Pink Dal with Chard

It's all about lentils this time of year, with more to come...

According to wikipedia, "Dal (also spelled dahl or daal) is a preparation of pulses (dried lentils, peas or beans) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these pulses, an important part of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, West Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine."

I have found pink (also called red) lentils in bags in the grocery store, but they seem to be more prevalent in the bulk sections of grocery stores. I actually bought a huge bag of red lentils at a halal (like the word "kosher" for Muslims) grocery store I found. I also bought some pomegranate molasses and really cheap pomegranates there. Ethnic grocery stores are usually gems - check them out if you have any nearby.

My 9-month old baby loves this dish! Well, she likes just about everything I feed her, but she really likes food with a lot of spice. That's my girl!

Pink Dal with Chard
adapted from Kitchen Riffs

1¼ cup pink lentils (or another lentil of your choosing; see Notes)
1 cup minced onion (about 1 large onion)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (a piece about 1 inch by 1½ inches, peeled)
3 - 5 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch Swiss chard or kale or spinach, washed and trimmed (a pound or a bit more)
2 teaspoons dried ground cumin
1 - 2 teaspoons dried ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Pick over lentils to remove any foreign objects, like pebbles or dirt, then wash and drain. Set aside.

Heat 3- or 4-quart Dutch oven (or another pot with a heavy bottom that will be large enough to hold the lentils and about 4 cups of water) on medium heat. When hot, add oil. After the oil heats, add onion, ginger, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until translucent for 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash Swiss chard, remove any stems that are woody, and chop into pieces about an inch square (Remove stems of kale, if using. Spinach stems can be included, if using).
When the onion is translucent, add the cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Stir into the onion mixture and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the Swiss chard, stir, and cover Dutch oven with lid. Lower heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the pink lentils and 3 to 4 cups water (depending on how soupy you want the final product to be). Salt to taste, about a 1/2 teaspoon. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, but take a look at the pot after about 15 to see if you need to add more water.
When the dal is done (the lentils will be soft but still hold their shape), taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the garam masala, remove from heat, and serve with brown rice.

Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale

This soup was spot on - simple ingredients balanced just right. I did not make the garlic infused oil as included below, but I know it would be heavenly. Make some crusty bread to accompany this soup, and you've got the perfect winter meal.

So this photo shows you my new tupperware - canning jars! I don't know why I haven't thought of this before. You can use the standard canning lids, but I love these plastic lids you can purchase to fit canning jars. You can even write on the lids with a dry erase pen to label the contents, if needed.

Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale
from Smitten Kitchen

1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 large links of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed or 1/2 c. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced or diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons or diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced (reserve half for later in recipe)
Kosher salt
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups water
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 cups shredded or thinly ribboned Swiss chard leaves or kale
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese to finish

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pot) in a large pot on medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about five minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrots, first two garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and if you like your soup spicy, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook with the sausage until the vegetables soften a bit, another 5 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, water (6 cups is, conveniently, 2 empty 28-ounce cans, so you can get any tomato pulp you missed), more salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Add more water if the soup gets too thick.

When the lentils are cooked, add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender, just a few minutes more. Discard the bay leaves.

To finish, divide soup among bowls, then add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 garlic cloves to a small skillet and heat over medium until the garlic softens and hisses. Drizzle this over soup bowls, and top with fresh Romano, passing more at the table. Leftovers will keep for several days in the fridge.

Chicken Soup with Lemon, Orzo and Chard

I often make classic chicken noodle soup, but it does get a little boring sometimes. The lemon twist in this chicken soup recipe is just the thing to give it new life. I love the simplified method for preparing it too - done in no time.

Chicken Soup with Lemon, Orzo and Chard
adapted from Tartelette

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup roughly chopped fresh chard or spinach
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup orzo
salt and pepper
8 cups chicken broth (or water if you prefer)
Zest and juice of a lemon

In a large pot (4 quart or more), heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the carrot, celery and onion pieces. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken breast, spinach, oregano, broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, half covered for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile cook the orzo in a separate pot according to the package directions.

Remove the chicken breast from the soup. Let cool enough to handle and shred it into pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Add cooked orzo and then lemon juice and zest. Stir and serve.

Fusilli with Chard and Sausage

Lest you think all chard dishes have to be vegetarian, here's one with tasty sausage. Actually meat goes quite well with chard or other greens. Substitute chard for spinach in this meatball soup.

This pasta dish was really good. I thought maybe there was too much onion while preparing it, but I ended up loving the onion cooked in the sausage grease. You could even reduce the amount of sausage, if desired, as it could be used more for flavor. But there's really not that much, so, just go for it.

Fusilli with Greens and Sausage
adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

1 large bunch of chard or kale
1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of dried chile flakes
3/4 pound fusilli or penne rigate
olive oil
1/2 c. grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Trim and wash greens (for kale, remove stems; for chard remove stalks and keep separate from leaves to cook a little longer). Chop coarse and cook until tender (throw the chard stalks in 2 minutes before the leaves) in salted boiling water - this will take just a few minutes. Drain well, saving the cooking water to cook the pasta in.

Cut the sausage into small slices or form into small balls. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the sausage and cook over medium heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon while cooking, if desired. Remove the sausage and set aside. Add the sliced onion to the pan. Stir the onions somewhat frequently, cooking until softened and slightly carmelized. Add salt, pepper, and chile flakes to taste. Add the cooked greens and sausage, cooking for a few minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings.

Meanwhile, cook fusilli in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return to the pan. Toss the pasta with a little salt and olive oil. Serve the pasta with the greens/sausage mixture on top. Garnish with grated cheese.

Chard

I am so inspired by the locally-grown produce I find at my favorite farmer's market. I'm going to do a series focusing on vegetables (and maybe fruit) that I find there. There are too many items I've been introduced to over the last few years that I was unfamiliar with before, by name and taste. Maybe my little posts will inspire someone else to venture out and try something new.

We'll start with chard. I don't think anyone would dispute that one of the most nutritious should-be staples in our diet is leafy greens. Yet not too long ago, probably the only ones I ate were romaine lettuce and spinach. Large chard leaves come with a variety of colored stems, making them absolutely lovely: red, white, yellow, purple. Most often chard is served cooked rather than raw. Chard is a hearty addition to soups (lentil soup is especially good), can be eaten as a side dish (see below), or added to egg dishes, like a frittata.

Try pan-toasted chard with vinegar, like I did in this recipe for kale. Or try this pasta recipe or this one.

Chard with Olive Oil and Lemon
adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater

1 pound white-stemmed chard
2 small garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. olive oil
juice from half a freshly squeezed lemon

Cut out the stalks from the leaves. Immerse both in a large bowl of water, swirling to remove dirt. Rinse thoroughly.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and add the chard stalks. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Remove the stalks with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leaves to the boiling water and cook for two minutes. Remove when tender but still bright green. Rough chop the leaves and slice the stems.

Peel the garlic and slice it thinly. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the garlic. Stir it, allowing it to soften without browning. Add the leaves and stalks, stirring to combine. Reomve from heat. Add freshly ground black pepper, salt to taste, and add the lemon juice.

Pasta with Ruby Chard and Cranberries

My mother sent me the link to this recipe (thanks!). I loved the strong garlic with sweet cranberries and earthy chard. Yum.

A little secret: I never, ever cook up a pound of pasta at a time. Most pasta recipes call for a pound of pasta, which is entirely way too much for two people. I always use a half pound (or less) and still have enough for leftovers. If I have too many leftovers, I get really tired of the dish and then don't want to make it anymore.

Pasta with Ruby Chard and Cranberries
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking For Health by Joanne

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 lb chunky-shaped whole grain pasta, like penne
3 bunches ruby or red swiss chard (1.5-2 lb)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it comes to a rapid boil, ladle a few tbsp of it into a bowl. Add the dried cranberries and set aside to soak. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.

2. While the water heats, rinse the chard and remove the bottom 1/2 inch of the stems. Discard. Cut the remaining stems crosswise into 1/2 inch slices and set aside. Chop the leaves. Set aside.

3. While the pasta cooks, warm the oil in a large soup pot on high heat. Add the chard stems and saute for a minute. Add the garlic and the chard leaves and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the chard is limp but the leaves are still bright green, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt. Add a sprinkling of black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

4. Drain the soaked cranberries. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and top with the garlicky chard, plump hot cranberries, and toasted walnuts. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.