Savory Lentils

This is like soup without broth. It's so filling and delicious. You can even serve it with a fried egg on top. It makes a great main dish or a side.

Savory Lentils

Ingredients

For the Lentils:
1 lb green lentils, picked over for stones
1 medium carrot, trimmed and cut in half
1 medium yellow onion, halved through the root
1 medium rib celery cut in half
2 medium cloves garlic
2 or 3 sprigs rosemary, thyme, or sage (or some combination)
Salt

To Finish: 

Oil for cooking
1 finely diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 finely diced carrots
1 finely diced parsnip
1 finely diced small turnip
1 finely diced celery rib
8 finely diced cremini mushrooms

Seasonings, such as paprika, coriander, garlic salt, etc.
3-4 Brussels Sprouts, outer leaves peeled, and inside finely sliced
1-2 handfuls baby spinach, rough chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Red wine vinegar, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the lentils: 

In a large saucepan, combine lentils with carrot, onion, and celery. Tie garlic cloves and herbs into a cheesecloth sachet and add to pot. Cover lentils with at least 2 inches of water, season generously with salt (the water should taste as salty as you like your food to be), and set over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a bare simmer until lentils are just tender enough that you can smash one against the roof of your mouth with your tongue, about 25 minutes (begin checking around 15 minutes, then continue checking until lentils are perfectly cooked).

Add a handful of ice cubes or a generous splash of cold water to the bean pot to lower the water's temperature and halt cooking. The lentils can be refrigerated in their cooking liquid at this point for up to 2 days before continuing with recipe. Discard carrot, onion, celery, and herb sachet before continuing.

To finish:
Over medium heat. cook garlic until fragrant (30 seconds) and add onion. When onions are soft, add carrots, parsnips and turnips, then celery, then mushrooms, cooking each until just soft.  You may want to cover the pan while cooking the carrots, etc., to encourage them to soften.  Add seasonings and salt to taste.

Push vegetables to the side, turn up heat to medium high, add a little more oil, then add brussels sprouts to the empty side of the pan and let them sit until browned. Stir and repeat.

Add spinach.  Add butter and cook until melted.  Add drained lentils and cook until warm.  If the lentils are not soft enough, add some cooking water from the lentils and let cook until desired softness.

Drizzle with a hit of red wine vinegar, season to taste, and serve.

Original link:

https://www.seriouseats.com/basic-french-lentil-recipe

Creamy Tortellini Soup

Another delicious soup.  As always, I like to cook up my vegetables one at a time, hardest to softest, giving each some space to get cooked, before adding the next.  It also gives me time to chop while the veggies are cooking.

The original recipe said to serve this with parmesan and cheesy bread, but honest the soup itself turned out so rich we didn't need any of that in the end.

Creamy Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. ground mild Italian sausage
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced

Cremini mushrooms, chopped small
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed or chopped
one 6-oz. can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6–7 cups chicken broth
14 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cups half and half or heavy cream
1 handful chopped fresh spinach
Fresh parsley for serving

Directions

In a large stockpot set over medium heat, sauté garlic until fragrant (30 seconds) and add onion.  When onions are soft, add carrots, then celery, then mushrooms, cooking each until just just soft. 

Add sausage, breaking up into large bite-sized pieces (If you break them sausage into too small of pieces it may not hold up well as the soup cooks).

Add the spices and tomato paste; sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning.

Add wine and let it cook out for a few minutes. Stir the flour into the sausage and cook for 1 minute. It’ll be sticky and dry. Gradually add in the chicken broth, stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the cream, then bring it to a low simmer. Add the tortellini and spinach. Cook just until tortellini is al dente, per package directions. Serve with fresh parsley and dunk with bread.


Original link:

https://pinchofyum.com/tortellini-soup

Tri-Tip Oven Roast

I honestly don't think I ever did tri-tip roast before, but now I'm a big fan. It was inexpensive and made an excellent roast. The roast is also uneven in thickness, so you can easily please all of your rare to well-done fans with one roast.

When slicing the roast you need to cut across the grain, but the grain changes throughout the roast. It is easier to cut it into two smaller cuts along the middle, then cut the slices.

Tri-Tip Oven Roast

Ingredients

1 lb tri-tip roast (if bigger, increase dry rub ingredients and cook time accordingly)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt and pepper (or Montreal seasoning)
Salt and Pepper or Montreal Seasoning

Directions

Mix dry rub ingredients.  Rub tri-tip with salt and pepper (or Montreal seasoning), then rub with dry rub.  Let sit up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Heat a cast iron skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Sear one side of the tri-tip (the fat cap side) for three minutes without moving it. Sear each edge for about 20 seconds. Finally place tri-tip in the pan on the unseared side and put the cast iron in the oven. 

Roast the tri-tip meat for 30 to 35 minutes at 425.  If not quite up to temp, add 2-3 mins before checking again (temp will rise very quickly!)

Use a meat thermometer to measure the preferred doneness. For medium-rare, let it cook until 125°F in the center.

When the tri-tip meat is cooked, transfer it to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let is rest for 15 minutes before slicing to preserve the juices.







Original link:

https://kitchenatics.com/recipes/best-tri-tip-roast/

Taco Seasoning

This taco seasoning recipe has been a great substitute for the packet seasoning.

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground chili
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Montreal seasoning (or salt and pepper)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Mix seasonings together.

Use on favorite protein.  For example, if using with ground beef, after browning and draining, add seasoning plus 1/4 cup water and simmer.



Original link: https://www.acozykitchen.com/taco-seasoning-recipe

Creamy White Chicken Chili

This was a super easy weeknight meal and worked well with some rotisserie chicken we had on hand plus items already in my pantry.  Honestly, the soup is so creamy that you don't really need the cheese and sour cream garnishes.  But avocados - even ones that aren't fully ripe - are a must have!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon coriander
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 15-ounce cans canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup whole kernel corn, frozen
1-2 cups shredded chicken
4 oz cream cheese
sour cream, for serving
shredded pepper jack cheese, for serving
fresh chopped cilantro, for serving
avocado slice, for serving
lime wedge, for serving
tortilla chip, for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.

Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, and chili powder, cooking for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the green chilies, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the beans to the soup along with frozen corn and shredded chicken. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add cream cheese, stirring until melted and fully incorporated into the soup.

Serve hot, garnished with sour cream, pepper jack cheese, cilantro, avocado slices, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.

Enjoy!




Original link:

https://tasty.co/recipe/creamy-white-chicken-chili

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Super yummy and super easy. Makes great muffins. Also works with frozen zucchini from last summer.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups (180g) shredded zucchini (no need to blot)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or 8×4-inch loaf pan (for a taller loaf) with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, yogurt, granulated sugar, and vanilla together until combined. 

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Fold in the zucchini. The batter is very thick.

Bake for 45–55 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from over-cooking. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. The 9×5-inch pan takes closer to 45 minutes, and the 8×4-inch pan takes closer to 55 minutes. All ovens vary, so begin checking around the 45-minute mark.

If making muffins, large muffins take about 25-30 mins.

Remove bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. While it’s still warm, I gently press a few more chocolate chips into the top; this is optional and only for looks.

Remove bread from the pan and place the loaf directly on the wire rack to cool completely.

Cover and store bread at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes:
Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-process.
Espresso Powder: Espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor. You can skip it or use 1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder instead.




Original link:

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/double-chocolate-zucchini-bread/

Fettucine Alfredo

For this dish I took a well-rated recipe and added some modifications to my tastes.  I'm happy to say it turned out amazing, and not nearly as rich as alfredo usually is.

Fettucine Alfredo

Ingredients

12 to 16 oz fettucine noodles
1/2 cup pasta water reserved
1/2 lb chicken tenderloins or similar small thin cuts (optional)

3-4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions in salted water. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain noodles and set aside.

If adding chicken, season with salt and pepper, and dry with a paper towel.  Add to a large heated and oiled skillet at medium to medium high heat for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.  Set aside.

After removing the chicken from the skillet, reduce heat to low and add butter and minced garlic.

Once the butter is melted and garlic is fragrant, whisk in cream, reserved pasta water, and dried parsley. Simmer (but do not boil) over low heat for 2-5 minutes.

Whisk in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper for one minute.

Whisk in the parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is smooth.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Gently fold in noodles and chicken to the sauce and heat to warmed.

Serve immediately.

Original link:

https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/best-homemade-alfredo-sauce/