From our first Thanksgiving: A full Tofurky feast in all its glory.

I knew we HAD to be related when I found out we shared a favorite holiday: yes, the foodiest holiday of all, Thanksgiving!

Donna, we’ve come a long way since our first Thanksgiving together, haven’t we? This was the very first big holiday I got to attend with the rest of your family. I remember being a little worried about being the vegetarian in the midst*. Luckily, even the most traditional turkey dinner includes a veritable cornucopia of hearty sides that are naturally vegetarian, provided that the cooks make note to avoid adding meat products when they’re not central to the dish (i.e. using vegetable stock instead of chicken, etc), and provided that the diner is willing to forego the gravy if necessary. I remember reassuring you that I’d have plenty no matter what, but if we really wanted to go all out, there was always Tofurky.

Yes, for those who haven’t had the pleasure, it’s a stuffed tofu loaf that comes in a box complete with veggie gravy, tempeh drumsticks, and even a Tofurky jerky wishbone. Donna was both generous and game, and set out to procure a Tofurky for me. Lo and behold, it turned out that Tofurky was actually a local product, produced exactly where Donna lived at the time: Hood River Oregon.

We prepared it with love, to the amusement of her other kids (two of whom later became vegetarian themselves), joking that we should create a competing brand, Fauxturkey. And a holiday tradition was born. Little did we know that years later, Donna and I would co-author a tofu cookbook, kicking off our more formal foodie collaboration. Though I no longer eschew meat altogether (as long as it’s well-sourced whenever possible), Tofurky will always have a funky little place in my heart.

Without further ado, let us share some of our favorite recipes from our favorite holiday. Have a wonderful, delicious Thanksgiving, everyone!

BUTTERFLIED TURKEY WITH SPICY POMEGRANATE GLAZE

AWARD-WINNING SALSA WITH CRANBERRIES AND CLEMENTINES

 THANKSGIVING CANDY TURKEYS (Be sure to watch the video!)

ROASTED PUMPKIN & GARLIC SOUP WITH PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME

SMOKY CAULIFLOWER AND POBLANO GRATIN

PUMPKIN POLENTA with SPINACH, PECAN AND CRAISIN TOPPING

*Is no longer fully vegetarian, but still loves to eat much “vegetarian food”, as it’s some of the healthiest and most inventive stuff around.

Orange Nutmeg and Black Pepper Popovers

Popovers don’t have to be bland and tasteless, as proven to me by Anne, from Washington D.C., my Secret Recipe Club blog for November: frommysweetheart.

Consider the combination of the flavors orange, nutmeg and cracked black pepper. In a popover. Are you intrigued? I was!

When I received my assignment to make a recipe from this fun and adventurous food blogger for this month, I knew within the first two minutes of looking at her blog which recipe I had to make: Anne’s Orange Nutmeg Popovers. I have always disliked popovers, because they can be bland, tasteless chewy nothings. A waste of precious calories. But not these popovers.

The flavor combo is fresh and just a little spicy, and in a savory popover it is a perfect blend. These will definitely be on my table during the holidays – maybe more than once. Thanks, Anne!

– posted by Donna

ORANGE NUTMEG POPOVERS

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

zest of 1 large orange

Put the milk, eggs and butter in a blender and combine for about 10 seconds.  Add the flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg and orange zest and blend for another 20 seconds until combined.  Let the batter rest at room temperature for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Position a rack in the center of the oven leaving about 4 inches of space above the pan to allow the popovers to rise.  Generously butter the inside of the tins and place the pan in the oven for about 2 minutes.  Carefully remove the pan and pour the batter into each tin about halfway full.  Place the pan back in the oven and bake until the popovers are firm and golden brown, about 30 minutes.  DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR WHILE THEY ARE COOKING!  (I kept my oven light on to resist this temptation!)  I’ve read that you can prick the popovers with a toothpick when they come out of the oven to prevent them from collapsing.  But to me, they are much like a souffle, and are going to deflate a little anyway. Best served warm from the oven.

Check out posts by other SRC-ers:

Savory Cheddar and Sweet Potato Torte

There is a great debate at our house every year: What form will the sweet potatoes take for Thanksgiving? Usually it is a standoff between the Mashed Fans and the Marshmallow Topped Casserole Fans. Sometimes, I call a truce and make them both.

This year, I decided to try an unusual combo, sans marshmallows, with the sweet tubers and cheddar cheese.

Yes, I know. Sounds weird. But, cheddar works well with regular potatoes, so I figured, why not try it with sweet? Don’t knock this until you try it – the cheddar/cream/hot sauce combo is a perfect flavor match with sweet potatoes, and tones down their sugary character. And the surprise: The cheddar gives this dish an amazing dimension.

Five ingredients plus thin potato slices fanned out in layers and – Voila! – the perfect savory sweet potato dish.

Make this for your foodie feast next week, or heck – why not? – for Meatless Monday.

SAVORY CHEDDAR AND SWEET POTATO TORTE RECIPE

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook time 60 minutes

Serves 6 to 8

1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (I like sharp white cheddar)
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced width-wise into 1/4 inch thick rounds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the cream, salt, pepper and hot sauce.

In a 10 inch springform pan, place a single layer of sweet potato slices on bottom. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons cheese on top. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of cream mixture on top. Repeat four layers, ending with cream on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes or more, until browned on top.

Let stand at room temperature until warm. Remove sides of spring form pan and place on a serving platter.

Here are some other sweet potato revelations by food bloggers:
Healthier Sweet Potato Dishes, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Sweet Potato Kale Pizza, Two Peas and Their Pod
Sweet Potato Waffles, The Perfect Pantry
Sweet Potato Chips, Christine’s Recipes
Sweet Potato Curry, Family Fresh Cooking

– posted by Donna

No-Cook Raw Corn Chilled Soup with Shrimp, Avocado and Cherry Tomato Garnish

About a year ago I discovered raw corn.

Oh, sure, I have feasted for years on the whole-cob hot-and-steamy dripping-butter-to-your-elbows cooked corn. Summer just isn’t complete if you haven’t had your fill of that all-American summer staple. But RAW corn? I never would have tried it in a dish until the last few years of my adventurousness in the kitchen.

Let me tell you what: this soup will make you a believer in raw corn. This is not just any old raw corn recipe. This is Oooh and Aaaahhhhh raw corn. Crave-worthy raw corn. Raw corn to write home about.

This soup, the creation of my culinarily talented mom, Carol, takes minutes to make and yet is sublime and elegant. (Did I just say “elegant” and “corn” in the same post?) I was lucky enough to be in Carol’s kitchen and she and I made it together for the very first time.

Do yourself a huge favor: RUN – do not walk – to your nearest corn stand and scoop up a trunkful of cobs and make this soup. Today. Best summer dish I have had in years!

Carol Hicks and her Raw Corn Chilled Soup

– posted by Donna

“Cooking” is synonymous with “love” in Carol’s kitchen. Each meal is custom made to fit you. What you love, what you need, what fits you perfectly will be found there. No matter what weird diet you’re on, what odd thing you’re craving, she will make the earth move to get that to you on a plate.

I was lucky enough to be in  mom’s kitchen in my home town of Tucson, Arizona recently. Sure, Mom always has the old stand-bys but she also is always trying new things, new recipes,  and experimenting to make her food healthier, yummier, better. I thumbed through her cookbook collection and each book was stuffed with recipes from magazines, internet and newspapers. There are lots of yummy things on Carol’s “Must-Try” list. I wish I were there to try them all!

This visit there was Corn Soup that mom and I made together. Not just any corn soup, but a no-cook raw corn soup served with diced shrimp, avocados and cherry tomatoes. It was absolutely sublime, and I just had to share here.

So, whip out your blender and make this amazing feast in a bowl. I’m betting you will feel that same zen I feel every time I am in Carol’s kitchen.

 NO-COOK CHILLED RAW CORN SOUP 
with SHRIMP, CHERRY TOMATO AND AVOCADO GARNISH

Total Time 20 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

5 or 6 large ears of corn
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup 2 per cent milk
3 tablespoons lime juice (juice from 2 limes)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound cooked frozen and thawed shrimp, shells and veins removed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, peeled and diced

With a large chef’s knife, remove kernels from corn cobs. With a butter knife, press and slide along corn cobs to remove liquid left in cobs. (NOTE: this should yield about 4 cups kernels and 1/3 cup liquid.)

Reserve about 1 cup of corn kernels. Working in two batches, blend in blender 3 cups of corn, liquid from cobs, yogurt, milk, lime juice and hot sauce. Strain through a sieve and discard solids. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Dice most of the shrimp, reserving a few whole shrimp as garnishes. Stir reserved 1 cup of corn kernels and diced shrimp into soup. Spoon soup into bowls and then garnish with reserved whole shrimp, diced tomato and avocado pieces. Serve immediately.

Other food bloggers do corn soups:
Chilled Corn Soup, Cooking with Amy
Chilled Corn Soup, Yum Sugar
Summer Corn Soup, The Kitchn
Chilled Corn Soup, Apples and Butter
Chilled Corn and Golden Beet Soup, No Recipes

– posted by Donna

Spinach Ricotta Roll

Some flavor combinations stand the test of time: garlic and onions; lemons and raspberry; peanut butter and chocolate. One of my favorite combos: spinach and ricotta. I was thrilled to find this easy and elegant way to pair spinach and ricotta in a dish that so pretty you could serve it to Martha Stewart for brunch: a savory take on a sponge cake roll.

We have joined the Secret Recipe Club – a once-a-month blog hop over at Amanda’s Cookin – an event with food bloggers supporting each other by sneakily making each others’ recipes. Don’t you just love the secret part?! And that’s how I came across this recipe.

Our assigned blog to cook from this month is cookingrookie.blogspot.com, a lovely blog from a blogger in Vancouver, Canada. We chose a vegetarian recipe with a stunning presentation: Spinach Ricotta Roll. It is low carb and I made it lower in fat than the original recipe by using low fat cream cheese and ricotta. I also added a few sprinkles of nutmeg into the spinach mixture to add some sassiness!

I used to make a pumpkin cream cheese cake roll, and the look of this dish reminds me of that dessert. So pretty on a platter – perfect for a  Meatless Monday feast!

This recipe was so fun to make! It is basically a savory sponge roll with a ricotta filling. The only thing that was a bit challenging was translating the recipe from grams into ounces, so I have added the ounces below.

Thank you, Cooking Rookie, for a fabulous new recipe ~ I’ll definitely make this again!

– posted by Donna

SPINACH RICOTTA ROLL

Serve 6 to 8 as a side dish

For spinach roll:

5 large eggs
2 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of nutmeg
2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend in blender until smooth the following: eggs, cream cheese, flour, salt and baking powder. Stir this mixture into spinach.

Spread spinach mixture in a 9 by 13 inch pan that has been lined with aluminum foil and lightly sprayed with oil.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until set in center.

Ricotta filling:

15 ounces part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons diced sun dried tomatoes
2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix together ricotta, sour cream, garlic powder and tomato bits.

Spread Parmesan cheese over a sheet of parchment paper that is at least 9 by 13 inches. INvert spinach mixture onto Parmesan cheese, and then peel foil off of spinach.

Spread ricotta mixture over top of spinach. Roll like you would a jelly roll from wide end, using parchment paper to help roll stay round.

Chill for at least 4 hours, up to 24.

Slice and serve, spiral sides up.

NOTE: You can serve this roll either warm or cold. We reheated it in the microwave oven and then sliced it. DE-lish.

Check out the other bloggers’ fabulous dishes by clicking on the photos below:

Potato Gallette Avocado Chopped Salad

I grew up in heat. Lots of heat. Giant blow-dryer heat. Cook-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk heat. Skin-sticks-to-the-chair heat.

They say in Tucson, “it’s a dry heat,” so it feels cooler. I disagree. If it’s 115 out, it’s hot, hot, HOT.

We kids used to do odd things to keep cool in the summers. We ran through the sprinklers. We laid in the shady carport so our bare stomachs could be against the cool smooth cement playing Go Fish.  We drank lemonade all day long. We rode around town at night with all the car windows rolled down. Sometimes we ate banana splits for dinner. And we ate tons and tons of cold salads.

One of my favorites is the simplest chopped salad you can make: cool, creamy avocados paired with ripe tomatoes and tart grassy green onions. All tossed with a light Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. This is a salad that just screams “SUMMER” in your mouth, and on your plate.

Avocado Chopped Salad topped with Smoked Paprika Grilled Shrimp

 

It’s also a healthy take on potato salad for the June Daring Cooks challenge and the potato version makes for a perfect Meatless Monday treat.

So, let’s summarize: easy, cool, refreshing, healthy. Summer conquered!

AVOCADO CHOPPED SALAD
with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside for flavors to blend.

1/4 cup diced cilantro
2 large ripe Haas avocados
1 medium ripe tomato
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Chop avocados and tomato into small pieces.

Strain vinaigrette to remove lime zest. Stir in cilantro.

Toss all vegetables and vinaigrette together.

FOR POTATO GALLETTE:

Slice a Russet potato into paper thin slices. Using a 2 1/2 inch diameter cookie cutter, cut potato slices into circles. Arrange 6 or 7 slices on a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and pepper  and then brush with melted butter. Let stand for 5 minutes. This is important – to let potato slices bond together. Heat a heavy skillet to medium heat. Place potato rounds into skillet by turning the piece of parchment paper upside down quickly over skillet. Brush top of potato round with melted butter. Place a small pan on top of potato rounds to keep flat while cooking.(If you have a bacon press or a chef’s press, use that.)  Cook on one side until you see edges of potato circles are getting brown. Turn over carefully, so as not to disturb circles. Cook with pan on top until other side is browned. Blot with paper towels and let cool completely.

When using your gallettes in this salad, I like to pick them up and spoon some avocado mixture on top and then eat them like a finger food.

FOR GRILLED SHRIMP:

Brush large uncooked shrimp with vegetable oil and smoked paprika. Grill until cooked through, turning once.

Check out  a sampling of my Daring Cooks Friends and their potato salads:

Potato Mango Ginger Salad, Parsley Sage Desserts and Line Drives
Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad, Family Spice
So Many Versions, Monkey Shines
Four versions, Good Cooks
Smoky Peppadew Salad, Onions and Chocolate
Mediterranean Potato Salad, Bake me Away
And, Audax from Down Under trumped us all with SEVEN potato Salads! Yowza!

– posted by Donna

Hazelnut Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

We ate a lot of tacky food in the 70′s, and stuffed bell peppers are in the Tacky Foods Hall of Fame. Ground beef, Velveeta cheese, Worchestershire sauce. We’re talking serious tackiness. But, hey!, what can you expect from people who wore leisure suits and platform shoes?

I decided to remake this classic from my early married life in the late 70′s. Healthier. And yummier. Cooked with love in every bite.

I cooked my weight in stuffed peppers as a newlywed, thinking my sweet groom loved them. He ate them, smiled and hugged me every single time I dished them up. Then one day my culinary prowess was ripped like a rug from under me.

“So what do you cook for Jim?” my mother-in-law questioned.
“I make stuffed bell peppers a lot,” I proudly proclaimed.
“And he eats them?” her stunned reply.
“Oh yes, every bite!” I came back.
“But Jim HATES bell peppers,” she said, stumping me completely.

Turns out, I am the luckiest woman on the planet. I am married to Jim Kelly, who is a person who commutes from celestial worlds each morning to make my life an earthly bliss. Not just because he wakes me every single morning of my life with silly songs he sings in my ears. And not just because I have never once done laundry in 34 years (as of last week!). Mostly because he eats every single bite of every single dish I have ever made, some of them nasty or weird beyond words. And yet he raves about every single bite. What would I have done for these 34 years without him? Jim loves me deeply, completely. He loves me more than food. Imagine!

I dedicate these delish-i-fied stuffed peppers to YOU, Jim, my eternal sweetheart. Here’s to our eternal honeymoon!

Jim Kelly - Greatest Husband on Earth

Looking back, stuffed peppers were nasty. Ground beef, rice and either Velveeta or Cream of Mushroom Soup. But don’t despair. These updated morsels are truly divine. I have reinvented them here, with a combination of some recipes from my favorite cooks - Basil Stuffed Peppers by Greg of Sippity Sup; Brown Rice and Sausage Stuffed Peppers, by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen; Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers by Sara and Kate of Our Best Bites; Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers, Sandy (MY SISTER!) of Everyday Southwest.

Try my version for your next Meatless Monday feast!

HAZELNUT QUINOA STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large red or orange bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup diced hazelnuts
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped spinach leaves
A little cooking oil spray

Add quinoa, water and salt to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes and remove from heat and let stand.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pulp. Place in an 8 by 10 baking pan.

Saute shallot in oil over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add in hazelnuts and cumin and cook another minute.  Add in garlic and spinach and cook another minute. Stir in quinoa and remove from heat.

Spoon quinoa mixture into bell pepper halves and lightly spray with oil.

Roast at top of oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and bell peppers are softened. Serve immediately.

– posted by Donna

Yam-a-licious Tater Tots, a Sweet Potato Version of the Potato Classic

Us kids of the 70′s looked forward to one thing in the school cafeteria: Tater Tots. They were invented in the 50′s, and by the 70′s they were a staple at school and at home. Seriously, who doesn’t love the crispy crunchy little nuggets with pillowy soft insides? If anyone says they don’t like Tater Tots, only two things are possible 1) they are lying, or 2) they have never eaten Tater Tots. We are all Napoleon Dynomite when it comes to Tots.

We decided to update this American classic, giving this recipe a sweet orange makeover for a bloggers-only contest. If you like sweet potato fries, these tots may just become your new addiction!

This new enlightened version is even more delicious than the original – same crispy outsides, but sweeter, more flavorful insides. Sweet potatoes are about a million per cent more flavorful than regular spuds, and pack a real nutritional bang for your buck. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are an incredibly nutrient-dense food.

To make the interior light and fluffy I grated the tubers and then baked the shreds to take out excess water. Then, I tossed them with a little cornstarch and flour for binders. They hold together perfectly and the bath in hot oil gives them that perfect crunch.

Well worth the effort – for kids and for the kid in all of us.

YAM-A-LICIOUS TATER TOTS

Makes about 16 tots

1 pound sweet potatoes or yams (1 large potato or 2 small potatoes)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Canola oil for frying
Cinnamon sugar if desired for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the skin off the potato. Grate the peeled potato on the large holes of a box grater. Place a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet (11 by 17 inches). Spread the grated  potato on the baking sheet, distributing evenly. Sprinkle salt on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to warm. Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except oil. Stir this dry mixture into the grated potatoes until it is fully integrated with potatoes and you can no longer see it.

Heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer or a medium skillet filled about 1 inch deep with oil.

Pour a little oil into a small bowl. Dip a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon  into oil and then fill the spoon with potato mixture. Dump out the tablespoon into your hands and pat out mixture into small discs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Deep fry in batches, leaving plenty of room in oil so that discs don’t stick together. Cook for about 80 to 90 seconds, until outsides are browned. Remove and place on paper towels. Blot tops of discs gently with another paper towel. Sprinkle with either a little more salt or cinnamon sugar, as desired. Serve immediately.

Other amazing tots by bloggers:

Home made Tater Tots, The Urban Baker
Oven Baked Tater Tots, The Kitchn
Tater Tots for Adults, Al Dente
Crab Tater Tots, Living in the Kitchen with Puppies

– posted by Donna

A Vegetarian Version of Shrimp Creole with Roasted Okra

Is it just me – or am I right that when you put shrimp into a flavorful spicy sauce, the shrimp get lost and just become a tasteless rubbery substance? I say when you buy shrimp, save it for sauteing in butter and garlic or dipping in cocktail sauce! Don’t waste it in a sauce that takes over completely. So, the classic Creole dish – Shrimp Creole – is ripe for a Meatless Monday makeover, I say.

I love the spicy tomato-based dish, but it was just begging for okra ( a classic Cajun ingredient, after all) added to it. So, I nixed the shrimp and toasted/roasted some okra slices in a screaming hot oven to give them a nice crust. Okra is better roasted than simmered here – making it slime-free – and keeping its taste separate and distinct from the sauce. And how I wish I could say this with a proper Louisiana accent: OOOoohh-weeee!!!

To celebrate like a proper foodie on Mardi Gras, I dug out my copy of My New Orleans – from my purchase last year, and spent a half an hour just feasting on the pages. This book is not just a cookbook, but a work of art. A beautifully written and photographed tribute by Chef John Besh to his homeland. Chef Besh, I salute you and all things Cajun ~ and I hope this veggie version does you proud!

SHRIMPLESS CREOLE
adapted from the Shrimp Creole Recipe in My New Orleans, by John Besh

Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish
To make the dish into an entree, serve over rice or quinoa or other favorite starch

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large white onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon paprika, regular or smoked
1 teaspoon each: cayenne pepper sauce, salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
16 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh or frozen thawed okra, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

In a large heavy bottomed skillet, saute onion in  2 tablespoons of the oil for about 2 minutes over medium high heat, until softened. Add bell pepper, celery and garlic and cook another minute.

Stir in all remaining ingredients except okra and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and let cook about 30 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.

Toss okra in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes about 6 inches from the heat, until browned. Remove from oven and turn okra over. Returen to oven and broil another 2 to 3 minutes, until other sides are browned. Stir into skillet mixture and serve immediately.

This dish is thick and hearty, and can just be served as a side dish. To turn it into a main dish, serve it over rice, quinoa or other starch.

***

Other fabulous Mardi Gras recipes by bloggers:

Louisiana collides with Denmark in these Mardi Gras ebelskivers by Vintage Victuals
Yes, they celebrate Mardi Gras in the midwest by Iowa Girl Eats
Check out the prettiest Mardi Gras cookies ever – Once Upon a Plate

– posted by Donna

Mujadarra: Lentils, Caramelized Onions and Rice

This truly has to be one of the most frugal recipes we have ever shared. It wasn’t long ago that I posted a simple lentil salad using little more than caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar – and then I find out about this delicious staple dish, also using lentils and caramelized onions as the foundation, along with rice; omitting the balsamic and adding a bit of spice completes the flavor profile. Mujaddara is a Middle Eastern vegetarian/vegan dish which relies on pantry ingredients, with the exception of onions (which are quite economical anyway) and the optional fresh parsley. Perfect for a Meatless Monday.

The 3 cups of lentils and rice expand to what can accurately be described as a VAT, plenty for at least 6 people to have hearty servings, 8 or more as a side dish. But the protein and fiber certainly make it a contender for a great vegetarian main dish; I prefer a ratio that’s higher in lentils to rice, personally, but you could adjust this if you like. You’re going to have three pots going at once (unless you want to prepare the lentils and/or rice ahead of time), but don’t worry, it’s all VERY simple stuff.

MUJADARRA

1 cup brown rice (I like short grain)
2 cups green lentils, rinsed and sorted
3 large onions, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (perhaps regular for cooking, and extra-virgin for finishing)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Place the rice in a saucepan with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 45-50 minutes. In another pot, cover the lentils with 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil – continue boiling for 20-25 minutes. Drain when cooked through and tender but not mushy. At the same time and for about the same duration, we’ll caramelize the onions. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan, add the onions and stir them around, making sure the slices are separated and then coated. Reduce the heat to low and cover, cooking for the same 25 minutes, approximately, making sure to stir occasionally.

When all three components are done, toss together with spices, salt, remaining olive oil and parsley. Serves a crowd!

The spices involved could also be considered optional, so subtle is the flavor, and I did try it without. The sweetness of the onions gives it plenty of flavor all by themselves. I can honestly recommend either version.

A sampling of other approaches to mujaddara:

Playing With My Food
Wasabimon
Kalyn’s Kitchen
Healthy Delicious

– posted by Anne