Look to the Lentil

Looking for fast vegetarian protein – something to stick to your ribs and pack a punch of iron, fiber and vitamin B1? Look to the lentil.

In at least 20 languages (except English!), the word for lentil is the same as for ‘lens’. Similar in shape, many different varieties of lentils abound, offering a palette of colors, textures and sizes. They are quick to cook, flexible and fulfilling to eat.

For me, lentils conjure memories of summer evening meals on the beach across the street from our house. Mom would bring out a big pot full of lentils and kielbasa or doggers. After a swim with Dad, home from Manhattan, we would drag our sorry, sandy derrieres to the picnic table – sorry we couldn’t swim or dig anymore, but very soon happy with the security blanket of the rich, wholesome warmth of lentils.

They can be cooked by themselves or mixed with a wide variety of ingredients. They say it’s best to cook lentils at first without salt or acid, as these can toughen the skin and prolong cooking time – salt, tomatoes or vinegars should wait for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. I’ve cooked them with and without salt and acids and haven’t detected any problem, at least with these recipes. Either way, within about 30 minutes, your lentils should be done. Rachel Ray would be pleased!

Lentils can be used to make sauces, pilafs, loaves or dahls, as Indians call the rich, thick, and usually aromatic stews of split or whole lentils. Try them in one form or another, over rice or pasta, or scooped up with naan or pita bread. Together with grains they form a complete protein. And sporting the highest iron content of any vegetable other than soybean, the lentil goes beautifully with spinach – a Popeye’s delight!

Green lentils are the variety most familiar to North Americans, but the Puy (or French olive) lentil, and the red lentil used much in Indian cuisine, are readily available and should not be overlooked. The Puy lentil makes a rich stew, which can be served over rice, or beside grilled fish. The red lentil is the base for Indian dahl or can be used to make a wonderful Bolognese sauce to complement whole grains or pasta. And of course, the most familiar green lentil remains a staple, with many, many uses.

Lentil Bolognaise
1 onion, finely diced
4 stalks celery, finely diced
3 carrots, coarsely grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 cup red lentils
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
¼ cup sundried tomato pesto (or finely diced sundried tomatoes)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the first seven ingredients in a bit of olive oil, until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize – about 10-15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are softened and the sauce is thickened. Adjust consistency with water as needed.


Creamy French Lentils
1 cup Puy (small olive/black) lentils
2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
½ onion, finely diced
1 tsp. cumin seeds (or ½ tsp. ground dried cumin)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 cups chicken stock or water

Sauté carrot, celery and onion in a bit of olive oil for about 10 minutes, until they soften and melt down a bit. Add the garlic, cumin and basil and cook another 2 minutes, with stirring.

Add the lentils, curry powder and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes, until lentils are just soft. Stir occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over whole grain or pasta or beside grilled meat or fish.

Whole hulled Urad lentils (white in photo) can be found in an Indian grocer – they look a lot like pearled barley. If you can’t find them, use another lentil such as whole red lentil.


Lentils and Spinach (Saag Dahl)
¼ cup green lentils
¼ cup French Puy lentils
¼ cup whole, hulled Urad lentils
2 cups water
½ tsp. salt

1 onion, finely diced
10 oz. fresh spinach
2 cloves garlic, mined
½ tsp. whole cumin seed (or 1/8 tsp. cumin powder)
1 tsp. curry powder
¼ cup water

Cook the lentils in the water for about 15 minutes, then add the salt. Cook for about another 10-15 minutes, or just until the lentils are soft enough under the bite. Drain.

Meanwhile, steam the spinach, drain well, and chop finely. Sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil. Add the garlic, cumin and curry to the onions and cook another minute. Add the spinach and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the lentils and toss together, adding the water as necessary. Top with red chile relish and sesame seeds, if desired.

Saag Dahl

Grass is Greener

The USDA recalling 143,383,823 pounds of ground beef the other day, was a poignant backdrop for Michael Pollan, touring author lecturing on his new book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” – an excellent analysis of the ‘politics, perils and pleasures of eating’. Much more than just an analysis of the omnivore’s dilemma of ‘what to have for dinner’, this book is a sobering expose of our food supply in America, making many people rethink what they eat.

Pollan exposes our obscene dependence on corn, originally driven by cheap chemical fertilizers made available from re-directed munitions plants after WWII, amplified by greatly improved yield of hybrid seeds, and sustained by farm subsidies put in place by the Nixon administration. What to do with all that corn? Feed it to cattle. Only problem is that cattle didn’t evolve to digest corn, but rather grass. Unfortunately, grazing cattle doesn’t come close to providing the productivity and efficiencies of the modern American cattle feed lot, especially with that overabundance of good cheap corn.

I remember my father, a gentle, peaceful man, describing the pastoral French countryside, and how he slaughtered chickens on the farm where he spent his summers. It seemed a bit discordant to me, but sharpened much more into perspective after this book. Pollan, an avowed omnivore, describes his experience slaughtering chickens, on a farm dedicated to respect for their animals and mercy even in their sacrifice. He considers the true environmental (and ethical) costs of raising beef by means of unmerciful, modern American agribusiness, which are not at all reflected in the low price of beef at market. He also describes far ‘greener’ approach to raising beef on grass, in farms which cycle pastures between beef and chickens – actually leaving the farmland better for the wear.

Most of us omnivores usually look the other way when considering how meat comes to our table. But this recent beef recall underscores the urgent messages in Pollan’s book – there are better ways to use our land, resources and power, and more humane methods for producing healthier food, locally.

By the way, you can get grass-fed beef in a lot of places locally now. Though it is more expensive, it typically has no growth hormones and unnecessary antibiotics, and does not require unnecessary fossil fuel to transport (and warm the plant). Support your local farm!

A must-read, Pollan’s book reveals what most of us do not (and may not want to) know – but really should – about how the great American machine puts food on the table.

Red is for Valentines

Naturally, I always gravitate towards red foods as well as red flowers for Valentine’s day.

I first made this red dish years ago returning home from a business trip in Toronto. During the trip I had dinner with my colleagues Richard and Sandra, and we shared tips on eating well, sometimes with neither much time nor ingredients on hand. Sandra explained that no matter what, she could always make a dish with frozen shrimp and some tomatoes laying around, so she always ate well even after returning late on a business trip.

I returned to an empty house as my wife and kids were off visiting her parents. Luckily, I found fresh tomatoes in the refrigerator and some frozen shrimp in the freezer, so I had at it. I found out the next day from Sandra that while we were all having a fabulous meal in Toronto, her husband Bart was home eating hash from a can! Luckily, he loves hash and now it is one of their daughter Danika’s favorite meals! This has become one of my favorite meals.

Shrimp and sundried tomatoes served at a table with red carnations makes a great Valentine’s day meal.


Saucy Shrimp Sandra
1½ lb. large shrimp, peeled
1 leek, diced, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp. cumin seeds (or ½ tsp. cumin powder)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sundried tomato pesto, or sundried tomatoes, minced
½ cup dry white wine
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp. capers, drained

Preheat broiler. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large oven-going skillet until really hot and shimmering (or smiling as Alton Brown says). Toss in the shrimp and leave in a single layer for a minute or so, until one side browns a bit. Flip to the other side and sear for another minute. Remove shrimp to a clean bowl. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan and sauté the leek and peppers for 3-5 minutes, until the leek softens. Add the cumin, garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook another minute or two until quite fragrant. Return the shrimp to the pan, add the wine, tomatoes and capers, stir and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Place skillet under broiler (about 2-inches) for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp begin to brown nicely. Serves four.


Here’s another shrimp dish good enough for Valentine’s day, but with a more burgundy than a red hue. Serves four.


Valentine Prawns Over Angel Hair Pasta
1 lb. angel hair pasta
1 lb. large (12-15) large shrimp, peeled
12 oz. dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated, drained and thinly sliced
½ head radicchio, finely shredded (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
¼ inch thick slice fresh ginger, minced

Sauce
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1/4 cup pale-dry sherry
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
¼ tsp. sugar

Make the sauce - mix the soy sauce, sherry and dissolve the sugar in the mixture. Add the sesame oil. Separately, microwave the butter, garlic and ginger together in a small bowl for about 45 seconds, giving the butter a chance to melt and bubble vigorously.

Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and add the pasta. Cook for 3-4 minutes (angel hair pasta cooks quickly!). Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms at high heat in a bit of olive oil for a minute or two. Add the radicchio and stir fry until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Increase the heat in the pan and add the shrimp. Sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes and then add sauce and the butter mixture. Return the mushrooms and radicchio to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Drain pasta, and toss with shrimp mixture. Serves four.Even cats like flowers for Valentine's Day!

No Pain, Whole Grain

Preparing whole grains need not be a pain, especially with a rice cooker. To complement a rice cooker I recently gave my busy sister in law Babette, I put together pre-assembled packets of grains, together with seasonings, which could be tossed quickly in a rice cooker (I’m a fan of unattended automation!) while still delivering the richness of whole grains. Making several packs at once for later use saves a lot of time and labor, and can be a God-send on a busy weeknight.

For these quicker cooking recipes I avoided harder wheat berries and grains and stuck to ones that would cook in the 20-30 minutes of a rice cooker’s cycle. You can find soft whole wheat berries that actually work well and add or substitute them for some of the grains in these recipes.

These are three variations on one theme – there are many themes, so experiment. The first section of each recipe can be assembled and packaged together in advance, and cooked last minute in a rice cooker. Of course you certainly can prepare them on the stovetop as well, it just takes a bit more attending to.

These pilafs are also designed so as not to turn off those not used to whole grains – they have little of that ‘roots, woodchips and bark’ character, that some cynically assign to whole grain dishes. These should serve as a facile transition from bleached white grains, for those wanting to head in a more wholesome direction. They go well with lentils or other creamy bean dishes.

And they’re fast!

Whole Grain Pilaf
½ cup long grain brown rice
¼ cup short grain brown rice
¼ cup long grain white rice
1 Tbsp. pearl barley
2 Tbsp. bulgur wheat
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. salt

2½ cups water
1 Tbsp. canola oil

Rice cooker
Place all ingredients in rice cooker, cover and start rice cooker.

Stovetop
Bring water and oil to boil. Add all other ingredients. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low simmer. Stir once, cover and cook about 20 minutes.

Thai Whole Grain Pilaf
½ cup brown Jasmine rice
¼ cup short grain brown rice
¼ cup white Jasmine rice
1 Tbsp. pearl barley
2 Tbsp. bulgur wheat
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. powdered lemongrass
2 tsp. dried green Thai curry powder
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. dried Zante currants
1 tsp. salt

2½ cups water
1 Tbsp. canola oil

Rice cooker
Place all ingredients in rice cooker, cover and start rice cooker.

Stovetop
Bring water and oil to boil. Add all other ingredients. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low simmer. Stir once, cover and cook about 20 minutes.

Indian Whole Grain Pilaf
½ cup brown Basmati rice
¼ cup short grain brown rice
¼ cup white Basmati rice
1 Tbsp. pearl barley
2 Tbsp. bulgur wheat
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. golden raisins
1 Tbsp. curry powder
¼ cup blanched whole or slivered almonds

2½ cups water
1 Tbsp. canola oil

Rice cooker
Place all ingredients in rice cooker, cover and start rice cooker.

Stovetop
Bring water and oil to boil. Add all other ingredients. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low simmer. Stir once, cover and cook about 20 minutes.

What's in a Curry?

That which we call a curry by any other name would smell as sweet...

Has anyone ever asked you what your favorite dish is? For me this is like asking, “What is your favorite music?” – there is no answer. But very, very high on the list is chicken curry, and then right below it, about every other curry. Interestingly, the exact meaning of the word ‘curry’ is a bit of a conundrum.

It is widely accepted that the term curry is an adaptation of the South Indian Tamil word kaari, meaning sauce or gravy. It could also relate to the aromatic leaves of the kari plant, which are used to flavor saucy dishes, or to the technique for stir-frying vegetables in Southern India. Throughout Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine, curry is used to describe any number of saucy meat or vegetable main courses, usually eaten with rice. Their taste, consistency and ingredients vary as widely as those in the dish we know of as ‘soup’. It’s probably fair to assume that a curry is likely to be highly spiced, but subtle, delicately flavored curries abound – so qu’est-ce que c’est, curry?

The colonial British standardized on an Indian powdered spice mixture containing high proportions of turmeric, fenugreek, coriander and other spices. What is now commonly know as “curry powder” was probably a mispronunciation of the Indian word kari podi (powdered spice blend) by the British. This curry powder has a very distinctive yet recognizable flavor, but is only one of a multitude of spice mixtures, or masalas, used in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine.

A curry can be prepared using ‘curry powder’ (which I happen to love), or using very different masalas to achieve a completely different result. Alternatively, the individual spices for a given dish can be deployed one-by-one as the dish is assembled, imparting unique flavor customized to the dish.

This is a great thing – it means there is no specific prescription; you really can’t go wrong. It’s just a good idea to start mild and build on experience. It also means that whoever tells you that they ‘hate curry’, might actually like curry – if a different masalas or mix of spices is used.

If you are really into it, you can make your own masalas from whole seeds, but there are so many great ones out there, including innumerable yellow ‘curry powders’, which have widely different characters. I try every one I can find, but I also like making my own. I dedicate one coffee grinder as a spice grinder to make this simple yellow curry powder.

Curry Powder
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. fenugreek seeds
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
½ Tbsp. coriander seeds
½ tsp. whole peppercorn (I like the black/green/white/red mix)
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. ground turmeric1 tsp. ground ginger

To really bring out their flavor, toast the whole spices over moderate heat in a dry non-stick skillet for a few minutes, until the spices begin to brown a bit and start to become aromatic. Set aside to cool. Tip seeds into a cleaned coffee grinder and grind for about 10 seconds. Add the powdered spices and grind another 10 seconds, or until the mixture is homogeneous and powdery. Store in an airtight container.


Hurry Curry
A simple curry can be the ultimate fast food. Just sauté a diced onion, bell pepper and some garlic in a bit of oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add about a pound of any kind of meat or seafood (e.g. diced chicken, shelled shrimp, cubed lamb – even ground beef!) and cook for about another 5 minutes. Add a spoon of curry powder and cook a minute or two. Add a can of diced tomatoes, maybe some chickpeas or some frozen green peas, stir well and simmer until heated through. Viola!

Foreign Influences
If you have a bit more time you can make an even richer curry, thickened with creamy ingredients like coconut milk, yogurt, mustards or pestos. Here we are stretching the boundaries of traditional curries – as if ‘traditional curries’ was not an oxymoron!

I recognize the fad nature of ‘fusion food’, but I am a real proponent of sharing flavors and techniques found across the globe. After all, what would Italian cooking be if they hadn’t adopted the North American tomato or even pasta, who some say may have come from Asia? If you travel across Southeast Asia, you experience a blended cuisine mixing masalas, soy-based sauces and local ingredients like coconut milk and fish sauce. I accept that there are regional specialties like Cassoulet from Toulouse (that my Mom would call ‘le vrait Cassoulet’), or Paella from Valencia but who says you can’t leverage the best from around the globe to formulate new and different flavors.

One of the best examples I know of global cooking is how my sister in law Caline, adds soy sauce with balsamic vinegar for her vinaigrette – it is by far one of the best vinaigrettes I have every tasted. Talk about East meets West.

So let’s try out this philosophy on curries – a flexible platform for global cooking. You’ll find below three recipes I love, each which blends ingredients from widely disparate regions – Dijon from France, pesto from Italy and sun-dried tomatoes from – well all over, I guess.

Shrimp With Curried Pesto
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled, rinsed and dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. curry powder
¼ cup pesto
½ cup lite coconut milk
palmful (about 1/3 cup) fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

In a large skillet, heat a bit of canola oil until smoking. Quickly add the shrimp, making sure they lay in a single layer in the skillet. Add the minced garlic and ginger, and sprinkle on the curry powder. Gently shake the pan as the shrimp cooks – do not stir. Allow the shrimp to cook about 1 minute on the first side. Using tongs, flip each shrimp over and sauté another minute, shaking the pan occasionally.

Remove the shrimp to a bowl, scraping all the garlic and ginger from the pan onto the shrimp. Return the pan to the stove and add the pesto, coconut milk and cilantro. Stir over medium heat until heated through. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss gently to reheat with the sauce. Serve with rice and lemon wedges.

Curried Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes
1½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thigh), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato pesto (or sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, diced)
1 Tbsp curry powder
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup lite coconut milk
juice of ½ lime

Sauté the onion and peppers in some canola oil, until they are quite soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds and continue cooking for another minute or two, until quite fragrant. Tip into a clean bowl and set aside.

Heat some canola oil in the same pan over moderately high heat and add the chicken. Cook without stirring much (or the chicken will not brown well), until one side begins to brown well. Then stir the chicken and brown the other side – a total of about 3-5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for another minute or two. Add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add the coconut milk, sundried tomatoes (or pesto), lime juice and return the vegetables to the chicken. Salt to taste, stir well and simmer until heated through. Serve with rice and sliced oranges.

Tilapia with a Dijon Curry
1½ cups yogurt
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 small onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced (to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ inch slice fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. butter
4 Tilapia fillets

In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cornstarch, Dijon mustard and a dash of salt.

In a wide non-stick skillet, sauté the onion and carrot in a bit of canola oil, just until a bit golden. Add the jalapeño, ginger and garlic, and cook another minute or two. Add the curry and chili powders and cook another minute. Tip vegetables into the yogurt mixture and stir well. Set aside.

In the same pan, sauté fish in butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Flip, top with the yogurt sauce. Reduce heat to low, and cook covered, another 5 minutes. Serve with rice, sliced avocados and lemons wedges.

Come Here To Cook

What's for dinner? This is perhaps the most frightening question asked every day across the world. What an unnecessary cause of tension and stress.

I subscribe to the philosophies of some of the best chefs around like Jacques Pepin, Nigel Slater, Cheryl Merser, Mark Bittman and Rachel Ray [and many others!] who promote good, simple, fresh but fast foods. These cooks shatter the mythology that there is a mystery and complexity behind good cooking. As Slater admonishes, after all "... we are only making ourselves something to eat." Cooking a good meal doesn't have to be complicated - a simple meal can be easy and fast to prepare. And I recognize the research that underscores the value in a family gathering once a day for conversation, interaction and a bit of noshing around a table.

So relax. We're here to help.

This blog is all about what to have to eat and how to get some great food on the table relatively fast so the family can spend time together around the table [almost?] every day. OK, so there's soccer and squash, saxophone and riding - I know, I know. But if you really want to hang onto the family dinner as a core tradition in your home, you can do it!

And the family may be just the two of you - or more. Sitting down together eating, laughing debating and feeding the cats is a wonderful experience whether for two or for a dozen.

Here are my ideas and strategies and an ongoing log of experiences. I hope some of them help you enjoy food more, build stronger relationships and experience some new flavors and combinations.