Spiced Lentil Dip

I've made this a couple of times for parties in the last couple of months. The best part of this recipe is that you can make it from left over lentils.

Lentils:

2 cups lentils (any color)

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

3-6 cups chicken stock (any flavor stock will work)

I usually cook my lentils in a pressure cooker with about 6 cups of liquid, for approximately 30 minutes. If you want to use a regular pot you will need less liquid (maybe only three cups, but enough to cover the lentils and vegetables) and your cook time will probably increase to an hour. Simmer lentils until they are soft and starting to fall apart.

I serve these lentils the first time around with sausages for dinner. With the left overs I make the following dip. You can serve it with either tortilla chips or toasted pita squares.

Dip:

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

about 1 inch fresh ginger, grated

(I store my ginger in the freezer. It keeps much longer and is much easier to grate)

1/4 of a whole nutmeg, grated

(You could use 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, but I really like grating it myself. The flavors are much stronger and the whole nutmegs keep longer)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add cumin, coriander, ginger, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. And lentils and cayenne pepper (to taste) and cook until warmed through, at least 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and serve with tortilla chips or toasted pita squares.

This recipe is modified from http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/african-spiced-lentil-dip.

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette on Deviled Egg Layers

To fend off scurvy last night we made a grilled chicken salad that was out of this world. He took a whole chicken, cut it up into quarters, seasoned it with the rub listed below, and grilled it.

Chicken Rub:

1/4 cup paprika

1/8 cup salt

15 peppercorns

1 clove of garlic

olive oil

Grind the paprika, salt, peppercorns, and garlic together in a food processor. Slowly add olive oil until the mixture just holds together.

I made a creamy balsamic vinaigrette. The recipe was modified from a wonderful cookbook called, "from the cooks garden" by Ellen Ecker Ogden.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 large garlic clove

1/2 cup olive oil

Blend all together in the food processor. You really need to use the food processor; I tried to whisk it together by hand and I couldn't get the olive oil to blend it. Plus if you use the food processor, you don't need to chop the garlic up.

Smoked Poblano and Butternut Squash Soup

I had the smoker fired up last weekend to smoke a bunch of pork and decided to roast as many peppers as I could find too. This soup came from the really yummy smoked poblanos......

Important notes:

1. This soup was too spicy for me to eat. I can only handle medium spice levels. I did add a bunch more squash and cream the next day to reduce the heat and the taste was not as fabulous.

2. You are going to blend everything together in the end, so don't worry to much about chopping everything to the exact size listed.

2 medium butternut squash

2 T butter

3 onions, roughly chopped

2 T cumin seeds

6 or 7 smoked poblano peppers

6 cups broth (vegetable, chicken or pork would work)

Smoke peppers for approximately 4 hours or until they start to wilt and brown a little. Remove stems and seeds and cut into roughly 1-inch strips.

Roast whole squash in the oven at 350 for about an hour, or until they are soft and the outside is starting to brown. Let it cool slightly and remove seeds, skin, etc. Cut squash into roughly 2-inch cubes.

Carmelize the onions in butter over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until they are just starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Add cumin and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add poblanos and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add squash and broth and increase heat to high until soup comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors. Puree soup (I use a food processor) and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

This is similar to Andrea's, but I had a request for it, so I thought I'd post it for others.

3/4 t salt

1/2 t dried rosemary

1/4 t black pepper

3 cups butternut squash, cubed

6 slices bacon, cooked

1 cup thinly sliced onions

8 oz penne pasta, cooked

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

3/4 cups shredded provolone cheese

1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine 1/4 t salt, rosemary and pepper. Place squash on a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle with spices. Bake for 45 minutes.

Increase oven temp to 450.

Saute shallots in bacon grease; then combine with bacon and cooked squash.

Combine flour and remaining salt in a dutch over (or other heavy bottomed pot) over medium heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Cook one minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone to the milk, and stir until the cheese melts. Add the cooked pasta.

Spoon pasta and sauce mixture into a buttered 9x13 baking pan. Top with squash mixture, then parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until the parmesan begins to brown.

Squash Hazelnut Lasagna

'Tis the season for butternut squash! I made this lasagna for the pre-marathon dinner party last weekend and my friend Zach claims it is a big part of the reason he qualified for Boston. Congrats to Zach and everyone else who completed a marathon this fall!

This recipe was modified from one I found on epicurious. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-and-Hazelnut-Lasagne-105911

Filling:
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 cup hazelnuts

Sauce:
3 cloves garlic, chopped small
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Assembly:
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 package lasagna sheets, cooked as instructed

Make filling:

1. Saute onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add squash, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, about 15 minutes.
3. While the squash is cooking, toast the hazelnuts. After they have cooled slightly, wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and rub the skins off. Coarsely chop the nuts.
4. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts. Cool filling.

Make sauce:

1. Saute garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes.
3. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.
4. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat.

Assemble lasagna:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 3-quart baking dish) and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets.
3. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese.
4. Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese.
5. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.
6. Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagna in middle of oven 30 minutes.
7. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagna stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

To travel with the lasagna I baked it for 30 minutes (covered) and then let it cool and stored it in the fridge. I used the remaining 10-15 minutes baking time to reheat the lasagna before serving. Since it was cold to start it probably took more like 30-45 minutes for the lasagna to get golden and bubbly.