Red Lentil and Winter Squash Dhal

From Cook With What You Have

-Inspired by Dana Treat's Red Lentil Dhal which was inspired by The Modern Vegetarian

Serves 6

Yes, list of ingredients is long but most of it is spices and the dish comes together quite quickly. If you use veggie bouillon you'll need much less salt that the recipe below calls for. It's extra delicious with the bouillon so by all means use it if you have it, or make it if you don't:)!

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tsp. black or brown mustard seeds (can omit in a pinch)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 ½ inches of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded, finely chopped (can omit and just use more chili flakes/powder)
• 1 ½ tsp. curry powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. turmeric (can omit in a pinch)
• Pinch of chili powder
• Salt - about 2-3 tsp. kosher salt (it takes more salt than you might think unless you're using veggie bouillon)
• 2 cups red lentils
• 2-3 cups diced winter squash (acorn, butternut, kabocha, pumpkin, etc.)
• 5 cups veggie bouillon or water
• 1 15-oz. can coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ a bunch of mint, chopped (can omit in a pinch)
• ½ a bunch of cilantro, chopped (can omit in a pinch or substitute parsley)

Heat just enough oil to coat the bottom of a large pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds.  As soon as they begin to pop (only takes about 30 -90 seconds) add the onion, turn down the heat to medium, and cook until softened - about five minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, minced jalapeno, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and chile powder and fry for 3 minutes.

Blackened Hatch and Tomato Salsa

from A Cedar Spoon

makes about 2 cups

super delicious and inspired by Kitchen Konfidence

Print this Recipe!

3 hatch chile peppers

1 small red onion, peeled and quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 pound cherry tomatoes

salt, fresh cracked black pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil

juice of 1 or 2 limes

small handful fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

splash of water, to thin it out a bit

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place whole hatch chiles, quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and whole cherry tomatoes on an unlined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Place in the oven and allow to roast for 20 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from the oven and toss the vegetables together.  Place the oven on t he broiler setting to char the vegetables (this works best in a gas oven).  Place the vegetables as close to the broiler as possible and keep an eye on the vegetables as they begin to char.  Remove from the broiler and toss as necessary until the desired char is reached.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.  Place the onion, garlic,and tomato in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.

Place chiles on a cutting board.  Use a knife to remove their tops and cut lengthwise down the center.  Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and discard. Coarsely chop the chiles and add to the bowl of the food processor.  Add lime juice and a few tablespoons of water.  Blend until combined.  Stir in cilantro if using.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill until ready to serve. 

Black Bean, Quinoa, and Peppers salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds black beans
• 1/2 or 1 serrano pepper
• 1 pound corn kernels
• 3 roasted poblano peppers, seeds and skin removed
• 3 roasted red peppers, seeds and skin removed
• 3 small yellow onions or 2 large one
• 1 cup cotija cheese (or other hard cheese, grated, or crumbled salty softer cheese like feta)
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cumin 

Directions

Wash and drain the beans and put them in a saucepan. Cut up the pasilla pepper (or jalapenos, if using them) and add to the pot. Make the pieces large so you can retrieve them later.  Cover the beans with water by 1" in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, but not mushy, maybe 15-20 minutes. Drain and remove the peppers from the beans. Dice the poblano, red peppers and onions all to about 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse the onion in a strainer under cold water to remove some of the sulfurous bite. In a dry skillet, roast the corn until it browns over high heat, stirring and tossing frequently, but don't burn it. Take the corn out when you have some nice brown spots on most kernels. Mince the garlic and put it in the skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil for about two minutes over high heat - just enough to soften it up, not enough to burn it or caramelize. In a small pot, combine one cup of quinoa with a cup and a half of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until all the water is absorbed - maybe 12 minutes. Mix the corn, peppers, onions, quinoa, garlic, and beans together and toss well. Add the olive oil, cheese, lime juice, cumin, and cliantro. Salt and pepper to taste. Put in a refrigerator to cool for at least an hour before serving. If you'd like, add diced avocado, tomato, mango, or papaya as mentioned earlier.

Fresh Salsa

From Katherin Deumling of Cook With What You Have

You have many of the ingredients for the sweetest, freshest and most savory salsa in your share this week. I made this recently for a crowd and it was devoured and enjoyed even by those who purportedly don’t like spicy salsa. The jalapenos are so flavorful and subtly spicy.

2 large tomatoes, washed, cored and finely chopped or diced (or if using cherry tomatoes, quartered)

½ - 1 jalapeno, finely minced (de-seed the pepper if you’re unsure of your comfort with the heat level—my guess is that you can leave the seeds in, for at least part of it)

2 tablespoons, finely chopped red onion

1-2 tablespoons chopped, roasted poblano pepper (see note below) (optional)

¼ cup cilantro, well washed and dried and chopped

1 small clove garlic, minced and then mashed with some coarse salt and the side of a chef’s knife into a paste (or just mince)

Sea salt

Mix everything together well and adjust seasoning with salt. Serve with chips or with fish tacos or any kind of tacos or with quesadillas or as a side for grilled fish or vegetables or pretty much anything. 

Poblano and Jalapeno Notes

 From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

• If you get poblano chilies (referred to as Ancho chilies once dried) in your share this week you’re in for a treat. You’ll want to roast them either under the broiler or on a grill or directly over the gas burner on your stove until blackened. Cover in a bowl until cool and then peel and seed. Now you can add them, finely chopped to the salsa above, to an egg scramble or frittata or to any soup or sauce. They vary in heat level so taste a little before you add the whole thing so you know what you’re in forJ!

• The jalapenos can be added cooked or raw to many of the dishes in this week’s packet in addition to the salsa—you could add some to the paella when you’re sautéing the onion and garlic, you could add some to the tomato sauce for a lovely little kick or to the cucumber salads. The peppers add a lovely depth and subtle heat.

• Add finely minced jalapenos to a creamy salad dressing (using equal parts mayo and Greek yogurt, some lemon juice or vinegar, a bit of minced garlic, etc. ) and toss it with chopped lettuce, diced red onion and lots of halved cherry tomatoes. 

Pepper and Eggplant Sauté for Pasta, etc.

This is less of a recipe and just an idea for a good treatment of these two items. By all means add some spicy pork sausage if you’d like—it’s a great combination.

Dice the eggplant (no need to salt, soak and drain as many recipe say—these are tender, fresh eggplants and I generally think that step is unnecessary). Clean and cut the peppers into 1-inch long strips. Saute both in a large skillet generously coated with olive oil over high to medium-high heat until browned and tender. Add 1 -2  cups diced tomatoes (depending on how saucy you want it) and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes reduce. Turn down heat and cover if the veggies start getting to dark. Salt to taste.

Add some minced garlic a minute or two before the veggies are done. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and a drizzle of good olive oil, tossed with pasta, on toasted bread, over rice, as a side to grilled meat or fish. . .

Chile Relleno Tart

Crust

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup blue cornmeal* or yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons (about) ice water

Filling

• 3 large fresh poblano** or New Mexico chilies
• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature
• 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Colby cheese

*Blue cornmeal is available at natural foods stores and some specialty foods stores.
**A fresh green chili, often called a pasilla, available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets.

For crust: Combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal and 1 teaspoon salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in water by tablespoonfuls until mixture forms moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before using.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan; trim to fit, reserving scraps. Place pan on heavy baking sheet. Bake until crust is set and edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. If crust cracks, gently press small bits of reserved dough into cracks. Transfer pan to rack and cool.

For filling: Char chilies over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Seal in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and chop chilies.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle Gruyère and mozzarella over bottom of crust. Sprinkle chilies over cheese. Combine eggs, cream, goat cheese, butter, salt and pepper in processor; blend well. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with Colby cheese.
Bake tart until filling is golden brown and set, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool slightly. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Chile Cornbread

From Simply Recipes 

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 cups of chopped, roasted green Anaheims
• 1 cup corn (frozen is fine, fresh is better)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 8x12 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar. Beat the sour cream and eggs to the butter sugar mixture. Add the milk and the dry ingredients, a third at a time and alternating wet/dry. Mix in the green chiles, corn, and shredded cheese. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.

Bake for 35 minutes, until top is browned, the center springs back when pressed down, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool almost completely before serving.

Yield: Makes about 12 serving pieces.

Basic Green Chile Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped green chile (roasted, peeled, seeded)
• ½ cup chopped tomato, fresh or canned
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste

Directions

Heat the oil and saute the onion a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook until softened. 
Stir in the flour, cook 2 minutes, then slowly add the stock. Add the chile, tomato and cumin.
Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add water or stock if sauce gets too thick. Add salt to taste. Makes about 3 cups.

Roasted Peppers

Ingredients

Peppers

Directions

Cook them for 4-7 minutes on each side. This can be done on a grill, your oven, or over an open flame. You know they are done when the skins start to blister. Once they are nice and blistered, take them off the grill and let them sit in a bowl that is covered for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, peel off the skin and you have some roasted peppers.