Category: Dinner Winners

Loving Lentils, Too

IMG_7176There are certain go-to staples that will always have a place in my heart. Pasta, rice and beans are regularly featured on my menu, however, I tend to look over another great pantry item that has many of the nutritional benefits of beans, is even more versatile and can be made in a much shorter time as it doesn’t require soaking. I’m sure you already know what I’m referring to: let’s give a round of applause to lentils which have been eaten by many civilizations reaching from Asia, to the Medtierranean all the way to our kitchens today! Come and cook with us!

Compared to Jessica’s love for lentils, I didn’t grow up eating dried legumes which is why I seldomly think of them when forming dinner plans which is unfortunate for my husband loves them. Lentils contain many naturally-occurring vitamin Bs and protein for those who wish to consume less animal products. Furthermore, lentils have low glycemic load, act as time-released energy, normalize blood sugar and blood lipids, and are a rich source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. To round out lentils’ virtues, they are loaded with lignans, which help balance hormones naturally. So if this doesn’t convince you, keep in mind that lentils are super easy to cook, versatile in their application and great when added to salads, soups and stews as well as meatloafs and dals.

Inspired by a recent trip to the brilliant Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica, we had a delicious lentil stew that was topped with fresh sausages. It all come together so beautifully and deliciously that I wanted to share this dish with all of you. Among the many varieties on the market, I choose black lentils which along with the green (or Le Puy lentils), keep their shape much better than the yellow or orange kinds. We added a steaming heap of polenta to the spread and it was all gone before I even got a chance to offer seconds. Make sure you use good quality sausages as they certainly belong to the food group of “few, but good”.

I hope you give this lentil stew a try! Come and cook with us!

Black Lentil Stew with Sausage

IMG_7173IMG_7176IMG_7185IMG_7186

Learn from the French How to Make Onion Soup

IMG_7110Our society has redefined the way we procure our food. Even if we cook from scratch, few of us have the time, space and skill-set necessary to grow our own produce. I see it as an unfortunate side effect of globalization with my friends and family back home in South Tyrol all still have a garden to rely on. For now, at least. Even my 101-year-old grandmother grows some lettuce, peas, onions and chamomile flowers in a tiny but very productive little patch of garden right in the middle of town. Same for my parents who don’t set foot in a fruit and vegetable store all summer or at least until their supply lasts. Luckily for those of us less active in the gardening department, there is plenty of inspiration to be found to help people find their way back into old-fashioned and proven gardening methods. One such effort stems from our friends across the pond resulting in a beautifully written and illustrated book by renowned chef Raymond Blanc who partnered with London’s spectacular Kew Gardens to publish Kew on a Plate. Let’s see what this book is all about! Come and cook with us!

If it wasn’t for David, my friend, neighbor and fellow European (at least until Brexit is decided), I wouldn’t have discovered this book which is currently out of stock in the US. For those not familiar with Raymond Blanc, he is a renowned French chef whose restaurant holds 2 Michelin Stars. He is also a successful author and has presented several BBC series. To give you a hint on why both David and I appreciate Raymond’s approach to cooking, the best dish on his menu, according to himself, is the ‘one that’s in season’. You can see why having access to Kew Gardens turned him into a kid in a candy store. Furthermore, he worked with the garden staff to grow exactly those varieties of produce that yield the highest flavor. And he knows a thing or two about that topic!

In his book, the restaurateur selects a variety of specific fruits and vegetables from carrots to potatoes, rhubarb and gooseberries, apples and peas, and offers tips and expertise in growing the produce, adding flavor notes as well as sharing about 40 mouth-watering recipes including a tasty chicory gratin and a gorgeous spring pea risotto that makes my mouth water.

Many of the featured dishes are not just super delicious, they look particularly delectable. I’ve chosen this classic mid-week French Onion Soup to showcast how simple ingredients come together beautifully when prepared the right way. And who is better to offer advice on that than Raymond Blanc! Give it a try and let me know what you think. Come and cook with is!

Classic French Onion Soup

IMG_7098IMG_7102IMG_7104IMG_7107IMG_7106-1

Make Indian-Spiced Lamb Chops NOW!

IMG_7049Most of my go-to dishes are heavy on the vegetable front, but to balance my family’s diet I regularly cook meat, too. It varies from beef, pork and and lately, I’ve been asked to prepare lamb chops more often. They are easy to make, fun to eat and go well with this flavorful ginger and garam masala marinade. Trust me, well worth a try. Come and cook with us!

It’s actually quite ironic that I grew up not liking Indian spices at all. I’ve certainly come around. Whether chai tea or curry, Indian spices are now featured more heavily in my cuisine. The marinade for these lamb chops, for example, uses garam masala which is a ubiquitous Indian spice mix that is translated to “warm spice blend”. In fact, like many other spices in the Indian cuisine, garam masala makes the body warm and includes the usual suspects such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, just to name a few… Add garlic, ginger and lemon to it and you’re in for a tasty treat.

The chops can easily be roasted in the oven (approx. 15-20 min in 400 degrees F), but I tend to make them in my cast-iron skillet which I use so often that it practically lives on my range. Pancakes in the morning, sautéed vegetables for lunch and pan-fried chops for dinner. My version of one-pot-meals!

Depending on your guests and table manners – my kids love to chew the meat off the bones – you can use the bones to make a lamb bone broth. It goes well with hearty vegetable soups including my favorite and delicious vadouvan spiced carrot soup that I will write about soon. For now, let’s stick to the chops! Come and cook with us!

Indian-Spiced Lamb Chops

IMG_7055IMG_7031

April is Perfect for Ratatouille

IMG_6592Back home we say: “Der April macht was er will” which means that “April does what it wants”. Given the agricultural background of my valley, this saying refers to the weather and the fact that it is highly unreliable during the month of April. I thought of this these past few weeks when my two boys spent more than one day at sailing regattas (or practices) rigging, de-rigging, sailing and bailing in miserable wet and cold conditions. Overall, they were troopers and I tried to have a hearty pot of comfort food waiting for them at home. In addition to goulash, chili con carne and pulled pork, I knew I would make them happy with a big pot of ratatouille. Have you made ratatouille before? This week you get a chance to try it, too. Come and cook with us!

Ratatouille is French and consists of a simple dish featuring zucchini, onions, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes either stewed on the stove-top or, my preference, first roasted in the oven and then combined and stirred with a nice dose of tomato paste to let the flavors meld. In fact, the word ratatouille is a blend of the French words ratouiller to disturb, shake and tatouiller to stir. It’s a hearty vegetarian dish that gets better over time and tastes just as good cold as it does warm. So make a lot, make it often and don’t be afraid of left-overs.

My kids favorite way to eat ratatouille is over soft polenta with either a poached egg or some tasty melted cheese layered in between, preferably gorgonzola dolce but any decent melting cheese will do.

In Italy, we have a similar dish called peperonata which comes from the word “peperone” which isn’t the “pepperoni” you put on your pizza but rather, bell peppers. It’s similar and often also features potatoes which are usually not in a ratatouille.

So next time you’re in the supermarket, stock up on zucchini (non-GMO), eggplants, bell peppers (organic as per EWG’s 2016 Dirty Dozen list which is hot off the press), onions and tomato paste and make a big pot of ratatouille. Hope you and yours like it as much as mine do! Come and cook with us!

Ratatouille

IMG_6589IMG_6591IMG_6590

Do Weeknight Dinner Like a Chef!

IMG_3818The beauty of reviewing cookbooks with a group of fabulous and passionate home chefs is that I learn a lot about how others cook and I get to discover books that would otherwise not have been on my radar. One of these examples is a fabulous book called Chefs’ Easy Weeknight Dinners published by Food & Wine Magazine. Almost every recipe in the book is a must-do, and the one I would like to share with you this week is the Ginger-Braised Pork Meatballs in Coconut Broth. Yes, it’s just as delicious as it sounds. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Do Weeknight Dinner Like a Chef!”