Prog Chefs Unite!!!

Last night: Braised lamb shanks in red wine with tomatoes, shallots and butter-beans - slow cooked for 12 hours and served with mashed spuds, broccoli and asparagus. *drool*

It was  - and a large chunk of fresh crusty bread to mop up any sauce that was left - pure heaven.

I love fresh cornbread with butter and honey

did a meatloaf last week I was quite happy with, covered it with a honey-ketchup glaze that got browned and crusty  ..i must remember to make a double recipe next time so there'll  be plenty for sandwiches the next day

 

I made a killer batch of tacos last night. Sauteed onions and garlic, added in some ground sirloin and browned it. Seasoned that with cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika and salt and pepper. Incorporated that and added some red wine, stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and simmered on low for about 15-20 minutes. Finished it off by adding black beans and cooked for about 10 more minutes. Sometimes, tacos just hits the spot.

E

I've recently started making chili, and bought a couple of cookbooks on the subject. It is really a great cold weather dish! As for tacos, they're more Micky's speciality... Just like David, I find the addition of avocado and sour cream (I actually use Greek yogurt) very tasty and refreshing. The last time I made chili I even made salsa to go with it, using grape tomatoes, scallions, garlic and cilantro. It did taste wonderful indeed!

BTW, tomorrow is Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), and even if we're not going to dress up or wear masks as people would in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, or even Italy, I've promised Micky I'm going to cook jambalaya and bread pudding to celebrate the event in true Creole style.

^ hahahah...  I know someone who is June..


*oh darling*

love lentils, especially with sausage..yeah Raff will do you up

OK, lentils.... Where to start? First of all, I suppose you mean the brown or green lentils that are commonly used in the West. In India there are many more varieties, which range from red to yellow to black, and are rather easy to find in ethnic stores. Anyway, lentils are extremely easy to cook, since they need no overnight soaking (unlike beans or chickpeas), and generally cook in about half an hour.

So, get your lentils, wash them in a colander, put them in a pot and cover them with cold water. If you like, you can add a bay leaf, some peppercorns, and even some vegetables like onion, celery or carrot to give the lentils more flavour. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender (taste them). I generally add salt at the very last moment, like I do with rice - they soak up salt like sponges while cooking, and salty lentils are not a good idea.

This is the basic method for cooking lentils. Once they are ready, drain them, and put them in a container. You can keep them in the fridge for a few days, or do something with them. My favourite way of cooking them is by sautéing some chopped vegetables (garlic, onion, carrot and celery) in some olive oil, then adding tomatoes (fresh or canned), and then the cooked lentils. If you add some sausage and let the whole mixture simmer for some time, you'll have a wonderful one-dish meal. In Italy we eat lentils with a sausage called cotechino (which I'm sure you can find there in Canada) for New Year's Eve - lentils are a symbol of prosperity, and represent money.

You can put just about every kind of herb or spice in lentils. Indians cook them with spices like turmeric, fenugreek, coriander and such (the basic ingredients of Indian curries), while in Italy we go for garlic, pepper, bay leaves and basil. As regards the flavour, I've never had black lentils, but I can tell you that in Italy the smaller variety of brown lentils is very much prized.

Anyway, even the common, brown ones you usually find in grocery stores here are very tasty. You can eat them cold or just warm too, like a salad - just remember to put the dressing in when they're still warm. And, if you want to make lentil soup, you don't need to cook them beforehand and drain them. Lentils are very good for you too, and are rich in iron.

you all are making me hungry.. no mean feat after tonight's dinner....