Veggie & Meat Kabob Marinade

This marinate is good on just about everything

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp basil (1/2 tsp dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Use to coat veggies or meat when roasting or barbecuing.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Viv and I were both a little under the weather so chicken noodle soup sounded wonderful. I also had some fresh sage I wanted to use so this recipe I found online sounded perfect, especially with some adjustments...

Ingredients 

3 chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion diced

1 cup celery sliced

1 cup carrot diced

(After that I added veggies I had that sounded good)

1 handful of crimini mushrooms quartered

2 small red potatoes diced

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tsp fresh sage minced

1 tsp (heaping) fresh rosemary minced

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 quarts chicken broth

2 cups egg noodles

(Cilantro is optional)

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in baking dish with maybe an 1/8 inch of water and drizzle each breast with olive oil and then salt pepper as well. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45-55 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender (should tear apart easy). In a large pot over medium heat add your olive oil and vegetables until they are soft or onions become transparent. Add garlic and herbs and cook until they become fragrant, 1-2 minutes. I typically start cooking the veg before I'm even done cutting the softer veg so at this point I deglazed my pan with a couple tbsp of white wine since my veggies cook longer than just to the point of being soft, but that is optional. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once pot boils cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Once chicken is finished cooking shred using two forks or you may cut them into small cubes. Add chicken and pasta to soup and allow to continue cooking (raise the heat again to medium if you need to) until pasta is tender.

We had this soup with yummy biscuits that Morgan made

Biscuits:

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/view2/biscuits

Soup:

http://www.food.com/recipe/lauras-tickle-your-tastebuds-chicken-noodle-soup-348436

Pan Seared Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples

(From The American Diabetes Association Vegetarian Cookbook)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2 pints Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed and heads sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (Granny Smith or gala apples recommended)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the butter begins to brown. Add the Brussels sprouts and apples.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, over high heat 4–5 minutes until sprouts are just tender to the bite. Add the honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

http://sarahscucinabella.com/2013/09/30/pan-seared-shredded-brussels-sprouts-apples-american-diabetes-association-vegetarian-cookbook/

Pasta carbonara

We like this version of carbonara best:

Ingredients:

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti or rigatoni
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pan)
• 1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 large egg yolks
• Freshly grated Romano cheese
• Handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Put a large saucepot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and the pasta. Cook to al dente, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.

3. In a separate bowl, beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.

4. Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lots of pepper, and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and extra grated Romano.

Note: I like to add capers as well- keep in mind the capers are salty so season accordingly.

Veggie enchiladas Viv likes

This recipe is based off of the pulled pork enchiladas we used to love making. Still do. This is a good meat free option that is still pretty darn good and can easily be made with pantry items. The ingredients are very flexible you could add whatever

Ingredients

- cumin

- chili powder

- salt and pepper

- 1/2 chopped onion

- 1/2 chopped bell pepper

- can diced green chilies

- 1/2 can of black beans

- 1/2 can of garbanzo beans

- 1 cup or so of fresh or frozen corn

- 2-3 tbsp of tomato paste

- 1 cup and 1/2 cup of cheese (Monterey jack, cheddar, muenster. Whatever)

- 7-9 tortillas

- 1 cup veg broth

- sour cream

- salsa of choice (I use tomatillo salsa)

Grill peppers and onions in skillet with 1 tbsp or so of olive oil and about 1 tsp each of cumin and chili powder until both onions and peppers are tender. Transfer to bowl and combine with green chilies, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn and cheese. Add about a 1/4 cup of salsa, tomato paste, and two large scoops of sour cream. Mix well, salt and pepper to taste.

Place about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling into each tortilla, roll and place each enchilada snuggly into pan.

In a separate bowl combine 1 cup of broth with 2 scoops of sour cream and mix very well (no chunks, I used a hand mixer- it may help to slowly add broth to the sour cream mixing thoroughly as you add the broth). If you want you can replace sour cream with heavy cream. Pour broth and cream mixture over enchiladas then top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. 

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

*If you wanted to make these ahead of time and freeze then simply don't add the broth cream mixture or final sprinkle of cheese until right before you are ready to bake it.

Udon with Tofu and Asian Greens

This was easy and yummy. Worth remembering so I thought I'd post it. 

Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package udon noodles
- 4 tablespoons roasted peanut oil, or 3 tablespoons sesame oil mixed with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 12-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 12 pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 bunch of any Asian greens (I use bok choy, or Savoy cabbage) and a large handful of spinach leaves
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
- Large pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- Pinch of sugar

Directions:

Cook the udon noodles as the label directs. (Don't overcook or they will get mushy.) Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Pat the tofu dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and the greens to the skillet. Cook, tossing, until just wilted. Add the scallions, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce and sugar. Add the reserved cooking water; heat to create a broth. Divide the noodles and greens among 4 bowls and top with the tofu.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/udon-with-tofu-and-asian-greens-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Warm Vegetable Salad

I really like this. I meant to post this many, many months ago and almost forgot about this recipe until I found this draft. I can’t believe I almost lost this recipe. I really like this salad!

Ingredients

• 2 whole red peppers
• 1 1/2 pound assorted red and white new potatoes
• 3/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Place the red peppers on a foil lined baking sheet.

Place the red peppers under the boiler. Turning every 2 to 3 minutes cook the peppers until the skin is blistered, about 8 to 9 minutes total. Place the blistered peppers in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and allow the peppers to sit for 10 minutes to allow the skin to separate and to let cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a cutting board. Add the green beans to the pot. Cook the green beans until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the green beans to a large bowl. Slice the potatoes in half while still warm and combine them with the green beans in the large bowl. Remove the peppers from the plastic bag. Peel off the skin from the peppers. Slice the pepper flesh into wide strips and remove the seeds and veins. Place them in the bowl with the potatoes. Add the scallions, parsley, and garlic and toss to combine.

In a small bowl combine the oregano, lemon juice and zest, and white wine vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the salt and pepper. Toss the warm vegetables with the herb vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

This is Morgan’s favorite. We forget about it for a long time, then he remembers it and specially requests it. The recipe is from Whole Foods, and I know that they sell it in a wrap or just in the cold deli selection. Its pretty good, and if you’re lazy or just looking for a shortcut you can just use BRIANNA’S homestyle poppy seed dressing, instead of making the dressing from scratch. I like add chopped green leaf or red leaf lettuce and maybe some julienned carrots to the wrap when we make this.

Ingredients: 

• Dressing
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 5 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Salad
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
• 2 cups red seedless grapes
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

Method: 

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.
When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.

You can check out the recipe and a picture on Whole Food’s website here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/sonoma-chicken-salad

Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey-Lime dressing

I found this recipe recently as I was looking for an easy lime Cilantro dressing I could make at home and really the rest of the recipe (the chopped salad part) sounded good too. I ended up making this when we had to feed a group of missionaries so I actually cooked up a few sirloin steaks to medium rare (let them rest a few minutes so they maintain the juices) and then sliced them up to top the salad with. Then we put the whole salad on top of a tortilla with cheese, of course this would be plenty yummy without the meat and tortilla. Now I know this sort of recipe is not everyone’s cup of tea (speaking to those who have taken on the vegan commitment and those who have special diets, oh and those poor souls who weren’t blessed enough to enjoy the brilliant flavor of cilantro), but we enjoyed it and I’m starting to use this site to store more of those easier everyday recipes I’d make again. Besides, Maren is posting all her vegan recipes on True Lavender these days!

INGREDIENTS:

Salad

• 2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained
• 3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
• 3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama (unfortunately this proved hard to find)
• 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked (or frozen or canned)
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
• Half a ripe avocado, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese (I passed on this as we put Monterey Jack cheese on the tortillas)

Honey-Lime Dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey (I think its completely appropriate to add more…)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper (use canned for less heat – I used dried pepper flakes because its what I had on hand)

PREPARATION

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can find the recipe on this site:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Chopped-Salad-with-Honey-Lime-Dressing-230154#ixzz2SSNYd7bi

Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze and Dandelion Greens with Warm Balsamic Vingairette

I was in the mood for Balsamic something yummy. I realized I had in the freezer some Costco Salmon fillets and some Dandelion greens in the fridge. I thought those could be good together and started looking for ideas online. I really liked how the Salmon turned out in just following the recipe. The only change I might make is mix it up by throwing some pecans in the pan before reducing the balsamic glaze. The Dandelion Greens were good, but as dandelion greens are pretty bitter I would change this recipe a little, and I added my changes as a note.  I may be posting this recipe more for myself than anyone else, but I hate losing or forgetting about recipes I enjoyed so I’m posting this for future reference. I also realize making two balsamic dishes together may be overkill for some… like I said I was in the mood! (And pregnant might I add… what baby wants, baby gets)
Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze
INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegairette
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp packed brown sugar
• 4 salmon fillets (skin can be left on)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Stir together balsamic vinegar, water, lemon juice, and brown sugar in a small bowl.

• Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat, not smoking. Increase heat to high, add salmon skin side up, and sear until well browned, about 4 minutes.
• Turn fish over and sear until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Transfer salmon to plates and carefully add vinegar mixture to skillet (liquid will bubble vigorously and steam).
• Simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes.
• Spoon glaze over salmon. Serve and enjoy!

http://www.food.com/recipe/seared-salmon-with-balsamic-glaze-118010
_________________________________________________________________________________
Dandelion Greens with Warm Balsamic Vinegairette
INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 pounds dandelion greens
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD

• Trim off thickest part of the stems and discard along with any tough leaves. Roughly chop remaining greens and transfer to a large salad bowl.
  Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add garlic and hazelnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden. Stir in vinegar and salt and pepper.
  Pour hot vinaigrette over greens and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

NOTE: We made this with pecans instead, which was good, and we ended up tossing in a good amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar even after tossing the greens with the warm vinegairette. So that’s the bad note, which is that there was hardly any "vinegairette" to speak of. It mostly was just toasted nuts, and maybe over toasted garlic. Next time I would use Much more Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Also because the dandelion greens are just so bitter, I would mix in maybe a tbsp of brown sugar (mix into the vinegar before throwing it in the pan). Sugar balances the bitterness nicely

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/dandelion-greens-warm-balsamic-vinaigrette

Shrimp and Salmon Gumbo

Brita and I were in the mood for some gumbo, and after going through a lot of recipes we just came up with our own. With Salmon :). After all we are from the Pacific Northwest.

-1/4 cup of canola oil
-6 tbsp of flour
-3 garlic cloves, chopped
-1 whole onion, chopped
-1 cup of celery, chopped
-1 cup of green bell pepper, chopped
-4 cups of vegetable broth
-4 cups of water
-2 tbsp (or so) of tomato paste
-1 tbsp salt (plus more to taste)
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
-2 bay leaves
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp celery seed
-1 tsp oregano
-1 tsp white pepper
-1 tsp dried basil
-1 lb of salmon (roasted in the oven heavily spiced with the following: Black pepper, Salt, White Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cumin, Celery Seed, Paprika, Thyme, Oregano, Basil, and Cayenne Powder – oh and butter or oil)
-1 lb of shrimp
-2 Andouille sausages (optional really, but a nice addition we think – ours were chicken Andouille sausages from Trader Joe’s)
- extra optional is about 1/2-3/4 cup of heavy cream

-rice – great add in

Preheat oven to 350 F for your salmon to cook.

Add oil and flour to a dutch oven and cook over medium heat until the roux turns brown (think chocolate brown). Once roux is ready add garlic, onion, celery, green bell pepper and saute until veggies are soft, only a few minutes really. At this point we added our broth and our tomato paste, mixing until the paste seems well blended. Then add your spices, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, cumin, celery seed, oregano, white pepper and basil. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer on low for about 20-25 minutes. At this point we sliced our Andouille sausages pretty thinly and put them into the pot for the 20 minute simmer time, we figure it would be nice to have those spices all simmer together.

Now you can go ahead and crust the salmon with spices, lay it on thick (within reason, remember the spices are just going to add to the flavor of the soup so you shouldn’t be shy, but you shouldn’t go crazy either). Place thin slices of butter or drizzle oil over the salmon, enough to keep things moist. Wrap in foil and place on the center rack of the oven for about 20 minutes. Just be sure salmon is opaque in the middle when testing for doneness.

When your 20-25 minutes of simmer time is up add your shrimp, and as soon as your salmon is done add large chunks of the salmon to the soup (it will break up a lot in the soup). Allow the soup to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. If you haven’t already get your rice going in your rice cooker. At the end, Brita expressed her desire for the soup to be creamier, so we added all the heavy cream I had, about 1/2-3/4 cup. Your soup is ready to eat as soon as your rice is!

This soup was yummy good I couldn’t stop eating it… I opted for more soup over dessert.

Indian Cuisine – 4 recipes from the Best Ever Indian cookbook

Chicken Tikka Masala

2 tbsp ghee, veg oil, or peanut oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 fresh chile, seeded and chopped (I substitute crushed red pepper  flakes, to taste)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp salt
pepper

14 oz/400 g canned chopped tomatoes
1 1/4 cups heavy cream (don’t substitute with yogurt, it curdles)
8 cooked tandoori chicken pieces (I use tofu that has been marinated in the spices of tandoori chicken and also a vegetable, usually cauliflower)
salt and pepper
fresh chopped cilantro to garnish
cooked basmati rice to serve

To make the tikka masala, melt the ghee in a large skillet with a  lid over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring for about 30 seconds.

Stir the tomatoes and cream into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reduces and thickens.

Meanwhile, remove all the bones and any skin from the tandoori chicken pieces, then cut the meat into bite size pieces. (Or else have your tofu already cut up and marinating and your cauliflower or whatever cut up and ready to go.)

Adjust the seasoning of the sauce, if necessary. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet, cover, and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the chicken is heated though (or your vegetable is cooked and soft). Garnish with cilantro and serve with basmati rice. (I add extra seasoning you would find in the tandoori chicken since the tofu doesn’t get coated in it like the chicken would be. I add about 1/2 tsp of each of the following: ginger paste or ginger powder, chili powder, ground coriander, extra ground cumin, garam masala, and ground turmeric.)

If you ask me its so yummy with the tofu and cauliflower and so much easier, but here is the recipe for Tandoori Chicken, should you like.

 

Tandoori Chicken

4 chicken pieces, about 8 oz each, skinned
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/3 cup strained, whole milk plan yogurt or greek style yogurt
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp chickpea flour
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1/2-1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp vegetable oil, for brushing
3 tbsp melted butter of olive oil

Make 2-3 small incisions in each chicken piece  and place in a large nonmetallic bowl. Rub in the lemon juice and salt, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes

Meanwhile, put the yogurt in a separate bowl and add the cream and chickpea flour. Beat with a fork until smooth. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the oil and melted butter, and mix thoroughly. Pour over the chicken and rub in well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, or overnight. Return to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat the broiler to high. Line a broiler pan with foil and brush the rack with oil. Using tongs, lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade and put on the prepared rack, reserving the remaining marinade. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes, then turn over and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Baste the chicken generously with the reserved marinade and cook for an additional 2 minutes on each side.

Brush the chicken with the melted butter and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until charred in patches. Turn over and baste with the remaining marinade. Cook for an additional 5-6 or until charred, tender, and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat.

Transfer the chicken to a dish and serve with salad and garnish with lemon, or set aside for use in Chicken Tikka Masala.

 

Chickpeas in Coconut Milk

generous 1 cup water
10 oz potatoes, cut into 1/2 in cubes
14 oz canned chickpeas drained and well rinsed
generous 1 cup canned coconut milk
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2-1 tsp chili powder
juice of 1/2 lemon
Indian bread, to serve or basmati rice

Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 6-7 minutes, until the potatoes are al dente. Add the chickpeas and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the coconut milk and salt and bring to a slow simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown. Add the coriander, turmeric, and chili poweder and cook, stirring, for 25-30 seconds.

Fold the aromatic oil into the chickpea mixture. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Serve immediately with Indian bread or basmati rice.

 

Mixed Lentils with Five-Spice Seasoning

generous 1/2 cup split red lentil (masoor dhal)
generous 1/2 cup skinless split mung beans (mung dhal)
  -  (I use 1 cup of a dried bean and lentil mix that I buy at costco and its perfect – I find the cook time is longer by an hour + though)
3 3/4 cups water
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp nigella seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
4-5 fenugreek seeds
2-3 dried red chiles (red pepper flakes work well)
1 small tomato, seeded and cut into strips , and fresh cilantro sprigs to garnish
Indian bread or basmati rice to serve

(side note: I only found ground fenugreek and I just use a 1/4 tsp of that and it works wonderfully. Also I’ve yet to find Nigella seeds and I’m sure I don’t know what I’m missing, but its still amazing without it)

Mix the lentil and beans together and wash until the water runs clear. Place the water in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, then add the lentils and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Boil for 5-6 minutes, and when the foam subsides, add the turmeric, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (or an hour). Add the salt and lemon juice and beat the dhal with a wire whisk, adding a little more hot water if the dhal is too thick.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, reduce the heat to low and add the cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, and dried chiles. Let the spices sizzle until the seeds begin to pop and the chiles have blackened. Pour the contents of the pan over the lentils, scraping off all the residue from the bottom of the pan.

Turn off the heat and keep the pan covered until you are ready to serve. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with tomato strips and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Indian bread or over basmati rice.

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

To begin saute the following ingredients in a large pot for about 10-15 min

1/2 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb tomatillos, diced (about 5 medium sized)
1 tbsp cumin

When onions are soft add the remaining ingredients & simmer for approximately 15-25 minutes

3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (this I substitute with Kidney beans, or pinto beans)
1 49 1/2oz chicken broth can (No chicken broth or Veggie broth is of course an acceptable substitute)
1 16oz tub of fresh salsa from the grocery store (you can find this typically by the deli or you can make your own pico de gallo)
1 15.5 oz cans yellow hominy (drained)
1 15.5 oz cans white hominy (drained)

There are many possible and delicious add ins such as:

tortilla chips or tortilla strips
avocado slices
white rice
shredded cheese
sour cream
fresh lime juice