Lentils & Rice

(This recipe comes from Gentry, a friend of a friend.)

This is almost vegan, almost. Perhaps one could try soy cheese with this, though I’m not sure how that cooks up. This was a good recipe, and quite easy. I would add more spice (my husband tells me that I say that about all foods), and I would probably double the recipe to fill a 9 x 13. Our 8 x 8 dish was consumed in no time flat! Even Jonah ate and said he liked it. Lentils! Who knew?

2 2/3 c. chicken broth
¾ c. dry lentils
¾ c. chopped onion
½ c. brown rice
¼ c. water (or dry white wine)
½ tsp. basil
½ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 oz. Swiss cheese: 2 oz. shredded, 2 oz. sliced thin (set slices aside)

Stir everything together including the shredded cheese. Pour into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. [8 x 8 baking square]
Cover and bake at 350 1 1/2 -2 hours or until rice and lentils are done, stirring twice (every 30-45 minutes) while baking.
Remove from oven, uncover casserole and lay remaining cheese on top. Put back in the oven and bake for 2 more minutes.

Southwestern salmon

(Parents magazine, May 2006)

This is one of those recipes that I make and then think, “Where have you been my whole life?” And then I look at the date on the bottom of the magazine page on which it’s printed and I realize that it’s been sitting in my pile of “recipes to try” for the past two and one half years. Two and a half years! I’ve had this loose magazine page for longer than I’ve had my elder son! At any rate, I’m just glad that I didn’t throw the recipe away in a fit of exasperation with all my clutter. Very easy, and very good. Serve it with Mexican-style rice, nachos, or quesadillas on the side. You can also add shredded lettuce and avocado to the corn and beans after they're cooked for a little green.

Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

You need:
4 salmon filets, about 4 to 5 oz. each
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
½ tsp. cumin
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained
1 can (11 oz.) corn kernels, drained
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro [more, if you love it as much as I do]
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/3 c. mild salsa
2 Tbs. butter

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Place salmon filets on prepared baking sheet. Cook in oven until salmon is firm to the touch (about 10 minutes per 1-inch thickness). [I always use the flake test: The salmon should flake when pressed with a fork. And I always cook at 400 degrees; 375 doesn't work for me.]
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add cumin and cook 1 minute. Stir in black beans and corn. Cook to heat through. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
3. In a small bowl, combine salsa and butter. Microwave for 1 minute, or until butter melts.
4. Serve salmon filets atop corn and beans, then spoon sauce over salmon filets.

Nutrition per serving: 398 cal; 28g protein; 23g fat; 21g carb; 48mg calcium; 4g fiber

Stuffed leek leaves

(This recipe comes from Miriam. "Comes from," as in, "completely made it up herself." I'm posting it with her comments, and I can't wait to try it! Thanks for the submission, Miriam!)

** I labelled this as vegetarian, even though it contains fish. Does anyone have a better label?

This meal is super easy and truly delicious. What's really good about this recipe is that it's a good combination of sweet, from the dried fruit, savory from the onion and salmon, spicy from the ginger and pepper, bitter from the parsley, and well-textured from the crunchy veggies, the moist cous cous, and soft leaves.

Ingredients: 2-3 large leeks

Stuffing: 1 cup of finely chopped onion, sauteed
about 1 cup each of the following, chopped:
flat leaf parsley
carrots
prunes or other dried fruit
celery
cucumber
red or green pepper
about 1/2 cup ginger
1 cup of cooked cous cous (I used garlic and herb instant cous cous)
1 piece of cooked fish, like salmon or shellfish
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

tomato sauce (I used a canned tomato, onion, garlic sauce)
olive oil (optional)

Preparation: Clean, trim, and cut the leeks into 2 -1/2-in. long pieces. Make a slit along one side of the leek through to the center and separate the leaves.

Combine the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Place a leek leaf on a work surface. Spread about a tablespoon of stuffing in the center of the leek. Roll the leaf up like a cigar, securing it with a toothpick if necessary. Line rolls up in a baking pan. Brush leaves with oil. Pour your favorite tomato sauce over the rolls.

For added moisture and flavor, drizzle olive oil over. Bake at 400 deg. for 20 minutes or until leeks are soft.

Dutch apple pie

Are pies common at Christmas? With this recipe, they should be. The recipe actually comes from my 7th grade home economics class, which I find amusing. I don't even like pie very much (or, better said, I'm just not a "pie person"), but this pie is really good, especially if you can serve it hot from the oven. And don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

Use a store-bought crust, or make your own pie crust, as I've done the two times I've made this pie at Thanksgiving. This year's crust was significantly better than last year's: Practice makes perfect! I also make the pie crust, prepare the apples and the mixture (though I don't combine them until right before the pie goes in the oven), and prepare the topping the night before I'm going to make the pie, which definitely helps when you're trying to make this in conjunction with other foods. I'm all about easy.

Prepare:
5-6 cups apples, pared, cored and thinly sliced

Combine and then mix with apples:
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Line a 9 inch pie plate with an unbaked pie shell.
Place apple mixture in the pie shell.

In a separate bowl, cut together:
1 c. flour
½ c. butter
½ c. brown sugar
Sprinkle over apple misture in pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bakd until golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.