My journey of cooking, gardening, preserving and more
Quinoa is one of those foods that became super trendy, for a while. Super trendy until a lot of people actually tried it and decided they didn’t like it. The first way I ever made it was as a savory side dish, with mushrooms, veggie stock, …
Well, the tomatoes and peppers for my summer garden are on their way. I started my seeds about 2 weeks ago and just thinned them down to 2 plants per pot. I like to start mine in 3 to 4-inch pots because, in my personal …
If you’ve been with me on this journey for a while, then you’ve seen my no-mayo coleslaw recipe, made with cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. In that post, I mention another no-mayo coleslaw recipe that I make and this, finally, is that recipe. If you’ve never had coleslaw without mayo, I hope you’ll give this a whirl. Personally, I find coleslaw that’s made with an oil and vinegar base, instead of mayonnaise, a crisper, more refreshing dish. Let me know your thoughts.
Mix everything together thoroughly in a large bowl and refrigerate. Best if made at least one hour ahead of time.
This is such a simple recipe but it’s just packed with flavor. I always tell you, though – don’t be afraid to play with your food. Toss in some sliced almonds or peanuts for added crunch. Add some finely-chopped jalapeno for a bit of heat. Mix up your cabbages – napa, red, green or even some bok choy. Amp up the vitamin content with some steamed asparagus, broccoli, snow peas, and/or bell pepper. Hate cilantro? Try fresh mint or parsley, instead. Make it colorful and make it your own.
Also, if you’re into sprouts, this is a great salad to throw some into…bean, radish, broccoli…any or all of them are wonderful.
Good, fresh, clean food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. This is such a great salad, bursting with all kinds of good stuff.
Cheers to coleslaw with no mayo! I hope you love it! Enjoy.
There is a beautiful simplicity about homemade pasta. It’s silky, smooth, and delicious. Sometimes I like it with a light sauce and sometimes I crave a heavier bolognese, but no matter what, I love it. And, since I love it so much, I thought it …
I am on a serious mission to create the perfect homemade chewy granola bar. This mission was brought on mostly by the fact that my local grocery store stopped carrying my favorite organic Cascadian Farms Harvest Berry ones. They were seriously one of the very …
Lentils have made a serious comeback in the last year or so. Okay, maybe not a kale-style comeback, but a comeback, nonetheless. I don’t want to turn you off from lentils by telling you this, but lentils are pretty darned good for you. Lentils health benefits include being a good source of soluble fiber and protein, along with being a great source of folate and magnesium. The beauty of black lentils is that they have a nuttier taste than regular legumes, plus their black coloring is thanks to anthocyanins, which is a powerful antioxidant.
Black Lentils are not the easiest thing to find, at least where I live, but I consistently find mine now at Bushel and Peck’s, in Beloit, WI.
Lentils are a member of the legume family but here’s the real beauty: you don’t need to soak lentils before cooking them. This makes them an easy and healthy side (or main, depending on how you prepare them) dish to compliment a quick meal. You can change this recipe up by adding different veggies, just keep the cooking of everything to a minimum, so you don’t end up with mushy veggies and lentils. If you’ve ever wondered how to cook lentils, this recipe is a great way to start.
Black lentils are also called Beluga lentils, due to their resemblance to Beluga caviar. But here’s another bonus: black lentils are much, much cheaper than caviar. Do I have you loving these little black pearls yet?
Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan, over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook just until onions begin to become translucent and carrots begin to soften, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add thyme and lentils and stir well, to coat lentils. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add stock, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir in fresh herbs. Remove from heat, remove the lid, let sit about 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.
You don’t want to over-stir these once the lentils have cooked, or you’ll end up mushing them up, which isn’t very attractive. (But they’re still delicious!)
I really hope this post inspires you to try black lentils. They really are easy and delicious and this is a very easy black lentil recipe to prepare for a weeknight dinner.
I made these the other night as a side to Moroccan-spiced duck breast and braised leeks and they were a perfect, nutty foil to the richness of the duck breast.
Don’t be afraid to try new things and never, ever be afraid to play with your food. This recipe is also great cold, as a side salad. Just add the fresh herbs after you’ve removed the lentils from the heat, so you get the real “fresh herb” flavor.
If you’re looking for a vegetarian ravioli recipe, this mushroom-filled ravioli deliciously fits that bill. This is a little decadent with the lightly-browned butter sauce but it’s worth the indulgence in my book. You can use a mix of whatever mushrooms you like but I’ve …