Spicy Red Lentil Chili

I realize I've put everything about Ithaca on a pedestal, which I suppose is natural because it's my home, and I miss it. On the day I made this recipe it was 6o degrees in DC and beautiful while upstate New York was overcast and covered in a layer of snow, but I still found myself wishing I was home to wade through the slushy parking lot of Wegmans and go grocery shopping. I mean seriously, what?! That doesn't even make sense.

My perpetual homesickness luckily led me to search Wegmans recipes online, and I was able to download one of my absolute favorites: spicy red lentil chili. I'll confess, had I known I could make this soup myself I would have stopped buying it years ago because pre-made soup is ridiculously expensive compared to the cost of the actual ingredients, but now I can have it whenever I want-- you should, too. Disclaimer: my version is slightly different, and maybe tastier? I left out the Tobasco, chili powder, and green pepper.

Ingredients (makes about 7 cups):

1 cup red lentils
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
2 tbsp. garlic cloves, chopped (this measurement was a little unclear to me, but I think I ended up using 6 large cloves)
1 medium tomato, diced
2 cups vegetable stock, plus 2 cups water 
1/8 tsp. tumeric
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne (note: I used 1/4 tsp. and it was verryyy spicy... I think in the future I would use somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. corn starch

Bring lentils and 2 cups water to a boil; promptly remove from heat and put half of the lentils and liquid into a blender. Let it cool for several minutes, and then blend for approximately 1 minute. Set lentils aside.

Melt butter; add onion and saute for about 2 minutes, until soft. Add celery and garlic- cook for 5 minutes, and then add tomato. Cook for 5 more minutes and add stock, water, and spices. Bring to a simmer, and add lentils. Cook for 15 minutes until lentils are tender. Stir cornstarch with 2 tbsp. water and add to pot. Remove from heat and serve.

I ate mine with warm pita that I brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt... the combination was delicious! But when has warm pita ever been bad?

Just another day

I've been the least creative person in the kitchen lately; all I want to eat is refried beans and banana soft-serve. It's become a bit of a problem. Last night I half-heartedly attempted to make something new, but I ended up using all the same ingredients I always use when I cook anything, so I guess I'm a failure? It was delicious though: spicy quinoa and black beans (with a crap ton of cumin, of course), topped with roasted sweet potato, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. So good!

 

And, cue the hallelujah chorus, it's back:  

Maybe this week I won't eat over 10 frozen bananas.

TWENTY SIX

In case y'all are wondering what I did on my actual birthday...

I drank a glass of chardonnay and burned my new soy candle (thanks, Mom!)

I spent $9 on a small container of curried chickpeas from the Lebanese deli down the street.

I ate left over carrot cake from my early birthday celebration with my family.

I ended the night with an episode of Lost, which has really helped develop my fear of being kidnapped while pregnant. Awesome! Why, oh why can't I stop watching.... 

Yep, there's nothing quite like being closer to 30 than 20.

Comfort Food

Before Nate visits I spend a good portion of my time wishing he wouldn't, because I don't want to say goodbye to him again.

I know that sounds backwards, and perhaps it's an indication of my irrational anxiety; in any case, it's probably one of the hardest things about being in a long distance relationship for me. Even before we get to spend time together I'm dreading the moment when we don't. It feels like a never ending cycle of anticipation and then let-down... when he's here I feel like my real life can finally begin, and then we say goodbye and I start waiting for him to come again.

I always find it hard to function the day he leaves, so for dinner on Monday I made something that I felt like I'd been craving (even though I never had it before). There are lots of recipes for shrimp and grits online but they all sounded kind of intense and super high in fat, so I created my own, simplified version:

Shrimp & Grits (serves 1)

18 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp. creole seasoning (I made my own by combining 1/4 tsp. each of salt and paprika, then a pinch each of onion powder, black pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme- yield: about 1 tsp.)
juice from one lemon wedge
1 tbsp. butter 
1/3 cup white grits
salt to taste
extra sharp cheddar cheese to taste, cut into cubes (I cut about 1 inch off a standard block of cheddar)

Method:

Prepare grits according to package instructions- I just use salt and water, but you can use milk and butter too. Instant grits can be made in the microwave but they aren't quite as good as the stove top version... although making grits on the stove is time consuming because you have to stir them pretty frequently. Okay, clearly I'm undecided on this issue.

Rinse shrimp and put them in a small bowl. Squeeze lemon over them, and stir in seasoning. Set aside until the grits are ready.

Transfer the prepared grits to a bowl and add cheddar cheese. Stir and set aside.

Melt butter in a small fry pan and add the shrimp once it bubbles. Saute shrimp for several minutes until pink. Drain off the butter (trust me) and then add the shrimp to the bowl of grits. The cheese should be melted and gooey but not completely mixed into the grits, and the shrimp should be flavorful but not greasy. The combination is incredible; it almost made me forget that I'm going to have to say goodbye to Nate again in a couple weeks :-)

The other white meat

I don't cook much for Nate when he's in town, which I always feel sad about since it was something we both enjoyed when I lived in Ithaca. Now he says he likes to take me out when he's visiting because I rarely get to do it on my own, and that he'd rather hang out with me than watch me cook. Fine with me! But, in preparation for his visit this weekend I made pulled pork, which is one of his favorites.

I sampled it last night. Oh my gosh, SO GOOD. I followed this recipe almost exactly,  and was totally wowed by how flavorful it was. And juicy! There was so much juice. My only changes: I cut the measurements in half (but used around 2.5 lbs of meat) and added a few squirts of TJ's BBQ sauce to the pot (maybe 2-3 tbsp.)

I've always kind of enjoyed pulled pork more without a bun, which is why it's just an unattractive heap on my plate. Buuut, for Nate I'll serve it with pickles on a crusty roll, and maybe whip up some tangy coleslaw.

Then again maybe I won't, since he'd rather just hang out.

Just like ice cream

What's this, you ask? Oh nothing, just a homemade non-dairy frozen treat that has completely revolutionized my life.

Ingredients:

1.5 large bananas, frozen
splash of almond milk

Method:

Blend banana and almond milk in a food processor until smooth. Add toppings like cinnamon, dried cranberries, and peanut butter. Try not to eat it every single night for 2 weeks straight.

For Jordan

The most wonderful thing about moving to DC has been that I get to see one of my dearest friends at least once a week. This past Saturday, Jordan and I spent most of the day together eating and chatting, and drinking red wine...at lunch. Scratch that, she had a $12 beer. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to live near her!

Because Jamie can't eat chicken and is iffy on seafood Jordan is in need of red meat ideas; hence the title of this post. I've been meaning to write down the recipe for ages (instead of just winging it, in true Rhonda Mapes fashion) and I finally got my act together, although my measurements are still a little vague...

Beef and Mushroom Stew (2-3 servings)

salt and pepper
3-4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 lb. (ish) stew meat
1/3 white onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup red wine
1/8 cup soy sauce
4 oz. sliced white mushrooms (I think... I used half a standard package of whole mushrooms from TJ's)

Put stew meat in a ziploc bag with salt and pepper to taste (several shakes of each). Add flour one spoon at a time and shake until all the meat seems to be evenly coated. Place meat in slow cooker and use your hands to separate the pieces; add more flour, or salt and pepper if the meat looks too bare in places, or until it looks something like this:


Sorry, I'm sort of regretting posting that photo but I feel like it's somewhat necessary. Add the water, wine, soy sauce, onion, and garlic and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. 10 minutes before serving, saute the mushrooms briefly in butter, red wine and soy sauce and add them (without juices) to the slow cooker. Serve this stew with mashed potatoes, or maybe white rice (it kinda sucked with brown). Note: this recipe is mushroom heavy because I'm slightly obsessed... if I was making it for a non-mushroom lover (read: Nathan Lockett) then I would probably cut that amount, and maybe reduce the liquids slightly.

Totally not a typical Gwynne meal, but delicious all the same!