Meatless Magic Meal

I was cold and wanted a simple supper that would warm me to the core.  I wanted easy and satisfying, and I wanted flavor and nutrition.  Oh, and it had to be something everyone would enjoy.   You may think this a steep list of demands for a one-pot dish, but, believe it or not, Kitchri magically fits the bill.

Kitchri is an Indian dish consisting of red lentils and basmati rice – and not a whole lot more.  It gets its flavor from fried onions and garam masala.  Garam masala is an Indian spice blend traditionally containing coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

 

This Spice House carries my usual blend in its whole and ground forms. Theirs uses Moroccan coriander, cardamom from Tamil Nadu, India, Tellicherry pepper, cinnamon, kalonji (aka black cumin) caraway, Zanzibar cloves, China #1 ginger and nutmeg.  (I buy the whole and grind it myself in my spice grinder – aka cheap coffee grinder – on an as needed basis).

I assembled my ingredients and discovered…I was out of the aforementioned seasoning staple.  But…all was not lost.  I happened to have some newly purchased Ras El Hanout.  My cousin, Peter, fell in love with this Middle Eastern spice blend when he was in Morocco with the Peace Corps and, at one point, suggested I give it a try.  Thank goodness I did or my perfect dinner idea would have to be scratched.

 

Ras El Hanout, translated as “Top of the Shop,” is typically made from the best of the spices the merchant has to offer (hence the name).  It contains a range of flavorful ingredients.  My Spice House version is packed with Tellicherry black pepper, cardamom, salt, ginger, cinnamon, mace, turmeric, allspice, nutmeg, and saffron.  It was close enough for me and for my kitchri (but probably my old Indian grandmother – if I had one).

The recipe follows, but please note - only long grain basmati rice will do.  Short grain rice will not break down into the texture required for this dish and instant rice...yuck.  Don't even get me started on that. 

A great (and permissible) shortcut can be found in the aisles of many Asian and Middle Eastern grocery stores.  Instead of frying two onions in the butter (or ghee), sometimes I use half a cup of fried onions - and not the one's used on green bean casserole.  These are sold also as "fried shallots" or Bawang Goreng.  They are usually only a couple of bucks for a poundish (500g) bag and work nicely in a pinch.   

Kitchri
Ingredients:

1c basmati rice (no substitutions on this one!)

1c red lentils

2T butter (or ghee if you have it)

2 onions sliced thin (or .5c fried onions)

5.5c hot water

2-3t salt (to taste)

1.5t garam masala (ground)

Instructions:

-Rinse lentils removing any bad ones or impurities and set aside

-Melt butter in large stock pot over med heat.  When bubbly, add onions (if using) and cook until browned.

-Add rice and lentils and stir constantly for 3 minutes

-Add salt and garam masala (and fried onions if using instead of fresh)

-Turn heat to med-high and add hot water all at once (beware of the hot burst of steam) and give a quick stir.

-Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low.

-DO NOT peak, stir, maim, or harass for 25 minutes until lentils and rice are cooked.

-Stir rapidly to achieve smooth, porridge consistency (add .5c more hot water and cook on low 10 more minutes for softer texture if desired)

-Eat and enjoy!

The flavor might not have been exactly authentic, but the Ras El Hanout was an excellent substitute and had the exotic flavor I craved.  Oh…and as a bonus, it is meat free! 

Fish is Fishy

Tomorrow is Friday; for Catholics everywhere, this means substituting fish for the regularly scheduled meatloaf meal.  However, there are so many questions regarding this particular protein choice nowadays.  Is it sustainable?  Is is wild or farm raised?   Does it contain toxins such as mercury?  Is it what it really says in the wrapper?  Is it fresh?  How do I cook it without ruining it?!  (Psst...see my Parchment paper - not just for the Magna Carta post for a great method)

Confused?  Me too.  Good thing there other suitable protein choices for Fishy Fridays (and any day, really) that need little if any pondering.  

For reference, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of protein for an average, healthy adult is in the neighborhood of 50 grams a day.  This can be gained by eating chicken breast (4oz = 34g) and steak (4oz = 32g) or, for Fishy Fridays, cod (4oz = 26g), salmon (4oz = 30g) and tuna (4oz = 34).  However, for a twist on the main dish, how about lentils (1cup = 18g), yogurt (1cup = 13g), peanut butter (1/4cup = 16g), navy beans (1cup = 16g), or edamame (1 cup = 29g).
 

Eda-what, you say?  Edamame are young, green soybeans.  This Asian favorite (served with icy cold mugs of beer as a bar snack in Japan) is now readily available in the frozen food aisles throughout the US and is delicious eaten straight up or served in a stir fry or salad.  Grab a bag next time you are in the store, drop in lightly salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes (depending on your taste), drain, sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and eat hot or cold. 

Tonight for dinner, my family and I dined on edamame and miso soup made with tofu, wakame (seaweed), and nameko mushrooms.  I estimate we each had 40 grams of muscle building, tissue healing protein between these two nutritious dishes - and they were delicious. (miso paste = 4g per 1oz serving and tofu = 9g per 4oz serving) 

Miso Soup
1 14oz cake tofu (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1/3 oz dried wakame
1 scallion (chopped)
4 cups dashi
4oz red miso

Place dashi in pot, bring to a boil.  Soften miso by adding small amount of hot dashi and add to pot.  Add tofu and wakame and boil briefly until wakame unfurls.  Top with chopped scallions and serve (feeds 4)

If you still want fish - and I do - here are a few "good" choices from both a health and environmenal standpoint: wild-caught Pacific salmon, herring, pollock, sardines and cod. 

Check out this Sustainable Seafood Guide from the Virginia Aquarium: www.virginiaaquarium.com/research-conservation/pages/sensible-seafood.aspx  

(Thanks to www.whfoods.com/ for the protein and fish info.)      

Soup's On!

This time of year I love to make soup.  Maybe it's because it's cold and dreary or maybe it's because many of the "soup veggies" (a.k.a. root cellar veggies) - potatoes, onions, dried beans, carrots, squash, cabbage, greens, parsnips - are in season.

Soup is nutritious and inexpensive and a big ole pot goes a long way (leftovers freeze well or make great lunches).  Consequently, we have soup a few times a week.  A big pot of veggie soup and biscuits is one of my favorites.  I start with V8, tomato juice or homemade stock, dried or fresh herbs (usually parsley, thyme and sage - sorry, no rosemary) and start adding an assortment of veggies - stewed tomatoes, corn, carrots, green beans, cabbage, onions, parsnips - I just keep stuffing whatever I have in the pot (this is a great way to get rid of levtovers too), add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until tender.   

I often use dried legumes for added protein.  I either soak them overnight or simmer them on low all day.  Sometimes I cook double the lentils or beans and scoop out half, cool and freeze for a later date.  

Earlier this week I made navy bean soup.  It was nutritious, delicious and SUPER cheap!  I estimate I paid less than $3 for the whole pot.  $1 for the 28oz can of stewed tomatoes, $1 for the bag of dried beans, and less than $1 for the 1/4 cup of dehydrated onions, salt and pepper, thyme, and the hambone (stashed in the freezer after Christmas).

We also enjoy a big pot of beef and barely soup.  For this, I simmer about two pounds of beef shanks - usually three rounds of beef - in five quarts of water with three bay leaves and 1/4 cube dehydrated onions for several hours until the meat falls off the bone.  Next I skim off the fat and add the barley and cook until tender.  Lastly I add the shredded meat back in along with a 28oz can of stewed tomatoes, a T of worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste (sometimes I add a couple beef or vegetable bullion cubes for a flavor boost).

Tonight, I experimented a little and came up with a real winner.  I started with some ham stock (left from Christmas) and enough water to equal about three quarts, 1/4 cup dehydrated onions and about three pounds (a dozen small) of peeled potatoes sliced into thin rounds.  I let the potatoes cook just until they began to break apart and added the last bit of the Christmas ham from the freezer - maybe 1/2 pound - chopped into small chunks and a pound of chopped mustard greens.  I simmered the soup until the greens were tender but still green and then stirred in 1/2 cup half and half, sprinkled in a little bit of kosher salt and about a t of white pepper.  It was delicious!

Soup is a great way to warm the belly, lighten the grocery bill and make the house smell great!  I say you start with a pot of water, add a little of this and a little of that and end up with a fabulous meal.  Those stone soup guys had it right (just remember to remove the rocks before serving). 

(P.S. I usually pair my soups with either cornbread made in my cast iron skillet handed down to me by my grandmother or drop biscuits that I like to bake in a muffin tin.)