Lentils

Sometimes I just end up craving lentils.  Not sure why or how, but it just has to happen.  This time of year that means a more western lentil soup; in the spring for whatever reason that tends to be dal instead.

This time I just went 'sperimenting (again based on what I had around the house).  Worked like a charm, kept in the refrigerator, and reheated perfectly.

Any good lentils should start with bacon.  In this case, six slices, chopped and then crisped in a stock pot.

To that, add about six stalks of celery, chopped and the same amount of carrot.  Onions would be traditional here but, well, I didn't have any.  Or any garlic; powder had to do there.

And then the fun starts: melt all that together along with two diced jalapenos and one red bell pepper (slightly larger bits are fine here).

In a separate pan, brown a pound of kielbasa and add to the stock pot when maillarded properly.

Retain the fat, though, and roast another sliced red pepper (and two more jalapenos; why not) in it before adding that all in together.

Add:

• about 3/4 pound of lentils
• chicken broth
• water if needed
• balsamic vinegar
• one can of tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh parsley or mustard greens on top and a dense bread on the side.  Perfect for a slightly chilly day.

Basic beef stir fry

(Part 3 (1 is here; 2 is here) of what I've taken as a challenge from my cousin.)

Since I can't sleep, I might as well write, right?

I'm assuming that I got my taste for noodles with stir fry from my mother who got it from Taiwan.  Most parts of China and southeast Asia would insist on rice instead.  So we'll go with rice this time.

First, get your rice started.  Do it as you will.  I'm not violently opposed to rice cookers even.  But a stove top Basmati really is better.

Basic ingredients:

• Beef, sliced thin.  Preferably a cut without too much gristle.
• Bell peppers, sliced as you like, but I also like to do long and thing for this
• Water chestnuts, lightly chopped
• Bok choy, chopped
• Ginger, garlic, the usual

Also have on hand and ready:

• Rice wine vinegar
• Soy sauce, and please use some type without MSG and with salt
• Sugar
• Corn starch
• Water

Heat your wok.  Add oil -- preferably peanut at this stage.  Maillard the beef; it shouldn't take long.  White sesame seeds are optional at this point but oh so tasty.  Remove and set aside.

Wipe the wok with a paper towel once it's cool enough to do so.

Add about a 50/50 blend of sesame oil and, if you can find it, Mongolian hot oil.  Vegetable time, but only go about half way through the cooking process.  Usual order; start with garlic, add ginger, add peppers, add water chestnuts.  Then bring the heat way down.

And this is where we develop the sauce.  It's pretty much to taste, but the listed ingredients will give you an idea of where to start.  Both the sugar and the corn starch will thicken, and the water is obviously there to make sure it isn't too thick.

When you're happy with the sauce, turn the heat back up a bit, add the beef, and toss in the chopped bok choy.  If you've timed it right, the rice should be about done as well.

And that's a meal.

Simple med pasta

I'm not going to claim this is Italian or French or Greek or what have you; it isn't.  But it tastes good?

Chicken

Take a few frozen chicken breasts, chunk them up (it's just easier when they're frozen) and thaw in a a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, and perhaps some oregano (but don't overdo that; not only will there be more later but it's easy to overdo).

Pasta

Farfalle and especially campanaelle seem especially suited to this mix, but any short, robust pasta will do.  Get your water going, salt it, etc.  Toss in your pasta.

Sauce

Maillard the chicken in a saute pan.  Add chopped garlic (obviously?), finely chopped jalapenos (technically optional), sliced red onions, chunked bell peppers (preferably red), and let that all heat through while the chicken reaches full temp.

Season with more oregano, black pepper, and some basil.  Powdered works here just fine.

Add a can of diced tomatoes, juice and all.  Let that reduce a bit; shouldn't take long.

Add chopped Greek olives (kalamata being the obvious choice), cut the heat, add the pasta, and crumble generous amounts of feta while the mixture is still warm.

Serve.  This can easily stand alone but does wonderfully with some sort of cucumber salad.

Arroz con pollo

So one of the major ways I've learned to cook random things is to read about a half dozen sources, integrate the knowledge, and finally try something.  That's pretty much what happened here.  Sources include Dent, Cook's Illustrated, and the interwebs.

The concept, brought up by Cook's, was to do a decent to good arroz con pollo in a single pot.  This is harder than it sounds but far from impossible.

The pot

Cast iron dutch ovens are magic.  Especially when well-seasoned.  Nothing bar nothing translates better from the stove top to the oven.

The marinade

First step is to get your chicken marinating.  This worked for me:

• Chopped garlic.  Lots.
• White wine vinegar.  Straight white vinegar ought to work.
• Dried oregano
• A bit of cumin
• Chicken, of course.  I used breasts, four of them,  because I just always use breasts....

Let all that sit for some time; probably over an hour and less than three.

Start the process

Add oil to your dutch oven, heat it, chunk up an onion, and saute.

Take the heat up and brown your marinated chicken on all sides, reserving the marinade.

To the marinade, add:

• 1 bag frozen peas.  No, seriously.
• 1 container of extra hot green chile (I happen to like Bueno; nothing tastes quite like pure hatch)

After the chicken has browned (god bless the Maillard reaction) add:

• Remaining marinade with additions
• 2 cans or one box of chicken broth
• Red pepper flakes if so desired
• 4 tomatoes, nicely chunked up
• Roughly 3 cups of rice (short or medium grain would be traditional but use what you have)

Bring that to a boil, cover it, and toss it in the oven at 350 for half an hour or so.

Pull that out, toss it up, and you've got quite the meal.  Serve with perhaps cilantro or pico de gallo.