I Am Iron, Man

Does anyone else feel like lentils don't get the attention they deserve? For some reason over the years they've become the Jan Brady of legumes, only popping up on menus alongside the occasional poached salmon or in a curried soup during the winter months. They remain ignored during the rest of the year, pushed to the back of the pantry, save for the possible summer lentil salad. Beans and chickpeas seem to benefit from the attention they get in purees and hummus, not to mention from being easily available (and affordable) in canned form. Lentils are best when made fresh, which has unfortunately put them on the opposite end of the spectrum from their more popular legume friends. They're seen by many as taking too long to make and requiring too much maintenance.

But the truth about lentils is that they're not nearly as fussy as many cookbooks would have you believe. The old adage that lentils must soak overnight in order to render them edible is completely false and often leads to mushy results. The overarching mother-of-all-lentil-myths however is that they need any help at all to cook relatively quickly. Many recipes suggest a cooking time of 45+ minutes which is absolutely ridiculous. Provided they are cooked properly (with plenty of water and a in a nice large pot to swim in), lentils should take no more than 30 minutes of cooking time, max. And don't even get me started on those delicious French green lentils. With their compact shape and gorgeous slate coloring, they cook up in 20-25 minutes, even in large batches. They hold their shape well and have a wonderful toothsome quality that make them perfect for any type of dish.

Knowing that the whole soaking-then-overcooking business is a sham, I've always had several varieties of lentils on hand in case of emergency. Because they're packed with iron and fiber, lentils provide great heart healthy energy and make a wonderful substitute for protein. I like a big bowl of lentil salad before evening exercise (like a late-night volleyball game) for that extra bit of energy that won't weigh me down. They're also great for folks like myself that are anemic and need all the extra iron they can get, but who don't want a steak for dinner every night.

As a kid I longed for visits to Spain and my grandmother's kitchen where the best lentil soup lived. True to the Spanish way of doing things it was chock full of smoked paprika, both the sweet and spicy variety, along with heaps of garlic, chunks of potato, chorizo and Spanish iberico ham. Like Goldilocks I've spent my adult days searching for the lentil soup that's "just right" but the truth is they're all too watery, too thick or just plain wrong. Not one of them holds a candle to hers, all of them lacking in either flavor or texture. So one night as I found my fridge empty of proteins and brimming with vegetables and bacon, I decided to challenge myself to recreating the soup at home. After all, why should I expect to find it anywhere else?

After a little noodling around with ingredients I managed to make it work. While I didn't have any chorizo on hand I still managed to capture the essence of the soup, including the spot on consistency. I used a neat little trick for thickening that you should definitely try if you'd like an alternative to a fatty (albeit delicious) roux. A mere tablespoon of breadcrumbs toasted in a few drops of olive oil will do the trick just as well, and without all that flour and butter. It's my favorite way to thicken soups and stews, and can even help with seasoning if your soup is a little bland (simply use seasoned breadcrumbs instead of plain). So I encourage everyone out there that's dubious about lentils to please give them a shot. Try buying smaller lentils like the French green variety that cook quickly and have a thinner skin. Despite being a tiny bit more costly than large brown lentils (which can be as cheap as 99 cents for a pound) they're still a relative bargain. I buy several pounds in bulk for less than 5 bucks and they last forever. This soup is a great introduction, and makes for unbelievable leftovers.

Spanish-Style Lentil Soup

1-1/2 cup French green lentils (or other small lentil)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (not tomato paste)
3 small carrots, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp smoked sweet paprika (pimentón)
1/2 Tbsp smoked hot paprika (pimentón picante)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 dried bay leaf
1 Tbsp breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Garnish: chopped parsley (optional)

1. Cook bacon in a large soup pot until crispy and browned. Remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain. Add onion, garlic and carrots to the pot along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium-low heat until softened (not browned), then remove pot from heat and allow the mixture a few minutes to cool (this is necessary so the paprika doesn't burn--do not skip this step).

2. Add both types of paprika and the cumin to the pot and cook over low heat for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add stock, lentils, tomato puree, and the bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook covered about 15 minutes (the lentils will only be half cooked), then add the potatoes. Cover and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes or until lentils are done and potatoes are tender.

3. Meanwhile, heat breadcrumbs and the remaining teaspoon olive oil in a small non-stick skillet and toast breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, tossing frequently to avoid burning. Once the lentils are done, add breadcrumbs to the soup and stir to combine. Allow the mixture 5 minutes to cook together and thicken, and served topped with fresh chopped parsley and crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!

-Laura 

Mon Petit Chou, Part Deux

I'm not sure about where you live, but the weather here in NYC has slowly been getting milder, and with it my impatience for spring and it's culinary bounty have hit an all-time high. My last visit to the farmers market for fresh produce was met with little more than the remnants of winter roots, and I left with a bag full of cabbage and the hope that my new herb plants could tide me over until conditions improved. So this week, as the temperature rose to a lovely spring-like 60 degrees, I found myself wishing for something more than the ugly reminders of winter sitting in my fridge. But since that's what I had and I didn't want it to go to waste, I figured I'd just have to find a way to work with what was hopefully the last of my winter supply. Inspired by the recent festivities of St. Patrick's Day, I figured I could take my leftover tiny head of cabbage and make a modern (and significantly tastier) cabbage soup. And since I don't believe in simply boiling bacon (how could they mess that one up?), I decided to make mine chock full of meaty goodness.

This is a really great way to use up an entire head of cabbage without feeling as if you're going to OD on the stuff. I don't really know anyone that looks forward to a big, fat plate of cabbage, so a soup is a natural vehicle for making it more palatable. The first time I had cabbage soup was during a cold and rainy trip through Ireland. I was a college student at the time and was told that the best way to see Ireland in a weekend was to take a bus tour. And so, I spent two and a half days on a bus that improbably wound it's way through dirt roads and up the many rolling green hills of Ireland, spilling gas and exhaust all over the ruins and ancient abbeys where we paused. There was almost no food and lots of Irish whiskey, until our last day when the tour guide/bus driver/purveyor of whiskey insisted we eat a proper Irish dinner at a proper Irish pub. The options seemed bleak (has no one in Ireland heard of frying?), but ever the intrepid foodie, I went full force, ordering the cabbage and boiled bacon soup. Needless to say, it was bland and managed to make bacon look and taste worst than the sole of my shoe. I was put-off from any soup containing cabbage for years, but have recently redeemed the poor vegetable as one that needs a little more TLC to reach it's full potential.

And so I began by browning the sausage (chicken-apple) then removing it and sauteing the cabbage in the sausage oil and brown bits until it was slightly wilted. Then I added thinly sliced garlic, rosemary, and a hint of salt and pepper. Once it was reduced in volume (by half) and half cooked, I added some tomato paste, parsley and a hint of paprika. Then I added the beans and chicken broth, bringing the whole thing to a boil until the cabbage softened a bit more, but still had a tiny bit of bite (no mushy cabbage here!). The sausage went back into the pot and the whole dish was ready to be served. I made this as a quick after work dinner (all done in 30 minutes), with canned beans, but you could certainly use fresh beans for that slow cooked taste and thick, starchy consistency. It's really well rounded with the tiniest hint of spice, and could be even more filling and hearty for colder days with the addition of a few potatoes. Here's my recipe, I hope it helps tide you over until Spring is officially here!

Cabbage Soup With Sausage, Chorizo And White Beans

1 small head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1 15 oz can of white beans (cannellini beans or great northern), rinsed and drained

4 cups of chicken broth

2 mild flavored sausages (I used chicken-apple), sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 dry chorizo, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

1/2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary

extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

1. In a soup pot, brown sausage (not chorizo) in olive oil until dark and crispy on the outside. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add cabbage to the pot and saute until slightly wilted and reduced in volume by half. Add garlic and rosemary and saute until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Stir in tomato paste and paprika and  cook until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Add beans, chorizo and broth and bring to a boil. Cook until cabbage is done (not mushy, with a little bite), and add the sausage before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

-Laura

Get Your Green On, Part II

I cannot get enough of greens. It may have something to do with the lack of heat in my apartment as the temperature dips below 45 degrees at night, or perhaps because I've been battling a second round of sore throat, but I've been crazily craving greens. Two weeks ago I made a delicious and super fragrant dish of kale with fall spices. Last week, as I shivered beneath my wool blanket I began to think about another great way to make greens. We've all heard of collards slow cooked with smoked ham hocks, so I figured (possibly in a frost bitten state of hallucination), why not try replicating these flavors in a faster, simpler, easier dish, with a quick cooking green?

While spinach would have been super fast and very healthy, I still had an entire bunch of beautiful red kale sitting in my fridge. It takes slightly longer to cook than other greens --probably because it's actually a wild type of cabbage and not actually a "green"--but it's very good for you, which is why it's a common ingredient in vegan cooking. It's hyper-rich in Vitamins A and C, and is being extensively researched as a possible cancer preventer. All of these amazing health benefits aside, it's actually super tasty and has a nice crunch and bite that other greens don't. So instead of taking the sweet-meets-savory route that I did last time, I figured I'd make that nice, hearty collards and hammocks inspired dish with some fresh chorizo and smoky bacon. And since it'd been a while since I added a little Spanish twist to something, I decided to saute the whole dish in some paprika and garlic infused olive oil.

I started out by cooking up the bacon in a nonstick skillet, then removing it to a plate and cooking up the chorizo in the bacon drippings and then removing that to a plate with the bacon. Then I created a simple refrito, which is just garlic cooked in olive oil until just before it starts to brown, with a tablespoon of paprika added to the oil after it cools down off of the heat. Then I started sautéing the kale in batches on medium-low heat (paprika can burn easily, so don't be tempted to turn it up much higher). Once it all cooked down so the whole bunch fit in the pan, I added some wine, malt vinegar and water (apple cider or juice would be delicious too!). After covering it and lowering the heat so it could slowly wilt and cook down, it was ready to be served. I added the meats back in, tossed it all together then served it up. There was hardly any effort involved at all, and I had a big heaping plate of healthy greens by the end of it (despite the chorizo and bacon). It was so hearty, I didn't even end up grilling the steak I meant to eat with it, I just ate the whole plate of greens. Here's the final recipe:

Spanish Style Red Kale with Chorizo and Bacon

1 bunch red kale (green would do as well, but takes less time to cook)
1 fresh chorizo sausage, casing removed
4 strips of bacon, roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp malt vinegar (cider vinegar would also work)
1/3 cup water
salt
pepper

1. Cook bacon in a large non-stick skillet until crispy and remove to a plate. Add chorizo to skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until done. Remove to plate with bacon.

2. Add olive oil to pan if there are not enough drippings (I needed about 2 tablespoons) in the pan, along with the garlic. Cook on medium-low heat until just starting to brown, then remove from heat. When the oil has stopped sizzling, add paprika to oil and stir to combine (this is called a refrito).

3. Return pan to heat and add kale in batches until it all fits in the skillet. Add white wine and vinegar and cook covered until kale is wilted and cooked through (about 10-15 minutes). Add bacon and chorizo, pepper, and taste for salt (mine only needed a pinch). Serve and enjoy!

-Laura

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Although I now find him kind of creepy, my mother informs me that I once watched Mr. Rogers, the kind old man that changed his shoes and welcomed us into his home. And while I always found it a bit odd that the king and his magical kingdom were down by the train tracks, I always appreciated that Mr. Rogers brought us into his home and took us on exciting field trips to the crayon factory. As you may have noticed, I've been missing in action for the last few days due to my mother's visit. Despite there being less cooking in my kitchen, there's been action aplenty in my favorite room. So, inspired by Mr. Rogers and what was evidently quite the ghetto neighborhood, today I'm putting on my cardigan and welcoming you into my kitchen.


There's been a lot going on, starting with a few gifts from the east. Along with some new summer dresses, my mother's suitcase came bearing a number of culinary gifts. The first is one of my favorite spices of all time--and the much lauded "world's most expensive spice"--saffron. Although it is quite expensive everywhere, it is definitely more affordable in Spain where some of it is actually harvested. I was running incredibly low on my supply, so this was a very welcome addition to my spice rack. A little goes a long way with this fragrant spice, so inside one large container are 20 tiny capsules containing 25 grams of ground saffron, more than enough for one large dish. This will also cut down on cooking time since I won't have to grind or bloom it before use.


The second new arrival in my kitchen was spicy smoked paprika (pimenton picante). I routinely use what in Spain is called pimenton dulce, or sweet smoked paprika, but rarely use the spicy kind, which adds a good bit of heat and smoke to any dish. I generally use this spicy and smoky type of paprika in smaller quantities and in dishes like lentils and hearty chickpea stews. I wouldn't put it in everything, and would definitely use it sparingly compared to the sweet variety. It's not nearly as hot as say, cayenne pepper, but between the heat and smoke, it could easily mask the flavor of other ingredients. I generally find that good Spanish paprika is both hard to find and very expensive in the US, so I was very excited to receive this even harder to find version.


The most exciting new development to report was almost a week in the making and involves heavy duty machinery. Like a good daughter, I took off a few days from work to spend time with my mother. I figured we'd rest, relax, maybe even do some shopping. But it appears that I was cooking in a subpar kitchen (according to mommy dearest) and that was unacceptable, so instead we spent the last five days running around the city purchasing a set of pots and pans (which I actually really needed) and a lovely wall mounted pot rack. I've always dreamed of having one of these, and my mother insisted that due to the lack of storage in my kitchen, the time had come for me to have one. I warned her of the troubles I'd had with the walls in my Hell's Kitchen apartment, from foam filled walls to cement walls and everything in between, hanging something on my walls is a risk with perpetually unexpected consequences. She insisted that together we could figure our way through anything, and not wanting to burst her bubble, I caved and purchased the very heavy pots and their new wall mounted rack.

After several hanging attempts throughout the week and the weekend, it became clear that my girly arms would no longer cut the installation mustard. So, we made our way to the hardware store and purchased a heavy duty electric drill and the necessary bits. Two days later it became clear that what we were dealing with the likes of a very tough brick wall. I was downtrodden and disappointed, sure that I'd have to find an alternate way to organize the pots and pans (while secretly saying 'I-told-you-so'), but my mother was undeterred. She insisted that despite the Memorial Day holiday, we should visit a Home Depot and purchase a large brick and concrete drill bit and masonry anchors. Crumbling under the pressure after five days of hard labor, I agreed. After making the necessary purchases and demanding a small shoe shopping break, we got back to the house and got to work. I was ultimately able to get the rack up after sweating it out with the ridiculously large drill and drill bit (I haven't bought an AC unit yet). Check out the final product, which I'm actually very happy with:


And to wrap up the post, an update I kept meaning to post but never seemed to remember. I purchased a new teapot (R.I.P. electric kettle) that can be seen below. It's the Live Strong edition of the classic Chantal line of teapots (hence the yellow), and I absolutely love it. I'll be back in a few days with some more posts (hopefully more exciting than my new teapot), including a restaurant review that I've been holding onto for a while. In the meantime, check out my brand new teapot:


-Laura

It Isn't Easy Being Green

It was widely rumored that when Victoria Beckham was asked how she liked living in Spain, she responded by saying that the whole country smelled like garlic and paprika. While I can't say that I agree, I think it's pretty obvious from my recipes that they are two of the most prevalent ingredients in Spanish cooking. That's why it shouldn't be a surprise that they make an appearance twice over in today's recipe.

Since yesterday we had a vegetarian Thanksgiving side dish, I thought today we'd do one Spanish style, with slightly meatier tendencies. The dish includes chorizo, a pork sausage seasoned with both paprika and garlic, making it a wonderful ingredient to pep up any soup or vegetable side dish. Paprika and garlic are also used in seasoning the whole dish, so they're doing double duty today. I used long, pre-washed green beans not only to speed up the recipe, but to make sure that I could use them all up before leaving the house for Thanksgiving.

My mother always made a similar recipe around the holidays, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to buy the serrano ham that goes into her version, since I didn't want to add anything else to my fridge that might spoil over the weekend (it's soooo not in my budget right now anyway). But by all means, add some ham or bacon in with the chorizo, you'll be happy you did. This dish cooks pretty quickly because there are two methods of cooking at play. First, the green beans are sautéed with olive oil, and then they're steamed in a bit of stock. Naturally, since I was without bacon, I used pork stock, but it's perfectly fine to use vegetable or chicken stock as I usually do.

This recipe doesn't just have to be a side dish, it can also be a pasta dish. If you leave the paprika out of the oil, all you have to do is toss in your favorite kind of cooked pasta and you're done! Maybe add in some chickpeas, or mushrooms, or green peas...the add-ins are endless. I've always thought of green beans as the second class citizens of Thanksgiving, but I definitely feel like this recipe would stand out and bring them to the forefront of dinner like they did at my house for so many years. Give them a try and let me know what you think. Here's what you need:

Green Beans with Chorizo

12 oz long green beans (about 3 cups)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 chorizo sausages, diced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 cup stock (pork, chicken, or vegetable)
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a medium pan. When the garlic just starts to get golden, remove pan from heat and allow oil to cool.

2. Once cooled, add the paprika and return pan to heat. Once the oil starts to bubble, add the chorizo, green beans, salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, then lower heat to medium and add stock. Cover the pan and allow to steam until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep garlic from sticking.

3. When the green beans are done, check for salt (I've always had to add a little more) and plate. Enjoy!

**This will be the last post until after Thanksgiving. I know, I know, what will you read when you're hiding from your extended family? Well, I guess it'll be something else, but feel free to check out my archives :) Don't fret though, I will be documenting my Thanksgiving dinner, complete with deep fried turkey. Seriously, I plan on eating all of that crunchy skin. Try and stop me! Also, I always make the mashed potatoes, so stay tuned for that recipe, and we'll see if I can't get in on the green beans as well. Happy Thanksgiving!!

-Laura