Coconut Red Lentil Soup

1 cup (7 oz) yellow split peas
1 cup (7 oz) red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup (1.5 oz) golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
One small handful cilantro, chopped
Cooked brown rice or farro, for serving (optional)

1. Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.
2. In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.
3. Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency.
4. Ladle soup over 1/2 cup of warm farro or brown rice. Sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions.

Serves 6.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 35 min

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/coconut-red-lentil-soup-recipe.html

Try #1 - March 2014
This was really good!  Even the kids liked it.  I didn't even use fresh ginger, green onions, or cilantro, and there was still plenty of flavor.  

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

2 cups (14 oz) split red lentils, picked over and rinsed well
1 tablespoon turmeric
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fine grain sea salt
1 large onion (~ 2 cups), diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of three lemons, or to taste
1 large bunch of spinach leaves, chopped
Cooked (warm) brown rice, to serve
Plain Greek yogurt, to serve

1. Put the lentils in a pot with 7 cups water, the turmeric, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft and falling apart - twenty minutes or so. Puree with a hand blender. Add more water until the soup is the consistency you like, then taste and add more salt if needed. Keep the soup warm/hot.
2. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the onion. In a skillet over low heat cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter along with the cumin and mustard seeds, stirring occasionally. When the onions have softened, roughly 10 or 15 minutes, add the cilantro and cook for a few seconds before removing from the heat. Add the onion mixture to the soup, then add the juice of the lemons, one lemon at a time - until the soup has a nice bit of tang. Also, add more salt to taste at this point if needed.
3. Just before serving, add the last of the butter to the skillet, when hot add the spinach and a good pinch of salt. Stir well, and cook just long enough for the spinach to collapse.
4. Serve by placing a scoop of rice in each bowl, then soup, spinach, and a dollop of yogurt.
Serves 6.

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/red-lentil-soup-with-lemon-recipe.html

Fish Tacos with Slaw

1 cup (3 oz) finely shredded red cabbage
4 cups (12 oz) finely shredded green cabbage
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
canola oil
1 lb firm white fish fillets such as cod, snapper, or mahi mahi
freshly ground pepper
12 corn tortillas

1. To make the slaw, in a large bowl, combine both cabbages, cilantro, green onion, lime juice, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and cayenne and mix well. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving.
2. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill. Make sure the grill rack is clean, then oil it and let the oil burn off for 5 minutes.
3. Lightly brush the fish on both sides with the oil and then season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place on the grill rack and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and opaque throughout, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and divide into 12 equal pieces, discarding any errant bones.
4. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place on top of the grill to warm while the fish is cooking, turning occasionally.
5. To assemble each taco, place a warm tortilla on a plate, top with a piece of fish, a squeeze of lime, a little slaw, a drizzle of sour cream, a cilantro sprig, and a few drops of salsa or hot sauce.

Source: Family Meals cookbook

Try #1 - January 14, 2012
This was good, and a nice change of pace from our usual dinners. We got a lovely piece of cod from Central Market, and used our stove-top grill for the first time - it worked great! Produced a nice, flaky fish. I could have made half the amount of slaw and been fine - we have a bunch left over. We used mango salsa in the tacos, which gave it a nice sweet edge.

Couscous with Chickpeas, Dried Fruit, and Cilantro

1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 cup orange juice, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
15-oz can (2 cups) no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1. Combine water, allspice, 1/2 cup of the orange juice, and 1/4 tsp of the salt in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat while couscous cooks. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and curry powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add chickpeas, apricots, and cranberries. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.
3. Pour in remaining 1/2 cup orange juice and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Serve over couscous.

Source: Prevention magazine, February 2011

Try #1 - March 24, 2011
Yummy! Serves 4 at most.

Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Salad on Quinoa

From the back of the Trader Joe's Red Quinoa box :)

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups roasted corn kernels
1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (I used fresh heirloom tomatoes)
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup cilantro salad dressing (?? didn't use this)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of 1 lime (I used lime juice)
Sea salt and pepper

Cook quinoa with broth according to package directions. While quinoa is cooking, combine beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion. Top with salad dressing and toss gently. Add salt, pepper, and lime zest to taste. Add 1/2 of cilantro and gently toss once more. Set aside.

When quinoa is cooked, toss with olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool. When ready to serve, spread quinoa on a large serving platter and top with corn and bean mixture. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Try #1 - September 12, 2010
I loosely followed this recipe, and it was great! I actually don't love the taste of quinoa, but the salad on top is where the flavor for this dish comes from. You could also serve the salad over rice, couscous, etc. This was a great way to use the fresh tomatoes we got from Nathan's parents' garden!

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

From "Extending the Table"

1 lb chicken pieces, deboned (I used 2 chicken breasts)
3-4 cups cabbage, chopped in thin slices
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
3 green onions, chopped (I used walla walla sweet onions)
3 sprigs cilantro or fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews, coarsely chopped (optional) (I used peanuts)
black and ground red pepper to taste

1. Cook and debone chicken, chop into pieces.
2. Place cabbage in a serving bowl. Rub salt into cabbage and let stand a few minutes.
3. Add chicken and remaining ingredients. Mix and serve.

Try #1 - August 19, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised with this dish. I didn't really know what to expect with the ingredient combination, but it was light and flavorful. I definitely would not make the nuts optional - it added a lot to the dish. I didn't think it was going to be enough for dinner, though, so I served it with summer squash soup.

Bean Soup with Eggs

From "Extending the Table"
Nicaragua

1 lb. black or red beans, presoaked
2 qt. water (2 L)
1 tsp salt
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
salt to taste
2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup milk (optional)
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
4-6 eggs (1 per person)

Combine beans, water, 1 tsp salt, and garlic in large saucepan or pressure cooker. Cook until beans are tender. Remove beans from saucepan. Return 2-3 cup beans to broth along with butter, onion, green pepper, salt, cilantro, milk, and sour cream. Bring soup to a boil and carefully break in eggs. Cook over medium heat without stirring until eggs are cooked. Dish into soup bowls, placing one egg in each bowl. Serve with tortillas and salad.

*Options:
- Instead of cooking eggs in soup, chop hard-cooked eggs and sprinkle over soup.
- Instead of stirring sour cream into soup, add a dab of sour cream or yogurt to each bowl at the table.

Serve leftover beans with rice.

Black Bean Chicken

From Angela's blog

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind
6 ounces cream cheese (reduced fat is fine on this one)
sliced avacado or cilantro for topping

1. Take 3-4 boneless chicken breasts and put into crock pot. It's fine if they are still frozen.
2. Add the black beans, corn, and salsa.
3. Cover and cook on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. 4. Shred chicken with two forks and then add the cream cheese (just throw it on top!).
5. Turn the crock pot to low and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
6. Serve over a bed of spinach and cooked rice, wrapped up in tortillas, or in a bowl with tortilla chips for scooping.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

From allrecipes.com

4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted (or 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
(I used the juice of 1 1/2 limes, drizzled olive oil on top, and sprinkled with minced garlic and chopped cilantro stems.)
4.Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.

Try #1 - April 15, 2010
I made a lot of substitutions with this recipe - lime instead of lemon, olive oil instead of butter, fresh cilantro instead of parsley. The fish came out perfectly flaky. We served this over spaghetti and topped it with Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan definitely added a lot.

Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork Tacos

From www.realsimple.com

2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
kosher salt
1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges

1.In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.
2.Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
3.Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F.
4.Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.
5.Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

From Angela's blog

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups water
4 tsp olive oil
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp (or more) cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp salt

Add quinoa and water to a medium sauce pan. Bring to boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Drizzle with olive oil and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Cilantro Cream Sauce

From Angela's blog

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt
1 (7 ounce) can tomatillo salsa (regular salsa ok too)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt (regular salt ok too)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about one cup)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (I used lemon juice)

Combine everything in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.

Black Beans with Cilantro

Had some extra cilantro (ok, a lot of extra cilantro) from making enchiladas last night, so decided to try a new twist on our old standby of beans and rice.

8 ounces dry black beans
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or more!)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Brown rice

1. Rinse and soak beans overnight. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour, or until beans are soft.
2. Add onion and garlic, cook until softened.
3. Add corn if desired, cook for another 5 minutes or so.
4. Season with cilantro, cayenne pepper, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Serve over brown rice.

Note: These beans would go well as a side to chicken enchiladas.

(Adapted from allrecipes.com "Best Black Beans")

Chicken Enchiladas

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cooked small chicken breasts, shredded (or the equivalent amount from a whole roasted chicken) - I used 3 large chicken breasts
1 4oz. can diced green chilies - I used a 7 ounce can
1 cup chunky salsa, divided
4 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup total Cheddar and Monteray Jack cheeses, divided
8-10 tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add chicken, green chilies, 1/4 cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and cumin; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well.
2. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on each tortillas; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in 13x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining 3/4 cup salsa and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
3. Bake 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Source: Let's Eat!

Try #1 - March 11, 2010
YUMMY!!! I made my own tortillas, too, since I forgot to get them from the grocery store... so delicious! I will definitely be making this recipe again.

I shredded the chicken breasts this way: Boil chicken, let cool, cut breasts in half, then pull apart with your fingers.

Note: Black beans with cilantro would be good as a side to this dish.