Curry Love: Curried and Spiced Lentil Stew

Posted on February 25, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Exotic.

Warm.

Mysterious.

Spicy.

Sweet.

My mind’s eye gazes toward a distant land and I can hear the waves of the sea, lapping against the shore in the sultry heat of the day. Just up the beach, there’s a market full of people. Even at this distance, I’m assaulted by the joyful noise of their excitement, mingling with the jumble of exotic smells emanating from row upon row of strange and beautiful spices, nuts, roots and produce.

As I enter the market and take my first look, I’m astounded by the colors! Surely the full spectrum of the rainbow is represented in this place. I walk past warm and golden yellows, mellow ochres and bright oranges. A few steps further are blueish purples and rosy reds contrasting with the greens of edibles from land and sea. Then a startling array of pinks and salmons alongside the browns…from the palest of tans and reddish mahogany, to the deepest, darkest, burnt umber.

The bounty and variety of ingredients is seemingly endless. I jostle my way past the crowd, eyeing the smooth, cool fruits and round and rooted vegetables. Berries of every kind are displayed in one stall, and in the next are the wrinkled shells of nuts, some deeply textured barks used for spices, and a multitude of seed pods. I make my way to the fresh and dried legumes which share space with bright, shiny peppers of every shape and size and an abundance of fragrant, fresh herbs. My imagination runs wild and my senses are fully engaged…engulfed in a world of sight, smell and taste as I think of the many dishes you could create from ingredients such as these.

*****

And that, my friends, is what curry does to me. The mere thought or smell of it has the power to transport me to another place and time—to open my mind to possibilities and experiences, and then bring me back again to the potential of the deliciousness in my grocery basket or the food my plate!

Is it love? Why yes, I believe it is.

In a dish, curry can enhance other ingredients and assert itself at the same time. I love it in everything from an American Southern rendition of a chicken salad, to Thai and Indian preparations. It’s also fabulous very simply swirled with a little mayo as a quickly made, but complex tasting, dipping sauce for fresh asparagus, artichokes or other veggies. If you haven’t already figured this out, it’s my favorite spice combination and I could eat it any way you can think of to use it!

This week, I used it in a simple and hearty stew to take the wet chill away. Starting with some pretty salmon-pink colored, dried and organic lentils, and inspired by thoughts of Indian Dal and Masala Dosa, this rich stew came to life—a complete meal unto itself. It’s something to warm and awaken your taste buds, something to make you happy and nourish the soul…and something that I used to transport myself out of my stuffed-up head (I have a cold) and send me back on my way to wellness.

Yes, I feel MUCH better already!

Curried and Spiced Lentil Stew
Makes 6-8 servings

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium to large red onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
5 cloves of peeled and minced fresh garlic
2 Tablespoons of peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons of good quality yellow curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
pinch of kosher salt
several grinds of black pepper
6 cups of homemade low salt chicken stock, or you can use vegetable or low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried red or pink lentils, picked over carefully and rinsed
3/4 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, skin on and diced
1-14 oz. can no salt added pure diced tomatoes and their juice
2 Tablespoons of chopped, fresh cilantro leaves, divided
5 oz. baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Optional garnishes of chopped fresh cilantro and plain Greek yogurt (I use 2%)

Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil to the pan. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the curry, cayenne pepper, a pinch of kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper to vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock or broth, water, 1 Tablespoon of the cilantro leaves, tomatoes with juice, potatoes and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and lightly cover, leaving an opening for steam to escape. Cook until the lentils and potatoes are done, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the spinach and the remaining cilantro, allowing the spinach to wilt. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. With your first bite, close your eyes and see where it transports you! Naan served alongside this stew is very good.

Always Easy, Always Elegant: Coeur a la Creme with Strawberry Raspberry Grand Marnier Sauce

Posted on February 17, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Coeur a la creme by candlelight…very romantic!

True. This is certainly a go-to recipe for Valentine’s Day, and this is the dessert I made for my Valentine. But this oh-so-versatile and easy dessert really shouldn’t be reserved for just once a year. It’s cool and creamy—nice for those hot months. It’s pretty impressive looking and can be made ahead—great for company. And best of all, you don’t have to cook a thing to make it! At least not for this version.

You’ll find more variations on this not very sweet, but very elegant French dessert than you can “shake a stick at!” Whether you choose to use cream cheese or mascarpone…sour cream, whipping cream or crème fraiche (or even yogurt!)…vanilla bean or vanilla extract…a coeur mold, or no mold at all—the truth is, it’s hard to go wrong! And just about the same thing can be said of your sauce in that you can substitute your favorite berry or berries, liqueur or no alcohol, jam or no jam. It’s all good!

This take on Coeur à la Crème is dead easy. The hardest part is forcing the mixture through a sieve before you mold it, and even that isn’t too difficult. So why wait for the next Valentine’s Day to roll around before you give this dessert a try? Year round, it’s a beautiful winner of a dessert for any occasion…or no occasion at all.

Coeur à la Crème (Heart with cream)
4 to 6 servings

12 oz. good quality regular cream cheese at room temp
4 oz. light sour cream (I like to use half light and half regular sour cream to lighten the dessert)
4 oz. regular sour cream (or use 8 oz. creme fraiche instead of sour cream if you’re feeling really decadent!)
4 Tablespoons confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
3/4 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the sauce:
6 oz. fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries, plus one strawberry cut into a fan for garnish
3 Tablespoons of granulated cane sugar, or more to taste if the fruit is too tart
2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1- 2 cup Coeur à la crème mold, or a fine meshed sieve (this will make a domed shaped dessert)
Cheesecloth

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and the lemon juice with a hand mixer on medium high speed until it’s smooth and fluffy. Using a stiff spatula, force the cream and cheese mixture through a fine meshed sieve to remove any lumps. Cut a single layer of cheesecloth to fit your mold, or if not using a mold, a clean fine meshed sieve. Dampen the cheesecloth with water and squeeze out any excess moisture, then line the mold or sieve with the cheesecloth. Transfer the cream and cheese mixture to the mold, spreading evenly and smoothing the top. Cover the top with the edges of the cheesecloth, pressing down lightly, and set the mold on a plate, or the sieve over a bowl, to catch any drips. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to two days ahead, or for at least for 6 hours before serving.

To make the sauce, in a medium bowl combine 1/2 of the raspberries, 1/2 of the strawberries, all of the sugar, lemon juice and Grand Marnier. Mash the berries and other ingredients together until there are only small bits of fruit. Add the remaining whole raspberries and strawberries and gently toss with the rest of the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours before using, stirring occasionally.

To serve, pull back the cheesecloth from the top of the coeur, then unmold the coeur carefully onto a serving plate and gently peel off the remaining cheesecloth. Allow the coeur to stand at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes, then decorate with a sliced and fanned strawberry, present it whole at the table and then portion onto dessert plates, serving the berry sauce spooned on top of each portion. Ooh, là, là!

There’s something about the texture of the cheesecloth and the holes in the mold that I find charming!

Rustic Roasted Potato, Broccoli and Corn Chowda!

Posted on February 13, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

I could eat this every day.

While our neighbors to the north are digging through snow, we’ve had warmer temps and rain, rain and more rain down here in the South. Not that I’m complaining because it’s so good for the garden. However, there’s enough of a chill in the air to make you want something warming and comforting for dinner…wintery comfort food, in other words.

Not much to harvest in the broccoli and chives category, but still nice to have something from the garden this time of year.

The broccoli harvest from my little winter garden was almost laughable, it was so small. There are still some babies on the stalks so I may see more before it’s all said and done, but for the time being…about 3 or 4 bites worth! I wanted to combo it with something where we both could enjoy its flavor, even if there wasn’t enough for a side dish, and that’s how I came up with this lovely chowder. It’s rich without being too heavy, and you can easily omit the bacon for a vegetarian option, if you want or need to do so. You just can’t go wrong with anything that combines roasted potatoes, broccoli, sweet corn, onions, and a creamy base topped with a little sprinkle of bacon for good measure. You just can’t!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Roasting adds much depth to the flavor of the chowder.

Roasting the potatoes and broccoli adds a ton of depth and flavor to this chowder. Leaving the skins on the potatoes adds a rustic touch!

Rustic Roasted Potato, Broccoli and Corn Chowder
Serves 6

1 lb. red skinned potatoes, washed, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces, skin on
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, washed, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces, skin on
2 cups broccoli florets (I just used my smaller amount, but 2 cups is better!)
1 Tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon
Kosher salt and freshly black ground pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
1 large sweet onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons flour
4 cups 1% milk
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 Tablespoon fresh chives, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
A few grinds of black pepper
(Optional) Garnish of 3 slices of applewood smoked bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and set aside

Cover a cookie sheet in foil and grease it with a little olive oil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the cut potatoes on the foil and toss them with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, some kosher salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of the thyme. Roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes, then give them a stir, then roast them for about 8 more minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to become tender when pricked with a fork and beginning to brown. Toss the broccoli florets in 1 teaspoon of oil and add them to the potatoes, then roast another 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the potatoes and broccoli are roasting, melt the butter in the bottom of a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the butter and onion and cook the flour, stirring constantly, for about a minute or two, then add the milk slowly, stirring, then the cream, chicken stock and corn. Add the roasted potatoes and broccoli to the pot, then the chives, remaining thyme, cayenne pepper and salt, and bring to a simmer. Allow the chowder to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, adding a few grinds of black pepper. Serve hot in bowls and crumble 1/2 slice of bacon on top of each serving, if desired.

Cupboard Cobbling: Baked Rainbow Chard, Bacon and Parmesan Sandwich

Posted on February 5, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Pan ‘O Sandwich.

Prior to dashing out of town at the end of last week, (and hence having been a bit quiet here lately) I found myself faced with the need to make a quick dinner with what I had on hand. This consisted of an abundance of the aforementioned chard in the garden, some tasty and local Pine Street Market bacon in the freezer and some leftover Italian Pane Bello bread, along with a bit of good Parmesan cheese in the fridge. Hmm. What can I cobble together?

Then I remembered a lovely baked sandwich my mom used to make when I was a kid. It had an eggy custard poured over it and had to sit over night before being baked. Also it seemed like there was a sauce. Well, I didn’t have overnight to wait, nor did I have the time or inclination for a sauce, but what the heck? I decided to experiment and the result was really good, so there ya go!

And actually, this was an interesting way to use chard in a one dish kind of meal and is similar to its close cousin the savory meat and vegetarian bread puddings which I’ve previously posted here, and here. But this one is definitely a sandwich…and it seems to invite endless experimentation and variations. Do you like yours more moist and custardy? Add more eggs and milk. Want to use a more melty cheese and some leftover ham or chicken? By all means. How about an all vegetarian version with spinach, mushrooms and the like? Why not! Endless possibilities.

This one is my starting point and we enjoyed it for two meals. I hope you will, too!

Baked Rainbow Chard, Bacon and Parmesan Sandwich
Serves 4

6 to 8 large slices of firm and hearty bread such as Italian Pane Bello
5 slices of thick cut good quality bacon
1 large bunch of Rainbow Chard (about 6 oz.) stemmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon of olive oil (if needed)
pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper for the veggies
3 large eggs
1 cup of milk
2/3 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or lightly grease a 7 x 11 inch casserole dish. Place half of the bread slices in the bottom of the dish in a single layer, cutting them to fit the dimensions of the dish. Cut the remaining pieces of bread to make a similar top layer, and set aside for later assembly.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is done and crispy, remove from the pan and allow it to drain on paper towels, reserving up to 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. If you don’t have 1 tablespoon of fat left from the bacon, add the olive oil to the pan to make a total of 1 tablespoon of fat/oil. Heat the fat over medium heat and add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute, then add the chard with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute the chard until it is just tender, about 5-8 minutes, and remove it from the heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the nutmeg, salt and pepper until well blended. Ladle 1/2 of the custard mixture over the bread layer in the casserole dish. Spread the cooked chard mixture evenly over the first layer of bread in the casserole dish. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle evenly over the top of the chard.

Dip the remaining pieces of bread into the remaining custard mixture in the bowl and place them on top of the chard and bacon in an even layer. Pour the remaining custard evenly over the top layer of bread. Sprinkle the bread with the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmesan.

Bake the sandwich for 35 to 45 minutes, until the custard is set, the cheese is melted and the top of the bread is lightly browned. Cut into four equal portions and serve.