Curried Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

(recipe adapted from The New York Times)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth as needed
2 lbs. orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 lb. Swiss chard, center ribs removed and diced, leaves thinly sliced
1 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeño.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.  (If lentils seem dry, add 1 cup stock, or more if needed.)  Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice.

(Good flavor and fairly easy to make.  Keeps well.)

Curried Sweet Potato Latkes

(recipe from a magazine, not sure which one)

1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 small onion
1/2 cup raisins
2/3 cup flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. kosher salt

Peel and shred the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.  Grate or shred the onion, and add to the sweet potatoes along with the raisins and flour.

Separately in a small bowl, beat the eggs with the curry powder and salt.

Add the egg mixture to the sweet potato mixture and mix with your hands or a spoon.

Warm 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Drop 1/3-cupfuls of mixture into skillet and fry, pressing with a spatula to flatten, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Keep warm in a 200F oven until ready to serve.  Serve with sour cream, if desired.

(Since one of my least favorite things is frying patties in a skillet, I put the entire sweet potato mixture in a large pie plate and baked in a 350F oven for 45 minutes.  Then cut into wedges.  Very delicious!)

Zucchini Eggplant Rolls

(recipe from Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine)

Eggplant slices:
1 large eggplant
Salt
Olive oil

Tomato sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried)

White bean puree:
One 15-oz. can cannellini beans
1/4 cup pine nuts (I used walnuts)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, and basil are nice)

1 zucchini, cut into 3-inch matchsticks
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Rinse the eggplant.  Cut off the top and bottom ends, so that the eggplant can stand vertically on a cutting board.  With a long knife, cut it vertically into slices 1/4-inch thick.  The first and last slices will have too much skin for easy rolling, so those will not be needed.  Choose your best eight slices (I used all of my slices) and gently rub both sides with salt.  Place them in a colander in the sink and allow them to drip for 30 minutes.  This tenderizes the eggplant and removes its bitterness.

While the eggplant sits, prepare the tomato sauce.  Saute the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, red pepper, salt, and black pepper.  Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes, breaking tomatoes apart with the back of the spoon.  Stir in basil.  Simmer over very low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the over to 350F and return to the eggplant slices.  Rinse them under the faucet and pat them dry.  Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes, until the thinner parts of the slices are golden brown.

While the eggplant roasts, prepare the white bean puree.  Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until uniform and smooth.  (If you have any leftover, this puree also makes a great spread for crackers and tomato sandwiches.)

When the roasted eggplant slices are cool enough to handle, assemble the rolls.  Thinly spread about a tablespoon of white bean puree across a slice of eggplant, then lay 3-4 (or more if thin) zucchini matchsticks across one end.  Beginning at that end, roll the eggplant up and place it in a baking dish, seam down.  When all of the rolls are in place, spoon the tomato sauce over them and top with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden.  Serve with pasta, risotto, or polenta.

(A bit of an effort, but very delicious!  So flavorful!)

Squash with Olive Oil and Garlic

(recipe from Maine magazine)

1 whole buttercup squash
1 head of garlic
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Place the whole buttercup squash on a cookie sheet.  Take the head of garlic, cut the top tips off, and place on a piece of aluminum foil.  Drizzle olive oil on top,  Wrap the foil around the head of garlic and put it on the cookie sheet.  Place squash and the garlic in the oven.

In 30 minutes or so, take the garlic out, if soft.  In an hour, take the squash out, if very soft.  Prick with a metal skewer to test.  Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, and put the soft flesh in a bowl.  Add the roasted cloves of garlic to the squash, along with a little olive oil, and mash until the consistency is uniform.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shitake, Leek & Arugula Salad

(recipe from a magazine, not sure which one)

1/2 lb. shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/8-inch thick
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
3 lightly packed cups baby arugula

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450F.

In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms, leek, oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

On a small baking sheet, scatter the mushrooms and leeks in a single layer.  Roast until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. 

Combine the arugula and roasted vegetables in a large bowl.  Squeeze about 1 Tbsp. juice from the lemon onto the vegetables and toss to combine.  Season to taste.

(For a convenient dinner, roast some 6 oz. salmon fillets along with the vegetables on the baking sheet.  Serve together.)

Dijon Vinaigrette Potato Salad

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

3 lbs. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, whole (each about 3 inches in diameter)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. coarse-grained Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. caper liquid from the jar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, minced
2 Tbsp. capers, drained

Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by 2 inches.  Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and let cool.

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, caper liquid, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended.  Set aside.

Cut the cooked potatoes into bite-size pieces.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Add the chives, parsley, tarragon and capers.  Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and gently toss to coat.  Serve at room temperature.

Fall Mushroom Soup with Savory Herbs

(recipe adapted from Edible Maine magazine)

5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 yellow sweet onions, diced
Kosher salt
3 leeks, cut into thin rounds
1 1/2 lbs. button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup sherry
4 cups vegetable broth
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 lb. maitake mushrooms (or any fancy mushroom blend), cleaned and cut bite-sized
3 sprigs oregano (or similar amount dried)
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked from stems (or similar amount dried)
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked from stems (or similar amount dried)
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

In a medium, heavy-bottomed soup pot with a cover, warm 3 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and a big pinch of salt and give a stir.  Cover.  Let cook for 5 minutes.  Add the leeks and let cook for another 10 minutes.  Add the button mushrooms and another pinch of salt and let cook for 10 minutes, checking periodically to make sure that nothing is browning.  All the vegetables should be sweating in their own natural juice.  Add the sherry and turn up the heat to medium-high.  Let boil for 2 to 3 minutes until the alcohol is cooked off.  Add the vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer and let cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Put half of the mixture into a blender and blend to a slightly coarse texture.  Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

In a medium sauté pan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the maitake mushrooms, herbs, and salt to taste.  Sauté until tender.

Add the sautéed mushrooms and herbs to the soup pot with the almond milk.  Stir and warm.

(I added a bunch of fresh chopped tarragon to the soup as well because I had on hand.  Sautéed it with the mushrooms, and instead just added the other dried herbs directly to the soup with the broth.  Was delicious!)