Author Archives: Patti

HUNTSMAN CHEESE AND CHIVE BUTTERMILK DROP BISCUITS

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So, you might be thinking – what the heck is huntsman cheese? Well, first of all, it is a favorite of Mr. C. (Mine too, if you want full disclosure.) Huntsman cheese is a happy marriage of two wonderful cheeses – double Gloucester and blue stilton. Two layers of strong, richly veined blue stilton sandwiched between three layers of full fat, rich and creamy double Gloucester. And I must say, just like my own marriage, this combination of cheeses is a marriage made in heaven!

So originally I conceived this recipe to use some blue cheese that was left over from preparing blue cheese salad dressing. But when I realized I really didn’t have enough to prepare this recipe, I went hunting for other types of cheese that might be complimentary. What I found was Mr. Cs stash of huntsman cheese. Ta-da. Problem solved.

So instead of using the last little bit of blue cheese, I happily chunked up a half cup of the huntsman cheese. (And yes, I asked permission first.) (And no the blue cheese did not go to waste. I sprinkled it on our salads the next evening.)

Anyway, the huntsman cheese made for some very tasty biscuits. And oh so easy to build. No rolling out dough, just an easy use of my #40 ice cream scoop* and Bob’ your uncle. Bake for a few minutes and all is well with the world. Crunchy and full of flavor. Just perfect, delicious, homemade biscuits.

Now another wonderful part of this recipe, is that you can use other types of crumbly or grated cheese. Gorgonzola, blue, Gruyère, Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, to mention a few. Just don’t go all crazy and add more than a half cup. And don’t pack the cheese into the measuring cup. Just let it fall where it lies and call it good. (I say this, because I have a tendency to consider cheese the same way I do a beautiful warm summer day in the NW. The more the better! And I know I am not alone in this regard. Right Jim?!?! But fight the tendency. This is not like making mac and cheese or cheddar cheese soup. Consider following this recipe as carefully as you would a high school science experiment with your teacher watching every move you make! (I say this only to preserve the integrity of this recipe and to keep your oven pristine.) All kidding aside, I hope you make a batch of these biscuits, because they are really, really delicious.

As always, keep baking, keep laughing, and keep counting your blessings. Peace and love to all.

1 c. + 2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed) 

1 T. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

tiny pinch freshly ground black pepper

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

½ c. crumbled huntsman cheese (not packed)

4 tsp. thinly sliced fresh chives

½ c. buttermilk (Bavarian style if possible)

Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter resembles small flakes. Don’t over mix. 

Add the cheese and chives, slowly mix until just combined. Pour in the buttermilk and again, mix just until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop* (about 2 tablespoons worth of dough), drop balls of dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten gently with your fingers. (And of course, if you don’t have the right sized ice cream scoop, just a couple tablespoons of free form dough plunked onto the baking sheet will do nicely.)

Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes before serving. If you can’t eat the biscuits while they are still warm, gently warm them in your microwave before serving. Butter is not necessary with these babies. Recipe is easily doubled.

*I round/heap the dough (make a ball) in a number 40 ice cream scoop to form these biscuits. This produces fairly small drop biscuits. But that’s just fine with me because what I like best about drop biscuits is all the crispy edges.

Learn more about ice cream scoops below.  

ICE CREAM SCOOPS

I use ice cream scoops for all kinds of cooking projects. But mainly I use them to make certain all the cookies from a batch are of similar size. Let’s face it, it’s much easier and more efficient to form cookies using a scoop. Takes about a third the time of dropping the dough by spoonfulls. Anyway, I have 4 scoop sizes that I mainly use. (OK, I only own these 4 sizes of scoops. But none-the-less, they work for me.)

#100 – 2 teaspoons (which means that if you are dishing up ice cream, you would get 100 scoops from 1 quart of ice cream) I use this any time I want tiny little cookies.

#60 – 1 tablespoon. I use this scoop for small cookies and meatballs

#40 – 1½ tablespoons. I use this scoop for larger cookies and for this recipe. (When I make cookies I flatten the dough to the same level as the rim of the ice cream scoop. For this recipe, I basically make a ball.

#10 – 3/8 cup. I use this scoop for muffins, cupcakes, and ice cream  

       

CREAMY BACON, SWEET POTATO, CORN, AND RED BELL PEPPER CHOWDER

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And yes, I am still the worlds worse food photographer.

I made this chowder last evening mainly because in our last farm box we received several small white-fleshed sweet potatoes. Of course as luck would have it, we already had some on hand. Now granted, we love sweet potatoes. But there is a limit to how much of any kind of food I want to eat or serve several nights in a row. (And yes that includes chocolate and hamburgers!) So then, what in the heck to do with all the bloody sweet potatoes? Mr. C. suggested just baking them, and serving in the normal manner. Which in this house means baked, split in two, slathered with butter, and sprinkled with salt and pepper. OK, that sounds good for 2 of them. Maybe even 4 of them. But that still leaves me with a small crops worth still to be dealt with. But I’m always up for a good challenge. So to the internet I proceeded.

I’ve been on a real soup and chowder kick lately, so that’s the direction I decided to take. And oh am I glad I did. I found the basics for this recipe on the runningonrealfood.com site. When I told Mr. C. about the recipe, he asked me those three little words every cook knows are eventually going to come out of someone’s mouth when chowder is mentioned – “is there bacon”? I told him bacon was not in the original recipe, but it certainly would make a fine addition. So this recipe includes bacon. It also includes a wee bit of crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley. (I use crushed red pepper flakes a lot in my cooking. Not much, just a few flakes to keep things interesting. I also include fresh parsley whenever possible.)

As you glance through the recipe, you will note, that with the exception of the tiny bit of fat rendered as the bacon fries, there is no other fat included. There are also no dairy products. So this is a fairly low fat and healthy chowder. And truly, it doesn’t need any shredded cheese or sour cream. It is perfect unto itself. And I could have left it as such. But no, I decided to accompany the chowder with buttermilk biscuits. And not just any buttermilk biscuits.

I had developed a recipe for Huntsman Cheese and Chive Buttermilk Drop Biscuits that I was anxious to try. So I did. And I am here to tell you, the biscuits were outrageously delicious and went really well with this amazing chowder. So my next post will be for the biscuits I served last evening. But back to this recipe.

The first thing I need to mention is that this chowder is truly delicious. And to make it all the more appealing, very easy to prepare. And for all of you for whom time is of the essence when preparing dinner, there is no long simmering required to produce the lovely depth of flavor base for this chowder. And truly, I can’t think of any reason even the most picky of eaters wouldn’t enjoy this dish. So there you go. Dinner in a pot.

So as always, keep preparing and serving delicious food to your family.   And especially with winter just around the corner, remember that nothing says warm and cozy, healthy and happy, safe and cherished, like a big old bowl of soup or chowder. (Of course chocolate chip cookies work well too.)      

We are all going to be subjected to a long and isolated spell of being housebound until Covid-19 is brought under control. And having to stay inside because its winter is definitely not going to make life easier for any of us. In fact, just the opposite. But the more we as cooks can do to help our families cope with the boredom and stay as healthy as possible, the better. And there’s no better way I can think of to make that happen than by preparing interesting, healthy, and delicious food. If nothing else, it will be fun to tell your family all about a new dish when you are invariably asked what’s for dinner. If it happen to be this chowder you are preparing at the time, I would advise starting the discourse with the first ingredient listed below. Peace and love to all.

4-6 strips of meaty, thick bacon, cut into small pieces

1 c. chopped onion

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. (more or less) cubed sweet potato  

3 c. vegetable broth, or additional broth if you like a more liquid base for your chowder

2 tsp. chili powder  

1 tsp. paprika  

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 c. (more or less) frozen corn

1 T. chopped fresh parsley  

Fry the bacon until very crisp in a heavy soup pot. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook until the onion starts to soften. (The onion will also start to get a little brown from the bits left behind while frying the lean bacon.) Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the sweet potato, broth, chili powder, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the diced red bell pepper and simmer until the sweet potato is fork tender. (Just cook until tender, not mushy.) This only takes a few minutes more. Then add the corn.

Remove about one half of the soup to the bowl with the cooked bacon. Using an immersion blender, whirl the remaining soup until it’s kind of creamy but there are still some small chunks. Then add the unblended soup back into the pot along with the cooked bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Bring just to a boil, stir in the parsley, and serve piping hot.

Please note: to make this chowder vegetarian, sauté the onion and celery in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Then add the garlic and go from there.       

   

OLD BAY SEASONED FRIED FISH WITH LEMON GARLIC AIOLI

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Fabulous fried fish and yummy aioli

Yes I know! There are already recipes for fried fish on this site. And there is a very good reason for that. WE LOVE FRIED FISH! And variety is the spice of life. And if I’m not mistaken, we aren’t alone in loving both tasty fried fish and variety. But for unknown reasons, it seems to me that the last couple of times we ordered fish and chips from a takeout restaurant, there wasn’t much flavor in either the batter or the fish itself. Of course the batter was crispy because the fish had been deep fat fried. But in a couple of cases, the puffy coating was thicker than the fillet. (I hate that!) Or even if the coating was thin, there was no discernable flavor. So either my taste buds are going to hell with the rest of my body, or restaurants are dumbing down their recipes to reach a greater majority of customers. And if that’s the case, I plan to take no part in their plan. If I am going to eat a fried product, it had better taste pretty darn good! If that means the only fried fish I can enjoy is in the privacy of my own home, so be it! I’m prepared to not only accept the responsibility for delicious home cooked fried fish, but also to gladly assume the means by which it is accomplished! And I promise never to forget the tasty sauce in which the perfectly fried fish is dipped. (This was actually part of my wedding vows. Just kidding. But maybe it should have been. Not kidding!)

So now that you know why I tried a couple of new recipes for coating and serving the Icelandic cod Mr. C. brought home the other afternoon, let me tell you a bit more about each recipe.

I have been using Old Bay Seasoning off and on for 50 years. I learned about the product when I lived in Delaware. Being as close as I was to the Chesapeake Bay, I learned all about eating soft shells crabs and crab cakes. And as much as I love living in the Pacific Northwest, I still miss sitting at a brown-paper covered picnic table, right next to the bay, eating crab in as many forms as possible. So of course, many years later when I could actually afford to buy crab once in a while, I had to learn how to make crab cakes. And every person I asked told me the secret. Yup. Old Bay Seasoning (OBS). (And no, I haven’t posted my recipe for crab cakes on this site. It’s in my first cookbook, but for whatever reason, I have been remiss in not including it on this site. But that will soon change. Crab is now on my grocery list. So stay tuned.)

Anyway, the other evening I decided to use OBS once again in the seasoned coating for this recipe. The thing I have learned about coating fish, or chicken, or pork, or whatever, is that it almost always requires more seasoning than I think it should. I used the full 6 teaspoons of OBS because my container has been in my cupboard for several years so if has lost some of its potency. So you might want to start with a bit less if yours is fresh. The coating was delicious and easy to throw together.

The aioli was just a happy combination of my favorite aioli flavors. I wanted a simple sauce to go with the highly flavored coating on the fish. I also didn’t want to spend a lot of prep time. Mission accomplished.

I hope you enjoy both of these recipes. And don’t be afraid to make your own fish and chips. Or what we usually enjoy – fish and some kind of oven roasted potato wedges. I recommend Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes or Oven Roasted Steak Fries.

As always, have fun in your kitchen and let food cravings be your guide. Allow me to explain.

During this stressful time, I recommend giving in to your food cravings. My friend Vicki and I were just talking about this very thing a few minutes ago during a phone conversation. It seems like more than ever, comfort food, especially food we remember from either our childhood or earlier and easier days seems to be calling to both of us. For her recently, it was chili dogs. For me it’s been soup and homemade bread. I simply can’t get enough of either. So why not succumb? If it helps relieve your own stress, or makes someone else in your family feel more comfortable, then as cooks, I say let’s make it happen.

A couple of days ago, Mr. C. told me he was hungry for Grilled Lamb Patties with Tzatziki. I added Hummus and Soupa Avgolemono (Greek egg and lemon soup) to the list. (All highlighted recipes on this site BTW.) So all those dishes are on the menu for tonight. And I know we will both love the dinner. And it will give me such joy to be able to please him in such a simple and homey way.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to please most people. It just takes a little bit of time and a whole lot of attention to everyday conversations. When your spouse happens to mention a favorite dish, or your child talks longingly about cookies or popcorn or steamed veggies (like that’s ever going to happen), prove to them you were paying attention. (Even if you have to remind them of the fact that you truly were listening so they’ll remember what a grand spouse or parent you really are! We have to take our strokes where we can get them!)

And speaking of making your family members feel loved and comforted, check out the pictures of our fuzzy family members at the bottom of this post.

And of course as always – peace and love to all.

½ c. cornmeal

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

4-6 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning   

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

½ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. granulated onion

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

vegetable oil

1½ lbs. cod fillets (or any other firm white fish) dried with paper towels

Whisk the cornmeal, flour, Old Bay seasoning, dried parsley, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt, and pepper together in a shallow container.

Beat the egg in another shallow container.

Pour enough oil in a large frying pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Then give it a dribble more. Heat the oil over medium heat and dip each fillet first in the beaten egg (allowing excess egg to drip off), then into the cornmeal mixture.

Pan-fry the fillets until they are brown on the first side (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook the second side. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Great with the Lemon Garlic Aioli.

LEMON GARLIC AIOLI

¾ c. cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

3-5 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, finely minced

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper 

Mix it all together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with your favorite fish recipe or as a dip for fresh or cooked veggies. 

Max sound asleep in the living room listening to Mr. C. play piano
Miles snoozing in front of the fireplace as his brother sleeps peacefully nearby. Life is not too rough for our boys.

PISCO SOUR

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OK, Mr. C. has once again donned his mixologist hat and researched and perfected another delightful adult beverage with which to thrill and delight all of you for whom a unique and totally different drink is as exciting to you, as me discovering a new way to prepare meatloaf! A thrill a minute is all I ask!

But unlike many of you who have to make a decision every time someone asks you what cocktail you would enjoy imbibing, I am always ready with the same answer: “Tanqueray martini, very dry, up, with one olive, and a glass of ice on the side.” See how easy that is!

But that question is never a simple decision for my dear husband. He enjoys a vast array of different libations and every night I have to ask him what his beverage of choice is that evening as we are clinking glasses. (And yes, we clink glasses every evening. It’s almost a ritual. Just a simple cheer to each other for successfully living one more day, with good hopes for the next day as well.)

If you are new to this site, and enjoy a variety of alcoholic beverages, then I suggest you check out some of Mr. C’s other treasured recipes. They are all listed under Adult Beverage Recipes. And they are all (I have to take his word on this) very enjoyable. I say I have to trust his judgement, because I have never as much as tasted many of his concoctions because I can’t even get them past my nose. I know. Boooorrrring Patti. I got that and I’m just fine with being boring, predictable, and (insert your own derogatory descriptor word choice here). Just don’t mess with my Tanqueray and we will still get along just fine!

Anyway, if you have the opportunity, and the kind of discerning palate that craves new and adventurous adult liquid refreshment, then give this drink a try. If not, at least you won’t be unenlightened the next time your host asks you if you would like a Pisco Sour as a before dinner cocktail. You can either say yes thank you, or merely reply that although the pisco sour is the beloved national cocktail of both Peru and Chile, your preference would be a (fill in the blank). Remember – sophisticated repartee is always in fashion and always in good taste. So never miss an opportunity to reveal how much worthless knowledge you have stored in your cranium. It’s always worked well for me. Want proof? You’re still reading this post! Right??

And as always, peace and love to all. (Peace and love are always in good taste too.) Enjoy the recipe. Cheers!

2 oz. pisco* (read all about pisco below)

1 oz. fresh lime juice

½ oz. (or slightly more) simple syrup

1 egg white

1 dash Angostura bitters

In a cocktail shaker, combine the pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white; add ice and shake vigorously.  Strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass.  Garnish with a dash of Angostura bitters.  Serve straight up (without ice) or with little ice.

*Pisco is a type of brandy, which is to say that it’s a spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice. Beyond that, it is far removed from what most people consider a brandy, such as cognac or Armagnac. Unlike the more recognizable brandy types, pisco is not aged in wood. It must rest for a minimum of three months in a nonreactive container, such as stainless steel or glass, or traditionally, elongated clay pitchers known as botijas, or informally, as piscos.   

Pisco is colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored. It tastes like a rustic brandy that’s amazingly smooth. It often features a fresh bouquet of aromatics and a touch of sweetness.

Pisco first originated in the winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. It was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace (the pulpy residue remaining after fruit has been crushed in order to extract its juice) brandy produced in Spain. But unlike orujo, pisco uses fermented grape juice from which the pomace has been discarded. This method of producing a high-proof spirit is similar to the method by which grappa is made in Italy.

Capel Pisco ReservadoMoai

This recipe is for the Peruvian pisco sour.  The Chilean version excludes the egg white and bitters; and may substitute powdered sugar for the simple syrup. The classic Peruvian recipe uses key lime juice; the Chilean version uses Pica limes. If shaken properly, the egg white will form a natural froth on top of the drink.  As a variation, substitute lemon juice for the lime juice.  (Source: International Bartenders Association.) The brand of pisco we have is Capel Pisco Reservado** Moai (product of Chile). It was a gift from our neighbor Cheryl. She knew Mr. C. was into making exotic drinks because she had enjoyed one or two over the years. OK, maybe more than one or two. Cheers Cheryl. (Cin cin!)

**A reservado is by definition 80-85 proof! (Think vodka or gin). So drinker beware!

SALTED CARAMEL UPSIDE DOWN APPLE CAKE

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When autumn arrives, has there ever been a better twosome to toast the change of seasons than apples and caramel? I think not. Well OK, soup and homemade bread works too. But if you want to raise a cheer, it should be with something a little more auspicious than a humble bowl of soup and a piece of bread. At least to my thinking. Of course a Hot Buttered Rum or a warm cup of Glögg and a Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies or two would work also. But for today I’m going to celebrate apples and caramel. (My blog, my choice!)

So the other day I got a wild hair to make a caramel-apple upside down cake. (And no, I have not made many upside down cakes before. So this was going to be a fairly new experience for me.) So why now you might ask? And I would have no adequate answer to give you. “Just because” is probably as close as I could come to the actual reason.

But then I love caramel. And apples are OK too. And I was in the mood for cake because I truly love a really delicious homemade cake. All I knew was that I didn’t want to bake a huge old cake because then I would be forced to eat more than I really should. And then I’d feel guilty. And if I ended up throwing some of it away I’d also feel guilty. (We still don’t have a new freezer even though we ordered and put a down payment on one months ago! Grrrr….) So, how could I avoid guilt tripping myself in any manner available to do just that? (I’m so very good at it, you see.)  

So to the internet to get some ideas about how to build an upside down apple caramel cake. And to my delight, on the pinchofyum.com site, (great site BTW) was what appeared to be the perfect recipe for me. A salted caramel-apple cake that would fit in a 9-inch cake pan. So, not too large a cake. In fact, just the perfect size to share with our neighbors Mark and Vicki.   

Now sometimes I try a recipe and it’s just OK tasting, or it doesn’t have all of the qualities I hoped for. And you never know about it. Not this recipe. This wonderful recipe is delicious and absolutely what I had in mind. And the recipe contains common ingredients that are easy to put together. So in my book, this is a perfect recipe. Thank you very much Lindsay for this delightful, welcome to autumn, recipe.

So as always, be content with what you have, who you are, and for what’s to come.

I’ve been a bit concerned about how I was going to handle being confined to quarters for the long fall and winter ahead. But as I was drifting off to sleep last night, I thought about all the wonderful delights fall and winter have to offer that I can enjoy from the comfort of my own home. Watching the clouds come and go. Seeing beautiful colored autumn leaves drift by my window. (Sounds like a song lyric, right!?) Catching a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye as a tree twists and turns in the wind. Sit in my comfortable den chair and read. And cook up a storm.

And then there’s the holidays to plan for.

This year of course is going to be different than any previous year. But there are still things I can continue to do to make life a little bit more fun for myself and my family and friends.   

Every year I send a goody package to each of my kids. I bake fruit cake (yes fruitcake can be delicious), candy, and cookies. So this year isn’t going to be any different in that regard. (Maybe more types of cookies and candy. Maybe different types of goodies like spice and herb blends. Maybe gourmet chocolate or even a large bottle of really good vanilla or a favorite ice cream sauce. Lots of fun for me to plan and build, and I’ll bet there will be some delight on the other end too.) And I can plan fun things to build for my friends. Who knows, there could even be something containing alcohol involved. Been known to happen.

And then, maybe it will snow. I love snow. I’m just about as bad now as I was as a kid praying for a snow day. And then before I know it, the first signs of spring will appear. And a whole new cycle will begin. And once again I will be reminded how lucky I am and how wonderful life really is for me. May each of you also find joy in your life. Peace and love to all.

For the Caramel and Apple Part:

½ c. unsalted butter

2/3 c. brown sugar, packed

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. thinly sliced peeled apple (takes about 1 big apple)

Generously butter a round 9-inch high sided cake pan. (If you don’t have a high sided cake pan, be sure to place a rimmed baking sheet under your cake pan before placing in the oven. A bit of the caramel will undoubtedly try and probably succeed in escaping while the cake is baking. At least it did for me. (And yes, I just ordered a couple of high sided cake pans because I plan to make this cake again and again. The girl can learn!)

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla. Keep over medium-low heat and cook for about 3 minutes or until smooth and slightly thickened. Pour the caramel into the greased cake pan and top with the apple slices.    

For the Cake:

½ c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter*

1 c. brown sugar, packed

2 lg. eggs

¼ c. whole milk

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

coarse sea salt for topping

Beat the cold butter and brown sugar until well combined. (The mixture will not be creamy and light like you would normally get if you started with room temperature butter. That’s what you want. See reason below.) Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and milk and beat until incorporated. (Might be a few small lumps. That’s fine. Not too worry.) Scrape the sides of the bowl again or whenever the ingredients are sticking to the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together. Stir into the butter mixture just until combined. Spoon the stiff cake batter onto the top of the apples. Using an offset spatula, carefully smooth out the cake batter until the apples and caramel are evenly covered.    

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Stick a toothpick into the cake part. If it comes out clean and the top of the cake is a lovely brown, the cake is done. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. (Letting the cake cool for 10 minutes is very important.) Using a knife or offset spatula, cut around the edge of the cake to make certain it is not still attached to the pan. Invert the cake onto a cake plate and tap the top until the cake comes out onto the plate. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Lovely warmed or at room temperature.  

*I use cold butter for this recipe because I want the batter to stay a bit stiff and not incorporate as much air as if I had started with room temperature butter. When you cream sugar with room temperature butter, the sugar crystals punch little holes in the butter and those holes capture air. In this recipe, I prefer the cake part to be fairly dense.   

SAVORY BRAISED BEEF CUBES

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Some days I feel like cooking a gourmet dinner. Other days all I want is a big old salad with meat and cheese and a horribly caloric dressing. Oh, and don’t forget the croutons. Then, there are the times like a couple of days ago when all I wanted was a savory and comforting dish that went well with potatoes.  Kind of a modified meat and potatoes day.

So I thought of Swiss steak. And sure enough I have a couple of great recipes for Swiss steak on this site that I always enjoy. (Swiss Steak with Mushrooms and Swiss Steak with Cheddar Cheese Polenta.) But I didn’t happen to have any fresh mushrooms on hand, and I had two lovely Yukon Gold potatoes I really needed to use before the peels turned green and the potatoes started to think about reproducing themselves. (Sprouting.) So cheddar cheese polenta was out. And of course, I’m always game to try new and interesting looking recipes. So to the internet I proceeded.

And I found the bones for this recipe on the tasteandtellblog.com site. I changed the ingredients somewhat and the manner in which the meat was cooked, then proceeded from there. I simply turned a stove top recipe into an oven braise. Let me explain.

First of all, I like to braise meat. Braising is a combination cooking method; combining the dry-heat method of searing the meat to begin with and then cooking the meat until tender with the moist heat of a long and gentle simmer in liquid. And frankly, whenever possible, I braise meat in the oven. (Stove top braises make more work for me because then I am always checking the pot, stirring the liquid, and even tasting the sauce.) So using the oven is definitely my preferred braising method.

Really, all you are doing in a braise, is taking a tough cut of meat, adding a few flavorful ingredients, and gently cooking the entire mess in liquid until all of the ingredients are magically transformed into a tender, succulent, delicious masterpiece. (I bet that got your attention! It even got my attention, and I wrote the darn sentence!)

Anyway, if you are in the mood for a savory, meaty, fairly inexpensive, and simple main dish to prepare, this might fit your bill. I know it certainly fit ours the other evening.

As always, keep counting your blessings, keep striving to keep your life and the lives of those around you interesting, and if you have an older neighbor who might be in need of a bit of cheer, be the one that makes it happen. Baking cookies? Take a few over. Making bread? Make a small loaf to share. Even a simple wave or “howdy neighbor” can mean a lot to someone who is unable to see family or friends during this pandemic. Think of ways to make life better for others. If nothing else, it takes your mind off yourself. Peace and love to all.    

1 lb. beef steak, cut into serving sized pieces (tough cuts work well for this recipe, like round steak or boneless chuck) 

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ onion, diced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. tomato paste

1 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 c. beef stock, or more as needed (I use water and Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)

1 sm. bay leaf

¼ tsp. dried thyme   

½ tsp. paprika

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1½ tsp. red wine vinegar

2 T. minced fresh Italian parsley

Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy covered pan. (This is a great time to use your cast iron Dutch oven.)  Add the seasoned beef and cook, flipping halfway through, until browned on both sides, 5-6 minutes. Remove the browned pieces to a container. Set aside.

Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the flour and stir for a couple of minutes.

Slowly whisk in the beef stock. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaf, thyme, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and red wine vinegar. Return the beef to the skillet, along with any juices that have accumulated. The liquid does not have to cover the meat.

Cover the pan and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 90-120 minutes, or until the beef is fork tender. Check after 45 minutes to see if more liquid is required. (If anything, I err on the side of caution. When in doubt, I add more liquid. Can’t really hurt.) You might also want to taste the liquid at this point and adjust seasoning as required. Return to oven and braise the beef until the sauce has thickened (and is almost gone) and the beef is tender.

Remove from oven, discard the bay leaf, and serve sprinkled with the fresh parsley. 

Great served with mashed or oven roasted potatoes, rice, or buttered egg noodles.  

HONEY SOY SAUCE GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS

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I am forever looking for ways to serve chicken. And of course, of utmost importance, the chicken must taste good. Duh! And more often than not, I want recipes that take only a short time to prepare. Add to this wish list, accompanying dishes that are also easy to fling together. I know, every tired cooks dream meal.

Well, the other evening I took a recipe I found on the cafedelites.com site (great site BTW) and adapted it to fit my needs. And I’m here to tell you, the chicken was a winner. And it had been a dream to prepare.

First of all, you get to do the prep work way before it’s actually time to do any real cooking. I like that. You now have time to take off your apron*, and maybe sit down and read or get some other household chore accomplished. And then when it’s actually time to cook, by first donning your apron* of course, it’s only a few minutes before the whole meal is on the table. (There’s an asterisk by the word apron for a reason. You can go to the bottom of this post to read all about it.)

So the other evening by preparing this dish, throwing some rice in my rice cooker, and steaming some fresh broccoli, a really tasty dinner was on the table in no time flat.

Now I know what you’re thinking. And yes I have been talking a lot lately about simple recipes. It’s because not only am I getting older and standing up for long hours in the kitchen is becoming harder and harder, it’s because for some of you, your lives have become busier because of the coronavirus pandemic. Where before you got your kids off to school and you found your home looking exactly as it did when all of you got home that evening, now it’s probably twice as difficult to keep it tidy, much less clean. Children are not tidy by nature. They are messy little creatures with no compunction not to leave a trail wherever they go. So my hat is off to all of you for whom your whole carefully choreographed life has been turned upside down. The only thing I can do to help, is provide you with easy recipes that I am sure your family will enjoy. (Sounds terribly altruistic, but in helping you I am definitely helping myself even more. So no loud applause please!)

As always, be safe, be sensitive to the needs of your family, and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. As cooks, we are very important to keeping our families healthy and comforted. Good, home cooked food is a blessing each of us can give to our family members. Peace and love to all.

3 T. honey

3 T. low sodium Tamari or soy sauce

2 finely chopped green onions

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. white vinegar

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. freshly minced ginger

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. vegetable oil

2-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, as much fat removed as possible

sesame seeds

Whisk the honey, soy sauce, green onion, sesame oil, white vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper together in a shallow glass container. (I use a glass bread loaf pan.)

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and add to the container with the marinade. Toss the chicken in the marinade until all of the meat has been introduced to the marinade. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours. (I marinate mine for about 3 hours.) Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to cook the chicken.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large enough frying pan to fit all of the chicken in a single layer. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving as much of the marinade as possible, and fry the first side until it’s a lovely dark brown. Turn the chicken and continue cooking until it’s done. Chicken should reach an internal temp of at least 165 degrees to be considered “done”.

Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken and cook it until it boils. As it boils it will thicken considerably. It can also burn because of the honey. So watch it carefully. To make sure the marinade, now a glaze, is safe to eat, take its temperature. Foodborne bacteria die at 165 degrees F, so this is your target temperature. When the chicken is done and the glaze (formerly the marinade) has reached at least 165 degree, take it off the heat, garnish it with sesame seeds, and serve immediately. Serve with steamed rice and a simple green veggie or salad, and dinners ready.

*For anyone who knows me personally and has been to our home for a meal, you have undoubtedly seen me wear an apron while I am cooking. Or even after the food is cooked and I am serving the food, or even when I am eating the food. This is not a once in a while thing. My wearing an apron is a habit I formed decades ago. And at the time, it wasn’t for health reasons. It was simply because I wanted to keep my clothes from getting stained. That is still a valid reason for wearing an apron, but there is more to it than soiled clothing. There are the health benefits for not only myself, but for the person or persons for whom I am preparing the food.

When we enjoy food prepared outside the home, there is always a risk of getting infected and suffering from serious illnesses. That risk is not confined to eating restaurant food however. It is equally applicable to home cooked food as well. (Maybe even more so because home kitchens are not subject to safety and health inspections the way restaurant kitchen are.) As home cooks, our clothes that we have been wearing throughout the day have lots of germs on them. And these germs can easily be transferred to the food we prepare. A simple step like wearing an apron can go a long way in reducing this risk. 

Wearing an apron prevents our clothes from coming in contact with the food, hence any germs, dust, cat hair, cleaning products etc., stay within the apron and off whatever food we are handling. Wearing an apron also keeps any loose clothing firmly secured to our bodies and therefore away from open flames, etc. From a practical standpoint, an apron (or 15 like I have) is one more way to stop the spread of disease. And of course, sloppy people like me from walking around in stained clothing.

 

CINNAMON SUGAR QUICK BREAD

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So, how come no one ever told me about cinnamon sugar bread? I’m a nice person and share all my favorite recipes with you all. The least you could have done was tell me about this treasure. But no, I had to discover this bread on my own. But I’ve got broad shoulders, so once again, I’m going to reveal my benevolent side, and tell you all about my recent discovery. OMG – this is the best and probably the easiest quick bread I have tasted in a long time. And the truly unique thing about this bread, is that it doesn’t contain any fancy ingredients or even a new flavor sensation. It’s just a simple vanilla flavored quick bread batter with swirls of cinnamon-sugar streusel. That’s it. Like I said – nothing fancy or new.

I found this wonderful recipe on the beyondfrosting.com site. I halved the recipe again and then doubled the streusel part, because I could. (The real reason is that I wanted a 2nd bread to share with our neighbors Mark and Vicki. They just moved into their new home and they are still feeling a bit discombobulated (I always wanted to use that word) from the move. And what could be more calming than a nice quick bread made with lots of sugar? Am I right?)

Anyway, I made the bread and we all agreed that this was a recipe to keep. So thank you Julianne. This is truly a wonderful recipe.

Now before I go any further, I want to reiterate: this is a simple bread to build, and the flavors are not going to be new to your taste buds. When I take a bite I am reminded of eating cinnamon toast as a kid, or biting into one of my grandmother’s soft cinnamon-sugar cake donuts. This is comfort bread, not a dazzling new flavor sensation for your taste buds. It’s a bread this grandmother plans to build for her grandchildren when it’s once again safe to be in their presence. (Or they in our presence.) (I really pray this pandemic ends soon!)

So as always, keep staying safe. The numbers of new covid-19 cases is increasing as many of us are unconsciously semi letting our guard down. (Guilty as charged.) So be vigilant. Take more precautions than even the medical community advises. Even after all these months, no one truly understands all of the ramifications of contracting this disease.

And please vote in the upcoming presidential election. Vote as if your life and your children’s lives depended on it. Vote with your brain and heart. Ask yourself these questions: Which candidate cares about the environment? Which candidate cares about people? Not just rich powerful people. But everyone – people of color, different religions, differing beliefs, sexual persuasion, etc. Which candidate can speak intelligently about world conditions? Which candidate would represent the United States with poise and dignity and class?

You know, class is something not often mentioned in reference to adults who are not wealthy or influential. But I feel it is an attribute to which all adults should aspire. It should be as intrinsic to our natures as saying “hello”, or “thank you”, or “have a good day”. And I feel it is especially imperative for our political leaders to be the very embodiment of this quality. They should be our examples of how class manifests itself when difficult situations arise. They should reflect kindness and concern. When verbally attacked, they should be able to take the high ground. And of utmost importance, they should be genuine people who care about all of the citizens they took office to protect and defend.

And one final question for you to consider: Which candidate would you unhesitatingly welcome into your home?

And for those of you who are confused whether my blog is a cooking blog or a political site, you aren’t alone. I don’t have that answer either. I just know that this coming election will influence what direction our country takes for generations to come. And I wish all of my progeny to have a chance at as nice a life as I’ve experienced. As is my wish for you and yours. Peace and love to all.  

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 c. + 2 T. granulated sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. kosher salt

3 lg. eggs

¾ c. vegetable oil

¾ c. sour cream

3 T. whole milk

4½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the Streusel:

½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

6 T. light brown sugar, packed

3 T. granulated sugar

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces

Lightly spray 2 – 9 x 5-inch loaf pans or 2 – 7.5 x 3.5 x 2.75 inch loaf pans* with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper**. Then give the parchment paper a quick spray. Set aside.         

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, veggie oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract together. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Set aside.

For the streusel: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Add the cold butter, and mush the butter into the flour mixture with a fork. Or use your fingers to press the butter together with the dry ingredients until well combined. The mixture should be crumbly but stick together when pressed between your fingers.

Layer a fourth of the batter in each pan. Then add a fourth of the streusel to each pan. Add the remaining batter on top and finally, the remaining streusel. Gently swirl the streusel into the batter. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the edges of the bread begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If you use an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 190 degrees. 

Remove the pans from oven and quickly, but carefully remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. You can peel the parchment paper off the bottom either when the bread is hot or after the bread has cooled completely.

BTW – if you would like to make this as a coffee cake, use a 9-inch square pan.

*I use Stellar James Martin 1lb. (7.5 x 3.5 x 2.75 inch) Non-Stick Loaf Tin Pans. They are not inexpensive, but they are wonderful pans.

** I don’t use parchment paper along the sides of the pans because parchment paper is recalcitrant. It simply will not form or attach itself to the sides of baking pans. So I always make a bloody mess. The batter ends up going between the sides of the pan and the paper, under the paper, and everywhere else it shouldn’t be! Plus I like the kind of sugary crust that forms along the sides of the bread when it’s just batter against the lightly greased sides of a pan. The bottom is a different story. Sugary batter just adores sticking to the bottom of any kind of pan. So parchment paper on the bottom only makes good sense. But if you are proficient with parchment paper, by all means use it to line your loaf pans. Just don’t tell me. I feel inept enough as it is. Sigh….       

 

INSTANT POT VEGETARIAN REFRIED BEANS

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OK, I thought I was done using my Instant Pot because the last time I tried preparing dried beans this way, the darned things never got soft. Even though I added a bunch of extra time, they were still too hard. I assumed there was simply something wrong with my Instant Pot. Nope. The problem was not the pressure cooker. The problem had to do with the age of the beans I was trying to cook.

If you are anywhere around my age (older than dirt), then you grew up with parents who had either lived during the depression or shortly thereafter. And those of us who then grew up to be the cooks for our own families, remembered the lessons from our youth. Don’t waste food. Keep a stock of your favorite ingredients on hand. (Replacement Shop.) And save money any way possible.

We soon discovered that buying in bulk was a good way to stretch the food dollars. That meant, that buying a 5 pound bag of pinto or navy beans, for example, was much more cost effective than buying 5 – 1 pound packages. Because, dried beans last forever. Right?! Wrong!! 

Fact: Dried beans that are several years old (some say even two years old) may not soften no matter how long you cook them. Who knew? I sure as heck didn’t. I just always figured that because the beans were dried, they could happily sit in my pantry for years with no ill effects. Kind of like Twinkies. But in reality, beans are merely dried to extend their shelf-life. They were never meant to last a lifetime! Or even several years.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Does Patti really expect me to go through my pantry and throw away all those wonderful dried beans I‘ve been hoarding all these years? No, that is not what I’m telling you to do. But I’ve got to be honest with you. That’s what I’m going to do. Because frankly, some of my beans may have moved with us from our Bellevue home 12 years ago. Well maybe not, but darned close! And as much as it’s going to kill me to buy dried beans in small packages or small amounts of bulk beans, and forgo my inherent inclination to sock away masses of dried beans in case there’s a zombie apocalypse or devastating earthquake, that’s my plan from here on out. Because there truly is a difference between a one year old dried bean and a 5 year old dried bean. So on that happy note, I’m going to tell you all about this recipe.

I have been trying all of my adult life to build refried beans that had enough wonderful flavor on their own as not to require any type of embellishment or garnish. No added cheese, raw onion, sour cream, salsa, etc. Nada! And I finally reached my goal the other evening after only 56 years of trying. (Persistence is its own reward.) Anyway, this combination of ingredients really worked for us. And using recently purchased dried pinto beans, adding a wee bit of fat, and a lot of flavorful additives, these beans can be served as is. And proudly take their place alongside any other flavor packed Mexican dish. In other words – they are truly yummy. And creamy. And healthy. And very easy to prepare. Your Instant Pot does all the hard work. You just need to feed it a few ingredients, turn the thing on GO, then walk away and let the pot do its magic. Piece of cake. (And no, I am not naïve enough to believe that all dried beans on my grocery store shelves are not as old as the ones in my pantry. But it’s the best I can do to alleviate the problem of dried beans that will not get soft! Well that and cross my fingers.)

So believe me, I am really glad I gave my Instant Pot another chance. And yes I have apologized to it for any unfair comments I may have issued out of ignorance. And to the Instant Pots credit, I have graciously been forgiven.

As always, be kind, be forgiving, give others the benefit of the doubt, and be that person that everyone considers a good friend. Good friends are like stars. You can’t always see them, but you know they are there. Peace and love to all.  

1 c. dried pinto beans  

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ sm. yellow onion, chopped  

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (4-oz.) diced green chiles (I use mild hatch green chiles)

1/8 tsp. dried jalapeño*

2 c. vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base)

1 c. water

1 sm. bay leaf

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano (Mexican oregano is the best)

1 T. unsalted butter

Thoroughly wash and pick over the pinto beans. Place in the instant pot. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour the onion and garlic into the pot. (Or you can use the sauté function on your Instant Pot.) 

Add the diced green chiles, dried jalapeño, broth, water, bay leaf, salt, chili powder, and oregano. Stir to combine.

Cook on High or Beans for 50 minutes. When the 50 minutes are over, let the pressure release naturally for 40 minutes. Carefully open the lid.  

Discard the bay leaf. Drain the beans reserving about a cup of water. (You probably won’t use that much additional liquid, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.) Using your immersion blender or potato masher, mush the beans until they reach your desired consistency, adding reserved liquid as needed. Stir in the butter, taste, and adjust seasoning. (You will probably need a bit more kosher salt at this point.) Serve warm as a side dish or as a glorious bean dip.

Can be prepared ahead of time and re-heated just before serving.

*I use dried powdered jalapeño quite a bit because I rarely have a fresh jalapeño on hand. The brand I use is Badia ground jalapeño. (You can purchase it through Amazon.)  

CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE TOPPED VEGETARIAN LENTIL SOUP

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The leaves are changing color and dropping at a prodigious rate. The sky is replete with clouds in every shade of grey. And every once in a while a bit of blue sky allows us a teasing glimpse of the sun. In other words – it’s fall in the Northwest. And with fall comes my ingrained desire to build comfort food. And of course the first dish that comes to mind is soup. But what kind of soup? (That is always the question.)

So I decided to open my first self-published cookbook (Cooking with Family and Friends) to check out the soup recipes in case there was one that I had inadvertently forgotten. My instincts were spot on, because right there in black and white on page 29 was a recipe for lentil soup. And in the note at the bottom of the recipe were the words “Andy loves this soup generously sprinkled with crumbled feta cheese.” How had I let this lovely soup avoid my detection for all these years? Anyway, to make a long story short, the other evening I prepared this soup, with a couple of upgrades, and there was a very happy man sitting with me at the dinner table that evening.

Now one of the lovely aspects of this soup is that it is vegetarian. I try, most of the time unsuccessfully, to cook at least one dinner every week that doesn’t contain meat. We have actually cut way down on our meat consumption, but I still try to eliminate meat completely as much as possible. Not because we aren’t carnivores through and through. But because too much meat isn’t good for either one of us. So when I can serve a soup like this one that has all the flavor and heartiness of a meat dish, I feel extremely proud of myself. And with a soup like this one, neither of us miss meat in the slightest.

So if you too would like to build a healthy and delicious soup for yourself and your family, give this recipe a try. Just don’t forget the feta cheese. Its creamy salty deliciousness just can’t be beat in combination with lentils.

As always, make your kitchen a happy place. Keep it clean and tidy so you can feel refreshed whenever you walk into it to start your meal prep. A nice vase of flowers, or a couple of candles, or some special photos or your children’s art work on the refrigerator to welcome you and the rest of your family into the heart of your home.

When I was raising my children, we had, by today’s standards, a fairly small kitchen. However, there was still enough room for a small round ice cream table with 3 chairs. And even though the dining room table was large and just on the other side of the kitchen wall, plus each of the kids had their own desk, guess where they wanted to do their homework? Yep. When my three youngest children were young, that’s exactly where they wanted to be. At the kitchen table. Maybe not all at the same time. But I was never alone in the kitchen. And that was because the kitchen was warm and cozy, I was there, and I was going about the business of preparing a meal for them. They could see me and talk to me about their day. As far as I was concerned, that simple everyday occurrence was magic. And I wouldn’t exchange those memories with my children for any amount of money. As the kids got older, they shifted to doing their homework at the dining room table. But they were still always close enough to speak with me or hear me clanking cooking pans. (And no, they never once did their homework at their own desks.)

So I offer a toast to happy kitchens! And peace and love to all. And please enjoy this simple soup recipe. It really is delicious.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for table

1 onion, chopped

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery (including leaves), thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley

3 tsp. curry powder, divided

2 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. dried mint

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. dry lentils, sorted and rinsed (I use Bob’s Red Mill Lentils – Heritage Beans)

6 c. vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

2 c. water

2 c. chopped fresh baby spinach

2-3 T. fresh lemon juice

crumbled feta cheese (French feta is our favorite)

Heat olive oil in a large heavy covered soup pan. (I use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven.) Add the onion and sugar. Slowly sauté the onion until it is very soft and starting to turn a light caramel color, about 30 minutes. Stir in the carrot and celery and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons of the curry powder, marjoram, seasoned salt, dried mint, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and the rinsed lentils. Sauté for 5 minutes more, stirring almost constantly.

Add the broth and water, stir well to combine, making certain you lift any delicious brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, stir again, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 1 hour. Stir periodically.

When the lentils are soft, and just before you are ready to serve, stir in the spinach, remaining 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and lemon juice. (Start with 2 tablespoons. Add more to taste.) Adjust seasoning.

At table, offer crumbled feta cheese and extra virgin olive oil for drizzling. Great served with warm bread.