Lentils Provençal

As Gourmet Mavis would say, I love a good bean. And I love pulses, too. Lentils, beans, peas, and I are close friends indeed, especially since I'm vegetarian. But we have always been. These ones here are simple and delicious, a delightful accompaniment to some other main or as the main event itself.

Lentils Provençal

1 cup French green lentils

2 medium leeks, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 1/2 teaspoons herbs de Provence

salt and pepper to taste

jigger of red wine vinegar

In a heat-proof bowl, add the lentils and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes whilst you get on with the chopping of the veg. Sauté the leeks, onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Stir in the garlic and herbs and sauté for about a minute, then add the tomato paste and jigger of red wine vinegar and stir. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Drain the lentils and add to pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils are tender. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking.

Note: I cook this, as with most things, in my wonderful enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I just adore that pot. It always sits on top of the hob, ready for action. Also, as always, I add a good pinch of red pepper flakes to the mix as well.

When I say a jigger of red wine vinegar, I mean a 'mountain' jigger and not a bartender's jigger. In the mountains, we don't fuss with such things as bartender's tools. There's really no rhyme or reason or standard amount to be honest. It would be like trying to explain how much is in a mess of greens. Just splash some in.

Shortbread

I adore shortbread. Well, I should say that I adore good shortbread. Some store bought American varieties leave much to be desired. But these little gems do not. While there are a host of different ways of making these sparkle with extra razzle dazzle, the simple, unassuming shortbread is just so delicious to have with a cup of tea, or hot chocolate. Do enjoy!

Shortbread

3/4 pound butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar thoroughly. Add the vanilla and then mix in the flour. Turn the dough out and shape into a flat disk. Wrap this in plastic cling and put it into the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes before preceding. Once chilled, roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut into rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350º oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. Let cool before devouring them.

Note: Use real vanilla extract. Bad things happen to people who use imitation vanilla.

Vegetarian cottage pie

Cottage pie or shepherd's pie? In the real world of carnivores, I know that it is not just semantics. One is beef, the other lamb, or so I'm told. But when one is preparing a faux pie, not a faux pas, what should one call it? I like the idyllic sound of shepherd's pie. But, I suppose, since I'm using faux beef, it should, therefore, be cottage pie.

I'm sure it's not traditional in any sense, least of all because I'm making it with soy. But I don't care. It's tasty and I like it. But I must say, even though I am using soy, I am using real cream and butter in the potatoes. Mashed potatoes deserve and require real cream and real butter, to my way of thinking. At the very least, one should use half and half. Do not use milk. If you have an aversion to cream and butter, then I suggest you cook something else. The same goes for cheese. I like cheese on top of this, and I do mean cheese. I don't mean some manky, orange shreds from a packet. I mean cheese, real cheese. So, do use real cream, real butter, and real cheese. Your taste buds will thank you.

Vegetarian cottage pie

1 medium onion, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
2 carrots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces soy 'beef' crumbles
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock
2 to 2 1/2 pounds potatoes
1 parsnip
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes and parsnip. Put them into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until the onions are translucent. Then add the garlic and stir for about a minute. Add the soy crumbles and tomato paste. Stir in the stock and simmer until the liquid has thickened a bit. Once the spuds and parsnips are done, drain them and then put them back into the pot. Add a good knob of butter, a good slurp of cream, and salt and pepper. Mash them thoroughly, adjusting the seasoning as required, and adding more butter and cream if desired. Tip the 'beef' mixture into a casserole and then smooth the potatoes over the top. Grate some good cheddar over the potatoes and pop into a 375º oven until the cheese is all melty and the potatoes browned a bit.

Note: I also add a healthy pinch of red pepper flake whilst sautéing the veg. I just like things spicy. As for the parsnip in the mash, I like it. I adore the sweetness of the parsnip. If you can't be bothered, don't worry. Do season the potatoes properly once mashed. There's nothing worse than horrid mashed potatoes. I think both components of this pie should be able to stand alone, their marriage just being the penultimate culinary event. As for the cheese, I use Dubliner cheddar. I feel it's only right.

ps. If I'd had some frozen peas in the freezer, they would have gone in with the veg, too.

Mini lemon cheesecakes

As I've stated before, I make a mean cheesecake. But sometimes, you don't want to go to all of that trouble. Sometimes you just want a little bite of cheesecake, and these fit the bill. Granted, they're not as sinfully delicious as my full-sized cheesecake, very few things are. But they go down a treat and are easy peasy. And, just as with ordinary cheesecake, the variations are endless. The principle for each variation is the same: cookie crumb base with cream cheesy center. How you flavor the filling and what type of cookie you use is arbitrary. Most often, mine are lemon. But they could easily be any other type of citrus or fruit, chocolate, or all manner of other sweet.

This receipt gives you enough filling for 24 delectable little morsels.

Mini lemon cheesecakes

1/2 cup cookie crumbs
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
zest of two lemons
juice of two lemons

Line two mini muffin tins with paper cups. Fill the bottom of each one with a teaspoon of cookie crumbs from cookies you've blitzed in the food processor. Beat together the remaining ingredients and spoon on top of the cookie crumb base. Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes.

Note: I let these cool and top each one with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. If you can find a delectable lemon sandwich cookie, use those for the crust. But they must be delectable, not rubbish. Otherwise, I would recommend shortbread.

Again, for any other type of citrus, just substitute the desired fruit: lime, orange, tangerine, etc. If you want another type of fruit, I would add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the filling, in place of the zest and juice, and a tablespoon of cream, to make up for the volume. Once they're baked off and cooled, top with a fruit compote, adding whipped cream to be extra luscious.

Hoisin glazed 'chicken' and vegetables

As it's Lunar New Year, I thought I would usher in the year of the rat/mouse with something gingery and delicious. Once I set my mind upon it early in the day, I could just taste what I was imagining. It was a test of sorts as I'm having the Soul Sistahs over for lunch on Saturday and wanted to serve something for Lunar New Year. What I concocted was thoroughly enjoyable, served with steamed jasmine rice, and I think it will go down a treat with the Soul Sistahs.

Kung hei fat choi!

Hoisin Glazed 'Chicken' and Vegetables

2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
8 ounces soy 'chicken' strips
16 ounces sugar snap pea stir fry mix
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 water
pinch five spice powder
pinch red pepper flakes
dash tamari
dash toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

In heavy pot, sauté the onion in the oil until softened and translucent. Add the 'chicken' strips and saute until slightly browned. Stir in garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and spice powder for a few seconds, until fragrant. Add hoisin sauce and water, along with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender-crisp and sauce has slightly thickened. Add tamari and sesame oil, adjusting salt and pepper as desired.

Aloo gobi

I simply adore Indian food. It makes me feel all warm and cozy like nothing else can. The complexity of the seasoning, the warmth, the fragrance...I'm in heaven. The cuisine has to be my all time favorite.

Here is a delectable little receipt for a much maligned and forgotten vegetable: the cauliflower. I, personally, adore cauliflower, raw or cooked. As there are potatoes in the dish as well, and it's not particularly saucy, I forgo a rice pilaf.

Aloo gobi

1 pound potatoes, peeled, cooked, cooled, and cubed
4 scallions
1 head cauliflower
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes whole and let cool. Cube them before beginning with the aloo gobi. Chop the scallions and cut the cauliflower into florets. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the cumin seeds and mustard seeds until they begin to pop. Add the other spices, scallions and cauliflower. Cook over medium-high heat until the cauliflower is caramelized in places. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes, turning down the heat a bit. Take off the lid, add the potatoes, and adjust the seasoning. Cook an additional 5 minutes or so, until the potatoes are heated through the cauliflower is done to your liking.

Note: As I like things spicy, I also add a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes along with the other spices.

Pumpkin custard pie

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of pumpkin pie. And not just any pumpkin pie, but Nanna's* pumpkin pie. It's not your run of the mill pumpkin pie. It's actually a pumpkin custard pie, and so I have named it as such here.

For years I coveted this receipt, and others, and wouldn't share them with anyone. But those days are over. Besides I'm presenting it here as it was written down by Nanna, which isn't exactly the way she made it. I learned to make this pie with her as instructor, not just by following directions. So I know those little quirks that make it taste just like Nanna's and shan't reveal them. I know, I'm a bitch.

As for the crust, this year I opted for simplicity. I detest having to clean the kitchen surfaces after rolling pastry. I just do. So this year I decided I would make a crumbling sort of pastry that I could just press into the bottom of the tart pan. It was super easy and came out a treat.

Pumpkin custard pie

3 cups pumpkin pureé
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
5 eggs
12 ounces evaporated milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix the flour, salt, and spice through the pumpkin. Dissolve the brown sugar in the milk and then it, along with the evaporated milk, to the pumpkin. Whip the eggs and white sugar until very light, then add the vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk in the melted butter. Pour the mixture into an unbaked pastry shell. Bake for 10 minutes at 425ºF. Reduce the heat to 350ºF and bake about 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

For the crust, I combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, a pinch of salt, and 12 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter in a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it is the consistency of a crumble topping or shortbread dough. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Note: If using canned pumpkin, which I always do, 2 cups or one 15 ounceish can is sufficient. The can may be 14 ounces or 16 ounces. I'm not sure. I just use a small can of good ol' Libby's pumpkin pureé. Also, there will be enough filling for at least two pies, so be prepared. This pie is equally delicious made with sweet potato pureé.

*To find out more about Nanna, you'll have to visit my other blog.

I can cook, too

Cause I can bake too...my oven's the hottest you'll find!

I've a lot receipts, or recipes if you will. I like calling them receipts. Most call them recipes. I have a lot of them, that's the point. I collect them from numerous sources: friends, relatives, television, magazines, etc. Most of the ones I've retained have gone untested. Of course, I have multiples of the same thing. But there are little caveats from these multiples that I like. I enjoy adapting recipes and I'm not opposed to jamming two together for one fabulous outcome.

My attitude toward food is not the average American's attitude of food. I detest and despise the sameness of American food, how everything seems to be cheese covered and drown in some sort of sauce or condiment. I like to take my time with food. Actually, I should that I prefer to take my time with food. There is nothing I like better than a long meal with friends, where the conversation is just as important as the delicious food. My European friends avow that I have a more European sensibility toward life and, indeed, food. I like to think that I do as well.

I'm a member of the Slow Food movement. I don't like to cook or bake from a mix. I prefer fresh flavors and seasonal fare. I adore ethnic food (if it's Asian, I'm there), but can let me Southern roots shine in the kitchen as well (my banana pudding will make you wanna smack yo' mama).

With the plethora of receipts in my possession that are not already bound in some delicious and inspiring tome, I have tried and tried to come up with a system of organization that reflects my personality and my way of thinking when it comes to cooking. I know what I want, but haven't found the perfect means of achieving it.

First off, I want ultimate, master receipts. I make a mean cheesecake and hardly ever do it the same way. I want an entry entitled cheesecake, with all of the basics needed and then all of the variations. I want the entry to be filed under desserts, but I also want it to be filed under baked goods. I want it filed under its main ingredients, cream cheese to be sure, but also under various themes that I have employed in the past, by flavor, etc. I want an image, a delicious image. I want the receipts to all be in one handy place. And I want to be able to go to that place and find the receipts of a particular type easily. If I know that I want cheesecake, then I want to see all of the cheesecakes. If, on the other hand, I have some cream cheese or some lemons, I want to see all of my recipes that include cream cheese or lemons.

And there's the rub. So far, the best I've been able to come up with is a binder with the recipes in sheet protectors. But when you go to organize them by ingredient and theme, it gets tiresome. You need multiple copies of the same item, and I don't want that. They don't all have pictures, in fact most don't. I don't like the way they look with notes scribbled in the margins. I just don't like it. But I do want a fabulous book of fabulous receipts.

I don't want to wait until I have that fabulous book to have my fabulous collection. So a new blog is in order. I struck upon it last evening on the drive home. What I want is exactly like a blog. A blog gives me space to comment and note without it being sloppy. A blog gives me a place for a gorgeous image of my own. And I can tag the entries with the different themes and ingredients, allowing me to search by the tags. And it's a wonderful way for me to share recipes with friends.

So now there is In the Kitchen with Krafty Bitch. Please enjoy.