A couple new finds this week...

dawn_mo

dawn_mo

Well-known member
I found some delicious Spinach Asiago Chicken Sausages at Sam's Club. I have been slicing one up to have with beans, lentils and soups. Delicious and only 110 calories and 4.5 g fat. They have a lot of flavor and really add to the legumes. Also the Salmon Trout is really good too. And it is sushimi grade. Also from SC.

I am ordering some lentils from my co-op that are called Laird's lentils. They are supposed to be like brown lentils, only larger and thicker. I hope they are good since I am ordering 5 pounds!

 
Rec: Persian Lentil Chowder...............................

This is a wonderful way to use brown or green lentils. It has all the things you want in a lentil soup, plus some of the flavors and texture of the Middle East. I think you are really going to get a kick out of this.

Persian Lentil Chowder

Ingredients

8 oz. brown or green lentils
6 cups water
2 lamb bones
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. turmeric
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 tsp. bulgar wheat
1 tbsp. spinach, finely chopped
1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp. tarragon, finely chopped
1 tbsp. scallions, finely chopped
1 tbsp. dried mint
2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
natural Balkan or Greek yogurt to serve


METHOD:

Bring water to a boil in a deep pan. Add lentils, lamb bones, lemon juice, parsley, turmeric, potato, bulgar wheat, spinach, cilantro, tarragon,, scallions, dried mint, salt and black pepper. Boil rapidly for 15 minutes until frothy. Remove froth with a spoon and discard.


Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until smooth. Put in blender for a smoother soup. Serve red hot with dollops of yogurt and crusty bread.



NB I use 3 Tbsp. of bulgar wheat because I really like it, but it's not to everyone's taste. Also, my sister absolutely refuses to put bones in her soup, so she adds in ground lamb (1 lb.) meatballs made with an egg,just a touch of bread crumbs, and the herbs listed above. Quite good that way too.

 
If you're a fennel fan like me, try this Italian version REC: Lentil Italian Sausage Soup...

Lentil Italian Sausage Soup

Recipe By :Epicurious
Serving Size : 6

1/2 pound LEAN BACON DICED
1 pound SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE
1 PARSNIP -- CHOPPED
1 large CARROT -- CHOPPED
1 small ANISE OR FENNEL ROOT -- CHOPPED
1 large ONION -- CHOPPED
10 large MUSHROOMS -- CHOPPED
1 cup LENTILS
8 cups CHICKEN STOCK
1 tablespoon CIDER VINEGAR
2 cloves GARLIC -- MINCED
1/2 teaspoon THYME
1/2 teaspoon MARJORAM
1 SMOKED HAM HOCK
2 cups FRESH SPINACH LEAVES -- CHOPPED

Fry out bacon over medium heat until pieces are crisp and fat is released. Cut sausage into 3/4-inch long pieces and brown with bacon. Chop parsnip and add to pot, then chop carrot and add to pot, chop onion and add to pot chop anise and add to pot. Lastly chop mushrooms and add to pot. Saute‚ mixture about five minutes after each vegetable addition while preparing the next vegetable. After adding mushrooms and sauteing for five minutes, add lentils and saute and additional five minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth, vinegar, spices and ham hock. Cook until lentils are tender and ham is falling off hock, about 60 to 90 minutes. Just before serving stir in chopped spinach and cook an additional five minutes.

 
OR-Lidia's REC: Chicken Breast Valdostana with Braised Lentils...

Chicken Breast Valdostana With Braised Lentils

Recipe By :Lidia Bastianich
Serving Size : 6

For Braised Lentils with Spinach:
2 cups brown lentils
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
2 bay leaves
Salt
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock -- or canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups fresh spinach -- finely shredded, thoroughly washed and drained
For Chicken Breasts:
6 7-ounce skinless boneless chicken breasts
6 thin slices prosciutto -- (See Note)
All-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup dry white wine -- such as Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup Chicken Stock -- or canned chicken broth
6 ounces imported Fontina cheese -- sliced thin
1/2 cup tomatoes, canned -- seeded and crushed
2 tablespoons tomato sauce -- or additional seeded and crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Start the lentils:
Combine the lentils, onions, carrot, celery and bay leaf in a 3-quart saucepan. Pour in enough cold water to cover by three inches. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat to a gentle boil, cover the pan and cook until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and discard the bay leaves.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim any excess fat, skin and cartilage form the chicken breasts. Place a piece of prosciutto over each chicken breast, trimming and layering each so it covers the chicken breasts as neatly as possible. Using the back of a large knife, gently pound the prosciutto into the chicken so it adheres. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, tapping off any excess flour.

In a 12- to 14-inch skillet with an ovenproof handle, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter until the butter is foaming. Place as many of the chicken breasts, prosciutto side down, as will fit without touching into the skillet. Cook just until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Overcooking will toughen the prosciutto. Turn the chicken and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 3 minutes. If necessary, make room in the skillet and add the remaining chicken breasts. Adjust the heat as you work so the chicken doesn't burn or stick in places.

Pour the wine into the skillet and shake gently. Boil until reduced by half. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet and distribute the crushed tomatoes and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in between the pieces of chicken. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to simmering, tilting the skillet to mix the sauce. Drape the sliced fontina over the chicken pieces to cover them completely. Dot the center of each chicken breast with a small circle of tomato sauce or a small mound of diced tomatoes and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, finish the braised lentils:
Transfer the lentils to a large, heavy skillet over medium -high heat. Add the chicken broth and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil until the liquid is reduced enough to coat the lentils, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and toss just until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Very carefully remove the pan to the stove top and let stand a minute or two before serving.

Spoon a mound of lentils into the center of a warm dinner plate. Top with a chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce around the lentils.

NOTES : Ask for the prosciutto sliced slightly thicker than paper-thin. You will need 6 slices if each slice is roughly the same size as a chicken breast. Buy more or fewer slices as necessary.

 
or Ham/Lentil soup with Clementines

Ham/Lentil soup
serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup onions, minced
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme*
6 cups ham stock
3 clementines
1 cup ham, shredded and cut into bite-sized lengths
1 cup french green lentils

PREPARATION:

saute onions, carrots and celery in oil over medium-low heat until soft (about 5 minutes)
add herbs and saute another minute or so.
*i used an indeterminate amount of herbs from the freezer. if you gotta have measurements, i figure (with dried herbs) about 2 tbs parsley, 1/2 tsp sage, and 1 tsp each of rosemary and thyme. your taste might vary.
add the stock and the peel from the clementines.
bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.
remove the peel and blend the rest till smooth. strain and return to pot. check for seasoning and add more herbs if necessary. the ham i made the stock from was very low-salt and i added a bit of salt
add lentils and the meat from the clementines, separated into sections and cut in half
simmer until lentils are tender (about 50 minutes)
serve garnished with sour cream (i used fat-free)

VARIATIONS:

the meat isn't absolutely necessary.
if i did this again, i'd prolly go with 6 clementines. substituting tangerines or oranges would work fine.

 
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