Curried Lentil Soup

I love using lentils. They are one of the few dried beans you don't have to soak overnight before cooking. I got this recipe from a friend and it is super-easy, super-hearty and super-yummy. This recipe makes a big batch but I thought the soup tasted even better the next day. Jeff and I added a few splashes of tobasco before eating ours and it really enhanced the flavor of the broth.

2C. Red Lentils sorted and rinsed

1 qt. veggie stock or broth

1 lg onion finely chopped

4 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 large carrots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T curry powder

1 t  cumin

2 T lemon juice

handful of cilantro, chopped

Tobasco sauce (optional)

Brings lentil, stock and 4 cups water to simmer in large pot. Skim away foam that rises. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add celery, onion, carrots and garlic. Simmer uncovered for about 20 min. Add curry powder and cumin and cook 20 minutes more, or until lentils are soft. Stir in lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cilantro and Tobasco if desired.

Baked Zucchini Sticks

I found this recipe on Pinterest (my new obsession) and tried it out last weekend. The sticks were a perfect vehicle for the easy Sweet Onion Dipping Sauce (coming soon) I made. There are quite a few steps involved, but if you have the time, these are a much healthier alternative to fried zucchini sticks.

4-5 medium zucchinis
handful of sea salt
1 cup panko bread crumbs (find these near the regular bread crumbs or in the Asian food aisle)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 T Italian seasoning
2 eggs

Quarter zucchini lengthwise into 4 long spears. Slice the spears in half to get sticks approximately the size of a fat french fry. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and place in a colander to drain. The recipe recommends 45 minutes or longer. I probably drained mine for 30 minutes and they were fine. The salt helps extract the extra moisture from the zucchini so they don't turn out soggy so the more water that you can get out of them, the better. While they are draining, you should make the Sweet Onion dip or maybe a marinara sauce for dipping. When you're ready to start breading, preheat your oven to 425. Once drained, rinse the excess salt from the zuchs and pat dry. Spread a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Make an egg wash by lightly beating 2 eggs. In a separate bowl, mix panko, Parmesan and Italian herbs, sea salt and pepper. Drop each stick into the egg wash until coated then place in the panko mixture. Roll the sticks around in the panko (using your other hand to keep the mixture as dry as possible). Place each stick on the parchment lined sheet. Bake sticks for about 10 minutes and check. If they look golden, flip a few over and make sure the underside is done. The recipe suggests flipping them and baking them for another 10 minutes. I used a perforated pizza pan, so both sides got nice and golden after about 12 minutes with no flipping.

TIP: I had some of these left over the next day. I popped them in the toaster oven for 10 minutes on 350 and they came out nice and crunchy!

Black Bean & Egg Stacker

On my recent visit to Charlotte, I had brunch with Court and some friends at a great local restaurant. One of the girls ordered this fabulous dish with black bean patties and I definitely had order envy after it arrived on the table. Although I haven't perfected my homemade black bean patties yet, I made a successful version of this dish when the fam was in town for New Year's.

2 black bean patties (I used frozen this time)
2 eggs
salsa verde (homemade or store bought)
feta crumbles
cilantro, chopped
sour cream or plan greek yogurt
fresh jalepenos, sliced

Heat a skillet or griddle to medium high heat. Lightly spray the black bean patties with cooking oil (I prefer olive) and grill until cooked through and sizzling (approximately 7 minutes on each side). Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Fry two eggs to desired doneness and season with salt and pepper. Stack black bean patty with egg, salsa verde, feta, and cilantro. Serve with sour cream and sliced jalepenos on the side.