Wednesday, February 23, 2022

WARM UP WITH LENTILS

 

Warm up with Lentils

           Our couple of days of ‘Spring Thaw’ last week did little to shrink the mountain of snow in our front yard, which we have by now named Mt. WF17. Our shady side yard is in equally bad shape covered with such a layer of ice, that we could not help but laugh at a tiny red squirrel that unexpectedly jumped on it, only to find herself going for a wild ride across the yard, paws outstretched in front to try to gain traction.

          Times like this require warming meals and lentils are supremely suited for that purpose.  They are the oldest cultivated member of the legume family that includes also beans and peas. Archeologists date them back to nearly 8000 BC in the Fertile Crescent of Middle East and they were a common enough food staple to merit several mentions in the Old Testament of the Bible. Modern lentils are grown worldwide, with the majority produced by India and Canada. 

Lentils differ in color and cooked texture, thus making them a versatile source for different presentations at the table. The color designations are red, brown, French green and black or Beluga lentils. The color designations are a bit misleading, since the red lentils, quickest cooking are light orange yellow, creamy and are suitable for creamy soups and Indian Dahl recipes. The brown lentils (most common) appear grayish brown and with French green (dark or pale green) maintain their shape on cooking and are good in both soups and salads. Beluga lentils are the firmest, cook a bit longer and make the best stews or salads. All lentils are high in protein and fiber, are favored for many vegetarian dishes and have the added advantage of requiring no overnight soaking like dried beans.

          The following lentil stew is my adaptation of a similar soup recipe from my favorite legume cookbook “Bean by Bean” by Crescent Dragonwagon, Workman Publishing.


                                Lentil, barley and wild mushroom stew/soup

          In a large pot, sauté 1 large onion, coarsely chopped in 1 tblsp. olive oil and 1 tblsp. butter for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 stalks of celery with leaves, coarsely chopped and 1 chopped carrot and 1 chopped peeled parsnip.  Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in 4 cloves chopped garlic, 2 cups dry white wine and 1 bay leaf and 1 cup washed Beluga lentils. Add 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 1 cup water and bring to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

While lentils are cooking, rinse ¾ cups pearled bailey in several changes of water and cook in another pot with 3 cups of salted water for 30 minutes. Drain barley and set aside.

          Also, rehydrate 3 oz. wild mushroom mix by pouring boiling water over them. After 30 minutes, remove the mushrooms to a plate and strain the liquid through a sieve lined with a paper towel to remove sand. Reserve the liquid and coarsely chop the larger mushrooms.

          When lentils are done, add to them 1-2 tblsp. tomato paste, the drained mushrooms, their liquid, and the barley. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in ½ cup chopped parsley, 1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar and heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot with crusty French bread, salad and sausage on the side for a heavier meal. This is a fairly thick stew. For thick soup, dilute to desired consistency with some broth and adjust seasoning.

          Swedish fruit soup balances well such a supper of a hearty lentil stew and the colorful fruit are sweet and tart without additional sugar.

                                      Swedish fruit soup

          Combine 1 ½ cups dried apricots with 1 cup raisins, 4 cups water, 6 cloves, 6 allspice, 1 dried star anise and 4 long strips of orange zest in a medium pot and bring to boil. Lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups dried prunes and continue cooking for additional 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1 ½ cups cranberry juice. Cool, remove orange zest and star anise. Serve in small bowls at room temperature.

          The blending of civilizations and cultures to provide a fragrant and satisfying repast can be truly amazing.

      (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

Thursday, February 10, 2022

SLOW COOKED DELIGHTS

 

                                Slow Cooked Delights

           Two large snowstorms on adjacent weekends are likely noticed with a bit of concern even in Maine. First, we had the whiteout and then less than a week later another layer of snow with sleet glazing everything with a thick layer of ice.  Icing on a cake is the final touch to enhance a delicious product, but a layer of ice that requires chopping with a shovel to remove the snow below is only bound to enhance frustration.

          For the cook, such days are designed to be spent in the kitchen.  They are ideal for rediscovering old recipes for slow cooked dishes to perfume the warm kitchen. Stews of all types come to mind with their hearty flavors to warm anyone, whether they have been battling the elements or just watching the swirling ice crystals outside from a window.  Thumbing through my old, yellowed copy of Fernande Garvin’s “The Art of French Cooking” (1958), another recipe caught my eye, somewhat similar to the more familiar Boef Bourguignon, but with the added flavors of salt pork or in my slightly modified version, bacon. 


                                                  Boef ‘en Daube’

          Prepare the vegetables by slicing 2 medium onions, 2 medium carrots sliced in 1- inch pieces and 2 chopped garlic cloves.

Cook 3 slices of thick bacon in a pan, remove at only partially crisp stage and place in the bottom of a Dutch oven or a heavy baking pot with a tight lid. Layer the vegetables on top of the bacon.

          Pour off most of the fat from the pan and quickly brown in batches, 1 ½ lb. sirloin tips cut in 1 ½-inch pieces. Layer the browned meat on top of the vegetables, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. thyme and add 1bay leaf.

          Scrape the browned bits from the pan with 2 cups dry red wine and pour over the meat. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees 2 hours.

          While the meat is baking, slice 4 oz. fresh mushrooms and fry them in 2 tblsp. butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. After 2 hrs. baking, uncover the meat, add the mushrooms, and stir in 2 tblsp. tomato paste dissolved in 1/3 cup red wine. Cover the pot tightly again and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes. Serve hot with flat noodles or potatoes. This dish can be prepared in advance and reheated or frozen, with enhanced flavors upon reheating.

          To keep our dinner plates colorful, our flavorful beef was accompanied by fresh green beans paired with shitake mushrooms and crisped shallots.


                                      String beans with shitake and shallots

          Trim, wash and cook ¾  lb. green string beans in salted water for 3 minutes. Chill in ice water to crisp.

          Heat 2 tblsp. grapeseed oil in a large pan and fry 2 thinly sliced large shallots to crisp. Remove from the pan, add 2 tblsp. butter and fry 4 oz. sliced shitake to brown 3-4 minutes without turning, stir mushrooms and season with salt and pepper and 1 tblsp. lemon juice. Reduce heat, add 2 more tblsp. butter and the beans. Toss the beans with melted butter and mushrooms to heat, sprinkle with 1-2  tblsp. red wine vinegar. Remove from heat and toss with the shallots. Serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

          It surely may be ‘cold outside’, but the developing fragrances of a slow cooked meal are sure to permeate the whole house and will chase away the chill with a most savory dinner.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)