Caramelized French Green Lentils

Fellow bloggers, please see my public service message at the end of this post*

Ditch the potatoes this month and try lentils! Side dish or main course...your choice! As part of the 'legume' family including beans, peas, chickpeas, etc., lentils are an excellent source of protein, fiber, carbohydrates and minerals.  They also contain no fat.

French green lentils are known for their firmer texture, and don't boil into a mushy consistency like brown lentils with which we are more familiar. Mostly grown in a volcanic ash region of France (around Le Puy), they are also now grown in certain areas of the United States and Canada in similar conditions.  French lentils are known for their greenish-gray mottled color and perfect "lens" shape.  They also have a more hearty, peppery and mineral-like flavor.  The word 'lentil' is French for 'small lens'.

They are more expensive than brown lentils but for a recipe like this, it's well worth it spending a little extra. I found mine at Whole Foods, but Bob's Red Mill brand and Food to Live, are two good brands sold on Amazon.

The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my newest cookbooks, Taste and Technique by Naomi Pomeroy.  The caramelization of the lentils is what inspired me to try this because I love caramelized everything!

I garnished mine with some peppery, locally-grown pea sprouts and served them with grilled salmon.  They would be delicious with most grilled and slow-roasted meats or poultry.  The left-overs (if any) are wonderful the next day as a salad for lunch.  Just drizzle with a little balsamic and extra-virgin olive oil.  I hope you give French green lentils a try!

These would also make a great side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas! 

Caramelized French Green Lentils

Printable Recipe

Makes a great side dish but hearty enough to serve alone. Leave out the anchovy paste for a vegetarian entree.  

Serves 4 to 6

Lentil ingredients:

¾ cup French green lentils

3 cups water or chicken stock

1 cup red wine (I used Columbia Crest Grand Reserve Cabernet which is a $10 bottle and good enough to drink with dinner afterward)

1 bay leaf (optional)

2-1/2 teaspoons salt

Vegetable Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

½ cup finely diced yellow onion

½ cup finely diced celery

½ cup finely diced peeled carrot

½ cup finely diced golden beet

½ teaspoon each Salt & Pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

½ cup red wine

1 small thyme sprig or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon aged sherry or red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon anchovy paste (buy the tube in the canned fish aisle)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Spread the lentils out on a baking sheet and remove any debris that doesn’t look like a lentil.  Rise lentils and put in a medium saucepan along with the water and wine, bay leaf and salt.  Bring to a low, simmering boil and cook, uncovered, until just tender.  This will take about 25-30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and set aside, picking out the bay leaf, if using.

To cook the vegetables, heat the oil in a 12 inch sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the vegetables, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender.  Taste test occasionally.  Set aside.

To make the sauce, first put the sherry, tomato paste, brown sugar, garlic, anchovy paste and Dijon mustard in a small jar with tight-fitting lid. 

Put the wine, thyme and garlic in a small sauce pan and bring to a low, simmering boil.  Continue to boil until the liquid has reduced to about 1 tablespoon, watching carefully at the end so you don’t boil away too much.  Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the liquid into the jar with the other ingredients.  Close and shake together until combined. 

To complete the dish, place your largest sauté pan over medium to medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil.  Add the lentils and sauce and sauté, stirring frequently, until the lentils begin to brown around the edges and begin to caramelize slightly.  Add the vegetables and continue to stir and cook for another few minutes until the vegetables are hot.  Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.  (This can be done in two batches, if your sauté pan is not large enough to hold everything).  Just before serving, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.  

Brussels Sprouts Soufflé

One of the stars of our holiday table at Thanksgiving is this Brussels Sprouts Soufflé that I have been making for many years.  The recipe comes from a cookbook that my mother-in-law gave me shortly after my husband and I were married, called the Better Homes & Gardens Vegetable Cook Book.  My husband doesn't really like Brussels Sprouts but he LOVES this cheesy souffle!

In order to make any soufflé there are several steps that need to be observed so I thought I'd put together an easy tutorial on how to make this in case you'd like to try it for your Thanksgiving feast this year.

First, chop cooked Brussels Sprouts in a food processor.  You can use frozen or fresh Brussels sprouts. They can be chopped by hand if you don't own a food processor.  Chop them fairly fine. 

Have the eggs separated and everything needed for the recipe next to the stove before you begin. 

The first step is to melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the flour and salt and blend together until bubbly.  Add the milk all at once and continue to stir until the mixture is thickened.

Beat the egg yolks until light and lemon-colored.  Add some of the thickened, hot milk mixture to the yolks to temper them.  This is so the eggs don't curdle or separate when you add them to the hot mixture in the pot.  Then, afterward, add all of the yolk mixture to the hot mixture and stir rapidly until thoroughly blended. Then, add the chopped Brussels sprouts and cheese to the pan, stir to mix, and remove the pan from heat.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Add them to the pan and fold in carefully.  I like to use a large, flat wooden stirrer using a cutting and folding motion.  The purpose is to keep as much air in the whites as possible while blending.  Then pour the mixture into an ungreased souffle or tall, round baking dish.

As you can see the soufflé puffs up beautifully in the oven, but don't be dismayed when it sinks shortly after it comes out of the oven.  The inside will still be light and delicious!

Again, I wish to thank everyone who posted so many kind comments regarding the loss of my sister.  It will be a difficult holiday season knowing she is no longer here but I am feeling better.  I'm still not up-to-speed on visiting all of my blogger friends, but hopefully, after the holidays I will be back on track.

Wishing all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, a warm and happy holiday~

 
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Brussels Sprouts Soufflé

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Vegetable Cook Book 1967

Printable Recipe

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 egg yolks
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 10-oz package frozen Brussels sprouts, cooked, drained, and finely chopped (about 2 cups) May use fresh, cooked Brussels Sprouts, of course - do not overcook
4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350F

In a very large (at least 3-4 quart or more) sauce pan or pot, over medium-high heat, melt butter until bubbly and then blend in the flour and salt until well combined.

Add the milk all at once and cook quickly till mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon-colored. Blend some of the hot butter mixture into egg yolks to temper them; return the yolk mixure to the pot and stir rapidly to that the eggs do not curdle.

Stir in cheese and finely chopped sprouts. Remove pan from heat.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and carefully fold into hot mixture. You want to leave as much air as possible in the whites while folding.

Turn the mixture into an ungreased 2-quart soufflé dish.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-60 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Notes: May be made the day before and refrigerated after cooling. Allow to come to room temperature and reheat in a 350 oven, covered with aluminum foil until heated through - about 20 minutes.

Creamy Farro with Crispy Shiitakes

Have you had farro yet?  It's another one of those grains that, in the past decade or so, have become the darlings of the culinary world.  Here are a few quotes from a New York Times article on farro:

"Because farro contains a starch similar to that found in Arborio rice, it behaves much like risotto, releasing a creamy, binding liquid when cooked. But unlike risotto, farro doesn't become gummy; instead, it retains its tender, distinct bite, even if it sits awhile after cooking. Farro is rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E. It grows best in barren, high-altitude terrain and is almost always grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Because it is so easily digested and so low in gluten, farro can often be eaten by people who are normally gluten-intolerant. According to the department of plant genetics at the University of Florence, farro is an ancient, unhybridized grain used for thousands of years in North Africa and the Middle East, where farro kernels have been found in Egyptian tombs. During the height of the Roman Empire, farro was used as a primary food and probably even as money. True farro is Triticum dicoccum, an unhybridized wheatlike plant that has two spikes and is in the wheat family."

Italy is the major producer of farro today. 

Since I've already had farro served risotto-style made by my son-in-law, I already knew how delicious it can be.  This is the kind of comforting dish that is perfect for the winter months. 

As you will see, it is prepared in a very similar fashion to risotto also.  This makes a wonderful compliment to many meat or poultry dishes.  I was asked for the recipe when I served it - it is delicious! 

Creamy Farro with Crispy Shiitakes

Adapted from Whole Living
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 cup farro (I was able to find the Roland brand at my local store)
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics brand)
Coarse salt
12 ounces wild mushrooms, such as shiitake or oyster, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch slices (I used all Shiitake mushrooms)
Red-pepper flakes
1 bunch spinach (10 ounces), stemmed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  When hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add farro, stirring until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until farro is tender and creamy, 35 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and red-pepper flakes. Roast, stirring once, until crisp and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Warm farro over medium heat and add spinach, stirring until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and Parmesan. Pass additional Parmesan at the table.

Potato and Fennel Gratin...Ode to a Tuber - Part Ten!

Ina Garten is my new go-to person for fennel recipes. Her Onion and Fennel Soup Gratin, which I just made last week was so good I decided to try her Potato Fennel Gratin recipe.


Ina's recipe calls for a buttered casserole dish for baking the gratin. I decided to use the same pan that I used to saute the onions and fennel since the handles were safe to go in the oven. One pan to clean was the bonus!


I also think the stainless steel helped conduct the heat better, giving the gratin a wonderful crusty top. I also have a fondness for crusty potatoes!

This would be a delicious side dish with almost anything meat, fish or poultry!  Thanksgiving?

Potato-Fennel Gratin
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Recipe found Here
Printable Recipe

My adapted recipe serves 4

1 fennel bulb
1/2 very large onion, thinly sliced (like Vidalia or other sweet onion)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (I substituted 1/2 cup of fat free half and half)
1-1/2 cups grated Gruyère or good Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the fennel stalks and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the core and thinly slice the bulb crosswise. You should have approximately 2 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium heat for 15 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.

Peel the potatoes and slice. (Using a mandoline makes quick work of this step.) Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 1 cup of cream, 1 cup of Gruyère, salt and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well. (I did all of the mixing in the pan I used to saute the onions and fennel).

If not using a large saute pan as I did, pour the potatoes into the prepared baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly.

Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.