Pondicherry lentil salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Standing time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
In "Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet," Padma Lakshmi writes that she "named this salad after a town in South India that was heavily influenced by French colonization." Beluga lentils are named for their resemblance to the size of the caviar. They are similar to French puy lentils, but the recipe can be made with any lentils; just remember to adjust the cooking time if necessary. This dish improves in flavor the second day.
Ingredients
2 cups beluga black lentils
8 cups water
1 Fuji apple, cored, diced
1 each, diced: yellow bell pepper, large jalapeno pepper
1 cup loosely packed, chopped flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsps. minced fresh ginger 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1. Pick lentils over for any small stones; rinse. Soak 2 hours in tepid water; drain.
2. Place lentils and water in a large saucepan; heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook until lentils are tender, but still firm, 20-25 minutes. Rinse the lentils with cold water; drain.
3. Mix together the lentils, apple, bell pepper, jalapeno, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar and salt in a large bowl; chill until serving time.
4. Just before serving, heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and coconut; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle ginger and coconut over the lentils.
Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories, 26% of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 44 g carbohydrates, 17 g protein, 400 mg sodium, 16 g fiber.
from treehugger.com
Senegalese Peanut Soup
1 to 2 tbsp peanut oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems (I just tossed in the whole thing, leaves and all)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne or hot red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tbsp curry powder
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2/3 cup peanut butter, preferably organic and unsweetened
1 cup coconut milk
sea salt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish
yogurt
1. Heat the oil in a soup pot, then add the onion, garlic, and cilantro stems. Give a stir, then cook over high heat for a few minutes to warm the onion. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion has softened somewhat, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the cayenne and curry powder.
2. Add 3 cups of water and the tomatoes, including all their juices. Stir well and bring to a boil. Drop in the peanut butter and simmer until the onions are soft and the peanut butter has dissolved, about 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk. Season the soup with salt.
3. Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro. Serve with a dollop of yogurt in each bowl.
Makes about 7 cups
This recipe is from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen.
from food.realsimple.com
Sesame Green Beans
The rich sesame flavor of these green beans reflects traditional Korean cuisine.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well blended. Add the green beans and toss to combine well. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper.
Yield: 8 servingsNUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 99(1% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 1g); PROTEIN 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 0mg; CALCIUM 52mg; SODIUM 74mg; FIBER 4g; CARBOHYDRATE 9g; IRON 1mg
from the orlando sentinel
Disney-MGM Studios' Brown Derby grapefruit cake
Yield: 10 servings.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup each: vegetable oil and water
3 Tbsps. grapefruit juice
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
16-ounce can grapefruit sections, well-drained
Cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
16 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp. each: lemon juice and freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup sifted powdered sugar 6 drops yellow food coloring, or as desired
1. For frosting, beat cream cheese on high speed until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and zest. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until blended. Add food coloring as desired.
2. Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with wax paper. Lightly grease paper.
3. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Whisk egg yolks, oil, water, grapefruit juice and zest until smooth. Whisk in flour mixture.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar just to stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into yolk mixture, until just blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Invert cake, still in pan, and cool on wire rack. Run a spatula or a table knife around the edge of the cake. Carefully remove cake from pan. With serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally.
6. Spread frosting on bottom half of cake. Top with several grapefruit sections (see note). Cover with second layer of cake; then frost top and sides. Garnish with remaining grapefruit sections.
Recipe note: At the Brown Derby, the cake is garnished with ultra-thin dried sweetened grapefruit slices.