Dish 1 - New Year Lentils

I love to eat. I get a lot of pleasure out of eating. Food for me isn't simply to provide nutrition but an adventurous experience. From the simplest to the more unusual all is a unique. I'm a true believer of eating with my five senses. The intoxicating smell, the sizzle, crackle & pop, the inviting plate, the pleasurable touch on the tongue and when fortunate the texture against the skin. Food excites me and I'm not ashamed to admit it. They only thing that I regret is not cooking enough. I'm a cookbook collector, food network addict and drool when I see cookware, it's my favorite department, yet I don't spend the time in the kitchen. When I do cook I enjoy it. It's fun and relaxing. As a new year resolution of sorts I want to cook more frequently.

The idea for Kitchen to Mesa (Mesa is Spanish for table; seeing as I'm Salvadoran I thought it would be appropriate) stems from my love for food.  I want to get in the kitchen and get my creative juices flowing; giving myself a challenge and experiment. To start, I would love to get in the habit of cooking a least one dish a day. Sweet or savory. It doesn't matter. The point is to cook. Hopefully I can maintain this resolution and writing this blog is my accountability partner.


So here are the guidelines. My intentions are to cook a dish a day. Mainly dinner, but others meals can come into play. The weekends will be flux days, meaning we could go out or stay in,  I'll plan accordingly and report my results. The challenge I intend to face are the everyday occurrences, best laid plans and all.  I'm hoping that this food adventure will make food & cooking exciting for my family, right now its just hubby & me, but you get my point. I want him to share my passion and appreciation for the culinary arts. Let's begin, from kitchen to mesa. 

Today's dish is New Year Lentils from Rachael Ray. I figured I'd start with a dish name after the day. I've never cooked lentils before, so this was going to be a fun learning experience. I must admit that I tend to treat a recipe as a guideline, so if I have to change something I don't panic too much about it. However there are moments when concern steeps in.

  

 The recipe called for white wine. We don't really drink in our house. No real reason we just didn't grow up with it. My mom would occasionally have it to cook but not often. Occasionally I'll try some just to see if I'll like it, but its rarely worked out. I didn't want to spend money on something I won't use later. Then I remembered I had a bottle of red mascot. A friend had given me a bottle for Christmas, one of the few wines I actually liked. It's a dessert wine if I'm not mistaken. I didn't know how it would work but seeing as I didn't have any other choice I substituted it for the white wine. The other sub I had to do was for speck. I knew it was similar to pancetta which is the cured cousin of bacon, so I used bacon. I knew it would change the flavor because bacon is smoked, but I like a little smokiness. It all worked out well, the only thing I need to keep in mind next time is the time it takes to cook the lentils. It took about 40-45 minutes for the beans to soften. So we ate dinner later than expected. Hubby didn't mind he was busy playing Xbox. The extra time also allowed me to make fresh whip cream for the first time.

  I had a beautiful lemon pound cake, baked by my talented cousin Michelle, and I thought a bit of strawberry & whipped cream would be perfect. I had heard it was easy but never really believe it. Without a recipe I attempted this treat. I took 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and whipped it by hand. When it started to form soft peaks I added powdered sugar to taste. I couldn't believe how easy it was. No need to buy Redi whip anymore. I didn't realize how much whipping I had to do. My arm got a little sore. Next time for a big batch I'll use the electric mixer.

Reaction: Lentils were flavorful and delicious. Hearty and warm. A great winter stew with crusty bread. Hubby's reaction wasn't as favorable. He thought the broth was good but the texture of the lentils threw him off. It's a good time to mention that Hubby is a picky eater. So there will be hit and misses. 


Buen Provecho!



Recipe below: New Year Lentils

1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), 4 turns of a pan
1/4 pound speck, chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 celery hearts with their tops, chopped
3-4 sprigs rosemary or 2 tablespoons chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 pound lentil beans
6 cups chicken stock
1 small bunch kale, shredded

Heat EVOO in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and crisp until golden brown. Add garlic, bay leaf, onion, carrots & celery. Cook to combine and soften the vegetables, about 5-6 minutes. Season with rosemary, salt & pepper.  Add the lentil beans and chicken stock; stir thoroughly. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 45-50 minutes until the lentils are tender. For the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the shredded kale.