stock (or water with a bouillon cube)

Add the above ingredients into crock pot, along with the meat, and onions. Mix. Set crock pot on low for all day or according to manufacturer's instructions. Just before serving.

1 cup whole almonds (I have used sliced or slivered)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Brown the almonds either in the oven or in a small frying pan over medium heat shaking to prevent burning. Add almonds and lemon juice just before serving. This is delicious with rice and a green vegetable. Hope you enjoy this! And enjoy the delicious smells when you walk in the door at the end of a long day.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Chop Chae

Hi all,

This is another recipe off the good ole H Mart calendar. I used to make chop chae from a Sunset recipe, but I like this one better. The only unusual ingredient that this recipe calls for are the sweet potato noodles. The noodles have a slight green cast to them and I like them because you don't have to cook them before using them. They only need to be soaked in hot water before using. They are available from H Mart and I have found them at other Asian grocers.

1/4 package sweet potato noodles (dang myon)

Soak noodles in hot tap water while preparing the rest of the ingredients

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Mixed the above six ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl.

10 ounces beef (I've used pork sirloin cutlets, but something like flank or round steak would work)

Thinly slice meat and add to marinade and set aside.

1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (K thought the chop chae was a bit sweet, but I thought the sweetness made the chop chae similar to terriyaki.)
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Mix above three ingredients together for cooking sauce and set aside.

2 onions thinly sliced
5 green onions cut on a bias
1 carrot thinly sliced
1/2 package frozen french cut green beans
(mushrooms)
(1 bunch spinach)

Prepare vegetables and place them in separate bowls or separated on a platter.

Heat large frying pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot add 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Stir fry the veggies one at a time, until still crispy. Remove to serving bowl, then add the next one. Add more oil as needed. Add two more tablespoons cooking oil, stir fry meat until no longer pink. Remove meat. Drain noodles, add noodles to pan along with cooking sauce. Stir, cooking until noodles absorb liquid and noodles turn translucent. Add in the cooked veggies and meat. Heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Excellent served with hot rice.

I think you could also use celery, Chinese broccoli, or bean sprouts. Hope this recipe works out for you! It's delicious heated up the next day for lunch.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Korean Seafood Pancake

Hi all,

This is a delicious all-in-one meal with the addition of rice. Little did I know when I took the free H Mart 2010 calendar that there I would find several delicious recipes. The pancake recipe is adapted from the June calendar page.

1 cup water
1 cup flour
1 egg
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon miso (this is optional if you don't have it)

Combine the above ingredients together in a large bowl.

6 green onions sliced in half lengthwise then cut on a bias
1 green onion thinly sliced
Seafood (About 1/2 -1 pound total. I used about 1/4 pound shrimp, along with some salmon and tuna, coarsely chopped. You could also use canned clams or for luxe pancakes scallops.)

Add green onions and seafood to batter and mix.

In a large non-stick frying pan heat 3-4 tablespoons cooking oil over medium high heat. Spoon batter into hot pan to form a pancake about 9 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Cook bottom of pancake until brown, carefully flip. Cook second side until brown. Serve with hot rice and steamed greens. Serves 4.

Be sure not to cook the pancake too hot or the inside might not cook all the way through. The recipe is easy and could be adapted using different veggies such as adding coriander or spinach, or even using cooked chicken instead of the seafood. Hope it works out for you!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Simple Pancakes

Hi all,

I have a request from A for pancakes. These make thick fluffy pancakes and are excellent with maple syrup and fruit.

Preheat large frying pan.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix the above items together in large bowl.

1 to 1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter melted

Mix the above liquid ingredients together in a 2 cup measure or a small bowl.

Pour all the liquid ingredients together into the dry ingredients and stir together just until mixed.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in frying pan. Spoon batter onto hot frying pan, about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on top or until the bottoms get browned. You can lift up a corner of a pancake with a spatula to check the browning. Turn the pancakes to brown on other side. Makes 8 or 9 pancakes.

You can also add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or blueberries to jazz up the pancakes.

These are great in the morning with strawberries! Enjoy!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Massaman Curry

Hi all,

Recently I purchased from H Mart a plastic tub of Massaman Curry mix. I bought it with J by mistake in a buying flurry before New Years. I actually thought it was Yellow Curry mix, I was fooled by the yellow label. On Wednesday we had lunch at Lemon Grass, a Thai restaurant in Lexington and guess what was on the menu Massaman Curry. Inspired, I found this recipe that I have adapted from, www.realthairecipe.com.

3 Tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons massaman curry mix

Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium high. Fry curry mix for about 3 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.

1.5 pounds chicken (I used pork tenderloin), cut into bite sized pieces

Add chicken, cook until no longer pink on the outside, 2-3 minutes

1 can coconut milk, unshaken

Add the top solid part of the coconut milk to chicken. Simmer for 2 minutes.

1 cup potatoes cubed in bite sized pieces
1 cup onions cut in large dice
(1/4 cup roasted peanuts)
(sweet potatoes)

Add the potatoes and onions. Add the rest of the can coconut milk.

Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are tender.

1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce (I used soy sauce)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Add above ingredients. Heat through. Serve with rice.

I'm sure if you made the curry mix fresh from scratch it would be more delicious that the plastic tubbed curry mix. I wonder if at the Thai restaurants they order 5 gallon drums of the curry mix?

Anyway this makes for a quick and easy dinner. The curry is more sweet that spicy. I think you'll like it.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Easy Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Hi all,

This is one of my favorite frosting. My mom used to make it. There's no cooking, but some might be turned off by the confectioner's sugar taste. I think it's quite yummy. This recipe is ample for frosting the Easy Yellow Cake.

4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (approximate)
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-6 tablespoons milk or half-and-half

Put the above ingredients in a mixer or you can also do this by hand. Start with the smallest amount of dairy and add more to get the consistency you want for spreading. Keep mixing until smooth and creamy.

I think when I was a kid and my mom made this frosting. I was given the spatula to lick but I bit the rubber spatula. There were teeth marks and all. I guess I thought it was pretty delicious.

Hope this works out for you. Remember don't bite the spatula.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Easy Yellow Cake

Hi All,

This is a wonderfully easy yellow cake. It does call for cake flour. It makes two 8-inch round cakes, so it's a perfect size for a few people.

Preheat oven to 350.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1 cup sugar

Mix butter and sugar in a mixer at low speed until blended. Increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 eggs

Add the above ingredients. Mix on low to combine, scraping bowl as needed. When well-combined beat for 2 minutes on high.

Prepare two 8 inch round pans by cutting out waxed paper or parchment shapes to fit bottom. Grease and flour. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.

I think you can also turn these into cupcakes. A standard recipe with 2 cups of flour will make 24 cupcakes. I think that with 1 1/2 cups of flour this should make about 18 cupcakes.

Hope this recipe comes out perfectly for you too!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Crock-pot Curried Chicken

Hi all,

I had a request from J to post something for AI's new crockpot. I know that AI is not too fond of beef and many of the things that I cook in my crock pot are beefy stewy things, so I hunted up this recipe from a Sunset crockery cookbook. I must admit I don't remember ever trying it but it sounds good. Hopefully J and AI will report back.

2 medium sized Granny Smith apples, quarted, cored, and diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried currants (seems like you can do raisins and more than 2 tablesppons)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger (if you have fresh use the fresh instead)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Combine the above ingredients into crock pot.

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

Stir in tomatoes.

6 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.

Salt and pepper paper toweled dried chicken breast. Carefully arrange on top of tomato mixture.

1/2 cup chicken broth

Pour in broth.

Cover and cook at low setting for 6-7 hours. You can probably cook on a higher setting but reduce the time.

The original recipe called for removing the chicken and cooking rice in the liquid and then stirring in shrimp. I think the rice would be better cooked separately, but the shrimp might make a nice addition. Also it called for a sprinkling of toasted almonds and parsley. If the juice is too liquidy, you might add a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon or 2 of water to thicken up the juice. The recipe is suppose to serve 6, so the chicken can probably be reduced.

Sounds yummy.

Hugs,
Mammekosan

Fresh Pepper Chicken Stir Fry

Hi All,

I clipped this recipe out of the Jan 10 '10 Sunday Boston Globe. The only ingredient that you might not have is the fish sauce and the lime juice. I had the fish sauce but substituted fresh lemon juice for the lime. I used about four bone in chicken thighs and it easily served three with leftovers. I slightly adapted the recipe.

4 chicken thighs (about 1 pound) or Pork would be okay too
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce (could use more soy sauce, if unavailable)

Cut out the bone, cut chicken into 1/2 inch thick strips. Mix soy and fish sauce, toss with chicken in small bowl. Set aside while preparing other ingredients.

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2.5 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Mix above together in small bowl, set aside.


10 cloves garlic (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper (I probably used less)
1 tablespoon canola oil

Mix above together and set aside.


Prepare:
2 onions cut into 3/8 inch wedges
4 celery ribs cut into 1/2 thick bias pieces
(3 scallions)
(Carrots)
(Other greens)

In large skillet heated over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil until hot and rippling. Cook half the chicken until it begins to brown, stirring frequently. Remove chicken to a large serving bowl. Cook other half of chicken. Remove.

Add 1 more tablespoon oil. Cook onion until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove to bowl. Add more oil, if needed, Then cook celery, remove and then stir fry each other vegetable separately.

Cook the garlic and pepper mixture, mashing while cooking for about 1 minute.

Add back chicken and veggies and soy sauce and fish sauce mixture. Stir constantly. Cook until heated through. Serve with rice.

Welcome to Cooking with Mameekosan

I will post delicious recipes that are quick and easy! Hope the recipes will become part of your repertoire.

Hugs,
Mameekosan