I am having a day.  A day of being completely and 100% unmotivated. 

Even after two cups of coffee.  Sigh.

We have company coming and I have so much to do – cleaning, grocery shopping, work to finish.  But I don’t want to do anything.  Nada.  Except maybe eat cookies in my pajamas.

So I’m sharing with you something I made a few weeks ago, because I am uninspired to cook today.  It’s a delicious side dish made with lentils and split peas.  (It’s not actually supposed to have split peas, but I added them because, well, I had them.)

If you have more motivation than I do, go make this for lunch.  And then come over and clean my house for me.

No?  Ok.  Can’t blame me for trying.  Just make the lentils then.

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) French green lentils, picked over and rinsed (or 1/2 cup lentils 1/2 cup split peas)
3 cups (750 mL) water
1 Turkish bay leaf
½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (5 mL) finely chopped fresh thyme
5 tablespoons (65 mL) olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons plus ½ tsp (27 mL) red wine vinegar
½ tablespoon (7 mL) Dijon mustard
Crunchy sea salt, for serving
2 tablespoons (25 mL) finely chopped Italian parsley, for serving

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils, water, and bay leaf to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) salt, and then simmer, covered, for another 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.

While the lentils simmer, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just softened, about 7 to 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons vinegar, mustard, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, and whisk to emulsify.

When the lentils are ready, drain them in a colander or sieve, and discard the bay leaf. Dump them into the skillet with the vegetables, and add the vinaigrette. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until heated through. Stir in the remaining ½ tsp (2 mL) vinegar, and serve warm, with crunchy salt and parsley for sprinkling.

Source: Patent and the Pantry

Ginger: it’s the assertive spice.

It’s not afraid to get all up in your business.  It might even slap you in the face.

It’s feisty like that.

It’s what makes these cookies so darn addictive (for me, anyway.)

These little guys are spicy and sweet, and they stay uber soft, even if you leave them out on the counter all night (which in Denver’s dry climate is tantamount to cookie murder.)  They’re troopers.

But if you are afraid of ginger and it’s in-your-face attitude, steer clear.  You won’t like these cookies.  That’s ok, I’ll eat your share.  And I’ll make a different kind of cookie next week, just for you.

Ingredients

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. unbleached organic flour
1 T. ginger
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
2/3 c. organic sugar + additional 1/4 c. for rolling
1/4 c. molasses

Directions

Remember those store bought boxes of potato gratin?

You ate those, too, right?  They had those dehydrated potato chunks and a weird powder that you blended with water and butter before putting it all into the oven.  We used to eat them when I was a kid.  I loved them.  I didn’t know any better.

Please, please don’t ever make one of those boxes again.  Make this instead.  It is 300% better than dehydrated potatoes with powdered cheese.

I know you’re busy.  I know the box seems like a time saver.  But trust me, it’s worth the time if you really want good potato gratin.  You can make it for company over the weekend and enjoy the leftovers all week long.  Yum yum.

No more boxed potatoes, ok?  Ok.

Good.  I’m glad we had this talk.

Ingredients

2.2 pounds potatoes, a mix of waxy and baking potatoes
2 cups milk (whole or part-skim, not skim)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly grated nutmeg
1 clove garlic, sliced lengthwise
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives (optional)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Peel the potatoes, rinse them briefly, and slice them thinly (about 1/10th of an inch) and evenly.  Do not rinse after slicing, or you will lose all that precious starch.

Combine the sliced potatoes, milk, salt and a good grating of nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and keep simmering for 8 minutes, stirring the potatoes and scraping the bottom of the pan regularly to prevent sticking/scorching. The milk will gradually thicken to a creamy consistency.

While the potatoes are simmering, preheat the oven to 430°F and rub the bottom and sides of a medium earthenware or glass baking dish with the cut sides of the garlic clove.

Transfer half of the potatoes into the baking dish, sprinkle with the chives if using, and drizzle with half of the cream. Add the rest of the potatoes, pour the cooking milk over them, and drizzle with the remaining cream.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until bubbly on the edges and nicely browned at the top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Chocolate and Zucchini

Year of the Noodle:  Week 43

If the name of the dish is Drunken Noodles, does that mean you are supposed to cook them while drunk?  Because I accidentally had a little buzz going when I made these.

John came home later than usual, and I had a glass of wine while I was waiting.  I didn’t eat anything.  That Cabernet went to my head.

Fortunately I had done all the prep work for this in advance, so all I had to do was stir fry it together.  Which was remarkably easy.  Even with a little bit of a wine buzz.

This dish is spicy, but good.  I’ve never had it at a Thai restaurant because it usually has chicken, but John orders it all the time.  Apparently my version had more veggies than usual and was spicier than usual.

I never think extra veggies is a bad thing, but the spice is rather potent.  I recommend serving it with fresh sliced fruit (a pear is perfect) to cleanse the palate and mitigate the spiciness.

If you also decide to make these noodles after a glass of wine, be sure you’ve chopped everything beforehand.  Wine and a large sharp knife do not mix well.

Ingredients

For the stir fry:
4 finely chopped thai red chillies (or 1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce if you can’t find chillies)
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
10 chopped thai basil leaves
2 slabs of tofu, pressed and patted dry
2 carrots sliced thinly
2 small tomatoes, chopped
8 small mushrooms thinly sliced
2 cups of broccoli florets
8 snow peas top and tailed
1/2 a packet of thick rice noodles
Vegetable oil
For the sauce:
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions

Soak the noodles in hot water according to package directions (mine took 60 minutes.) The noodles should be soft but not cooked in the centre. Leave to drain.

Mix the sauce ingredients together.

Fry the two slabs of tofu in a pan or wok in a little oil on a high heat until browned on both sides.  Add the soy sauce, leave for 10 seconds and remove the tofu from the pan. When the tofu has cooled slice it into squares.

Add the chillies and garlic to the hot wok with about a tablespoon of oil. After about 10 seconds add the noodles. Leave them to fry for a minute and the add the sauce and vegetables. Place a lid over the wok and cook for 2 minutes until vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Source:  Adapted slightly from Vegan For Everyone

Do you have leftover chickpeas from yesterday’s hummus?  I did.  Mine were sitting in the fridge, calling my name, demanding to be used for something.

Anything.

This recipe answered their call.  Salty, spicy, crunchy.  An interesting little snackable that’s easy to make.

Be sure you get yours crispy, otherwise they will have the mouthfeel of a dried out bean.  That’s less interesting.  And less snackable.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
about 2 tablespoons olive oil
generous sprinkling Spanish paprika, cumin, black pepper, and salt.
a sprinkling of cayenne pepper

Directions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Rinse and dry chickpeas.  Toss with olive oil and spices.  Bake until crispy and slightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Toss a few times through baking.

Remove from the oven.  Cool slightly.

Source: Joy the Baker