Friday, October 4, 2013

Chard Polenta Bake


This is one of the rare things I pictured in my head and then made according to what was in my head.

The French lentil recipe is modified from someone else's, though it's a lot like my mother's tomato sauce just with some extra broth and lentils in it. 

PART 1

1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
  • 1 CUP DICED YELLOW ONIONS
  • 1 CUP DICED CARROTS
  • 1 CUP DICED CELERY (optional)
  • 4 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
  • ONE 28-OUNCE CAN DICED TOMATOES
  • ONE 4-OUNCE CAN TOMATO PASTE
  • 1 14 CUP FRENCH GREEN LENTILS
  • 2 CUPS VEGETABLE BROTH
  • 1 BAY LEAF
  • 1 12 TEASPOONS MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY (Important)
  • 2 TEASPOONS FRESH THYME LEAVES
  • 2 TEASPOONS KOSHER SALT
  • 12 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER



In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and paste with their juices, the lentils, broth, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Watch to make sure it doesn’t burn. Cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.

PART 2:

Separately, make this polenta:

Ingredients
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.

It’s that Giada lady’s.

Part 3:



Then, clean chard and cut it into strips.


Get a big pan. Put half the lentils in the bottom, then the raw chard leaves (2-3 leaves thick), then half the polenta, then the rest of the lentils, then the rest of the chard, then rest of polenta on top with a little fresh grated Parmesan or what have you. Bake it at 350 until the polenta looks crispy and golden. Mmmm.

La Phet

At Rangoon in Philadelphia they make an out of this world green tea-leaf salad. I've been on a budget lately so I've been thinking about how to make this at home. This recipe works great. I left out the shrimp and the soy crunchies.

This recipe is also really good looking: just take the best from this one and the one above. It has a lot of seeds (Livvy!) You don't need vinegar to make a great tasting LaPhet.


Hollyhock Dressing

I think someone saw this served at J's and called it Hippie Sauce. It's an oldie but goodie I had at the Insight Meditation Society in MA with sprouts, olives, carrots, lettuce and feta. Just leave the feta off obv for a vegan treat.

Once in January I was so down. So I made the above salad and then made hot OreIda potato french fries and put them on top. I'm not really wanting to eat that kind of stuff regularly so I made hot roasted fennel and potato and put the dressing on over arugula and it was great. Then in the summer I once made a salad of hot potatoes, fennel and chicken sausage then put it over a bed of arugula, avocado and tomato with cumin lime vinaigrette. Holy Moly. For such a vinaigrette, just put olive oil and lime juice, salt, peppper and cumin in a little bowl and whisk until it emulsifies. Same proportions as a lemon vinaigrette I bet.

Click here for Hollyhock Dressing recipe.