My Aunt's Red Lentil Balls

My mom and aunt are in town visiting, and we have been eating ourselves into oblivion. We had pizza at Kesté, burgers at Bill's, a fancy dinner at Buddakan, morning croissants at Lalo's, brunch at Good Enough to Eat, and gelato at Cones (just to name a few). I believe that a city is best experienced through its cuisine, so I've been taking them around town and sharing my favorite dishes. It feels so good to have girl time, to sit at a cafe and share a slice of red velvet pie or stroll through the streets with a coffee and doughnut in hand.

Food has been always an important part of my family. Whenever we have family gatherings, the women pack in the kitchen and cook an enormous meal for everyone. Those are my favorite nights, sitting on the kitchen table watching everyone run around trying to finish a dish. There are recipes that have filtered down from generations, and we still keep loyal to them. There are also dishes that if a family member has perfected it, the others don't even dare to make it. It's their dish.

So after a week of sampling NY food, I realized I have missed those days when we just cook around the kitchen. Even though I have very little counter space, I wanted to make something with my mom and aunt. I remembered my aunt used to make these Red Lentil Balls that don't require a ton of work. After a week of eating fried and heavy food, it felt really good to have something light and healthy. Plus they keep in the fridge for a while and are just as good cold. They are filled with healthy protein and fibers from red lentils and bulgur. They are vegetarian and are great make-ahead appetizers for a party, too.

My aunt may be leaving today, but her Red Lentil Balls will stay with me.

Ingredients:

2 cups red lentils
1 cup fine bulgur
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon red pepper paste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Place the lentils in a medium saucepan, and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the lentils are very soft and there is very little water left in the saucepan. Make sure the lentils do not absorb all of the water, or the mixture will be very dry. Add the bulgur, stir, and turn of the heat. Keep it covered for 30 minutes, until the bulgur plumps up and the mixture has cooled down.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, and sautee the onions until translucent. Add the tomato and pepper pastes, and cook for an additional minute. Turn off the heat, and add the paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add to the lentil mixture in the saucepan, and stir to combine. Add the chopped scallions, parsley, and lemon juice. Knead the mixture for a few minutes until everything sticks together, and forms a big ball. Form the mixture into walnut sized balls. You can wet your hands if the mixture gets sticky.

Pesto Two Ways: Pistachio & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and Walnut-Olive Pesto

 Pesto is probably my favorite sauce to use, but that wasn't always the case. For the longest time, I was repelled by the dish everytime I saw it at a restaurant. Pasta dishes were usually drenched in so much oil that they resembled soups. It wasn't until I made it at home once that I realized it can be a healthy but satisfying sauce. Nowadays, I don't just use pesto on pasta. I top fish with it. I make a chicken salad from it. I put it on my eggs. If I see a fresh bunch of basil, you bet I'm going to make a batch of pesto and save it in the fridge.

A traditional pesto uses fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, and olive oil. Even though I love pine nuts, they are harder to find, a lot more expensive, and do not really keep well. I was out of them as usual the other day but I had a lot of bright green pistachios in my pantry, so I decided to use those instead. While the pine nut flavor is very mild, pistachios have a more distinctive and nutty flavor. Sun dried tomatoes add a touch of sweetness to balance out the nuts and the saltiness of the cheese. This is a quick meal you can make any time of the day.

 

Enough with the pistachio...let's move on to walnuts. I've had walnut pesto crostinis on my mind ever since I had it at a wine bar. I was set on how I was going to make it until I spotted the olives in my pantry. Olive tapenade is one of my all time favorite snacks, and I started debating if I should make that instead until I realized I shouldn't have to give up on either one! Ta-da walnut pesto and olive tapenade combined in a single dip for you. This is just amazing. I think I ate half a baguette just to make sure the recipe was good enough for you guys. Grab a bottle of red wine, and you're all set.

Pistachio Basil Pesto:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup chopped olive packed sun dried tomatoes
2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Pulse the pistachios, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the basil, and pulse until chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until the pesto comes together. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper and pulse.

If you are serving it with pasta: Cook the pasta until al dente. Combine with the pesto in a bowl. Thin with a little bit of pasta water if needed. Top with freshly grated parmesan, and chopped pistachios.

You can top fish or veggies with the pesto as well.

Walnut-Olive Pesto:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnuts
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup pitted mixed black olives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty the olives are)

Directions:

Pulse the walnuts, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the parsley, and olives, and pulse until chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until the pesto comes together. Add the lemon zest, salt, and pepper and pulse.

Serve with crusty bread, and some feta cheese.

Oscars Party: "Silver Linings Playbook" Inspired Philly Cheesesteak Crostinis

If you thought Bradley Cooper was just a pretty face, then he has definitely proven you wrong in Silver Linings Playbook. I always thought he was good in comedies, not because he was particularly funny, he was always the guy that partnered well with other people who were funny and ridiculous. He was always in control, the cool and reserved guy, that was in funny situations because of the people who he hung out with. In Silver Linings Playbook, he completely lets go of his inhibitions, and is not afraid to look vulnerable. He plays a recently released from mental institution Philadelphian, who is battling with bi-polar disease, and is looking for a silver-lining. He meets the equally troubled Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), whose performance is so real and enduring. My mom called me right after she watched this movie, and said it changed her whole outlook on life. I agree in the sense that this movie shows you the happy ending we all seek in real life is not always perfect, and it never happens as it should. You always have to make the best of what you have.

Oscars Party: "Amour" and "Les Miserables" Inspired Mini Puff Pastry Cheese Pies

French food gets a bad rap for being hard to make, having a long list of ingredients, and overall being time consuming. These mini cheese pies are super easy to make, have only 3 ingredients, and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. And the best part is 20 minutes of that is in the oven, and it will take you under 10 minutes to put them together. This means that by the time Anne Hathaway has finished singing "I dreamed a dream" you had done all the necessary work (if Russell Crowe is singing, you may want to take your time). Les Miserables and Amour are both movies that have profound sadness in them, so I wanted to keep these appetizers light and fun.

Oscars Party: "Lincoln" Inspired "Old Abe" Cocktail

When I started researching the likes and dislikes of Abraham Lincoln, I was disappointed to find out that he wasn't much of an eater or a drinker. It seems like he grazed through his day, and food was an afterthought. I really wanted to make an old-fashioned cocktail to reflect the era, so I had to do a bit of research to find out what was popular during Lincoln's term. After some time spent on the web, I found out that Kentucky Bourbon became popular during the Civil War (source) , and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was famous for his love for the spirit. There is a Lincoln quote, which was believed to be said in defense of General Grant's drinking: "I wish some of you would tell me the brand of whiskey that Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals."(source) I also discovered that Lincoln was very fond of apples. He was known to eat them throughout his day, and has even mentioned his love for it by saying "Apples agree with me.." (source) Apple cider was known to be popular for both drinking and as medicine. (source)

Oscars Party: "Django Unchained" Inspired Mini Mississippi Mud Pies with Bourbon Whipped Cream

"Django. The D is Silent."

Leonardo Di Caprio's portrayal of the Mississippi plantation owner Calvin Candie in Quentin Tarantino's Oscars nominated film Django Unchained is repulsive mixed in with a bit of charisma, violent mixed in with southern politeness, and outright brilliant. I know I would be too scared to serve him anything, but being from Mississippi I hope he would appreciate these mini mud pies. They are great for serving at parties, because they are individually portioned. You can just keep them in the fridge, and serve them whenever a guest wants dessert.

Oscars Party: "Beasts of the Southern Wild" Inspired Fried Oysters with Spicy Remoulade

The Academy Awards are this Sunday, and it is a fantastic opportunity to throw a party. My goal this year was to watch as many movies as possible on the nominee list, so I actually follow the show rather than the red carpet (Though I'm dying to see the dresses, especially what Jennifer Lawrence comes up with...). I know I won't get too far on the foreign language, or the documentary list, but there is no reason I shouldn't see the Top 10 movies of 2012. My friends and I are doing ballots this year, so there's more on the line. We each bring a bottle of liquor, and the winner gets to take all of them home at the end of the night. I still haven't made my pick for most of them, so I feel like it's going to be a decision I make on a whim.

Valentine's Day Sweets: Spicy Bacon Brownies with Chocolate Glaze

Few things men are guaranteed to like: chocolate, bacon, and a spicy kick. This brownie has it all! I know what you're thinking...bacon?? But hold on, you don't really taste the bacon in it. It provides a tiny bit of salt and crunch that leaves you wondering why the brownie is so good. Plus you can get cool girl points for putting bacon in everything. Be careful with the spice, you only need a little bit of it, that will get balanced out by the rich chocolate.

Valentine's Day Sweets: Brown Sugar, Pecan & Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm very spoiled when it comes to food. I eat only the tops of my muffins. The crusts of my bread. And the gooey center of my cookies. I was trying to figure out a way to maximize the amount of gooeyness I get from cookies, and I finally achieved it by baking them in this heart pan with deep cups. I have a sneaky feeling they will work well with mini muffin pans too.

Countdown to the Super Bowl- Sweet Potato Wedges

Guys don't like to eat sweet potato fries, until they actually try one. It somehow seems like the girlier and healthier option on the menu, and fries are so great that noone wants to take a chance on the sweet potato. It's true that they are better for you but they are also sweeter (hence the name), and have more flavor than regular potatoes. That sweetness sort of caramelizes when you bake them. I also think they work better with creamier dips than plain ole ketchup. I promise that if you put these on the menu on Super Bowl Sunday, they will dissapear faster than anything else out there!

Countdown to the Super Bowl- 5 Different Chicken Wings Recipes

What would football be without chicken wings? What would chicken wings be without football? Do people actually order chicken wings once the football season ends? I certainly don't, and since I have 5 days to eat all the chicken wings I can justify eating, I decided to make 5 different recipes for wings. After all this cooking, and eating, all I can say is they are super easy to make! I fried some, and baked some, and loved them all. The baked ones actually came out crispier on the outside than the fried ones, but the meat did dry out a little bit. The fried ones had the perfect texture for the meat, and had just the right amount of crunch. If you want to keep things light, or don't want to make a mess in the kitchen, by all means bake them. They are still really delicious, and especially pair really well when you are using one of the Asian inspired sauces. I wish I could post the pictures of me frying them, and coating them in the sauce, but alas as mentioned in the earlier post, I only have one picture to share with you. So go into that kitchen, and fry/bake some of your own. I promise it's much easier than you think!

Countdown to the Super Bowl-Chorizo Nachos

I was watching the news last night, and I felt a sudden rush of panic when the anchor said "Anddd we are officially in Super Bowl week!". It's not because my team is playing this Sunday or anything since Mark Sanchez decided to become the most disappointing player in the NFL (sigh, but don't worry, I still love you Mark). It's also not due to a lack of menu planning on my part, since I already tested out recipes and decided on what I would be making. It's because last Friday somewhere between rushing out of work and going to meet my friends I dropped my phone, and after spending $85 on a new screen, I've lost everything that I once had on it. You should have seen the sheer horror on my face when I found out that my icloud was updating anything but my photos, and the last time I backed up to my computer was on November 30th. Therefore, my nachos post planned for this week now consists of a single instagram picture, rather than the step-by-step photos I had taken for you guys. I'm sure you won't run into any trouble anyway, since it really is not complicated at all, and more importantly it really does not matter how you layer nachos. The beauty of nachos is everyone makes them differently as there are no rules. They always look like a purposeful mess, in a there is a method to my madness kind of way. You can swap the ground chorizo for ground beef or chicken. Since there is a lot going on in this dish, I wanted to use something with lots of flavor. The spicy chorizo really stands out and doesn't get lost in the dish. And my favorite part of course is the cheese sauce. It tastes just like (actually better) than the kind you get at the football stadium. Oh, and it's made from real cheese and real ingredients rather than the artificially flavored highly-processed stuff you can't even pronounce.

Ending the year on a sweet note

I read a quote the other day by the author Judith Viorst, that said: "Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands-and then eat just one of the pieces". The truffles and orangettes I'm about to present to you require no manual labor to dive into as they are already individually portioned. However, they require a great deal of restraint to not eat the whole batch. I'm a firm believer in always ending things on a sweet note: a bad day, an amazing meal, a difficult task, a rainy afternoon, a long run, and of course the last hours of the year.

 

Dessert Party

I invited my girlfriends over recently to catch up and to watch a certain movie where Channing Tatum, along with a few other gentlemen, take their shirts off. Since my girlfriends and I usually are quick to skip to dessert, I figured that this gathering would involve around just sweets (ok maybe one savory dish, but only because I came across a cute mini mac and cheese recipe). There was an abundance of pink bubbly (ok a lot), cute little meringues made by my trusted sous chef, and mini brownies brought by my other fellow baker. I may have gone over the top and baked a whole red velvet cake, along with mini cheesecakes with caramel sauce, and rice krispies with marshmallows. And not to forget popcorn with white chocolate and sprinkles to pop in your mouth during those scenes where everyone was just screaming at the tv. Two of my girlfriends arrived early and while waiting for me to finish up, took it upon themselves to create name cards for all the dishes and arrange all the platters. Sometimes all you need to is some sugar, a DVD, and an abundance of your best girlfriends to have an amazing night.