Dal Take 2- Chicken Lentil Soup

The Bangladeshi Red Lentils I made a few days ago (see previous post) were a hit but the amount made serves 4-5 people and there were only two of us at the table. With lots leftover the next day I had to be creative. Soup is often the answer and that idea worked beautifully.  I had to thin the lentils to make them more soupy so I heated two cups of chicken broth in a saucepan (used 2 of those dry packets) and added chopped celery and carrots to the boiling broth. The lentils went into the saucepan next.  When all was heated I added more of the leftover roast chicken and some cooked rice and simmered all. The result was a delicious, warming chicken lentil soup. 

I toasted whole grain bread slices to go with the soup and made a mixed green salad. The simple meal of repurposed leftovers was a terrific quick winter supper.

Bangladeshi Red Lentils

I love all of Madhur Jaffrey's cookbooks. The one I am reading now is At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In her chapter on Dal, Ms. Jaffrey explains that Indians eat dal every day in some form. There are many different kinds, made with lentils, a variety of dried beans, chickpeas or split peas. They are all very appealing to me.  So last night I tried Bangladeshi Red Lentils because I had all the ingredients, red lentils cook quickly and the recipe was simple. The results were delicious. I served it with leftover roast chicken, rice and veggies. We each had a small bowl of dal to spoon over the reheated leftovers. Voila, an Indian twist to plain, old roast chicken. Halved avocados with a bit of dressing served as salad.

1 cup red lentils, washed and drained
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 medium onion, half finely chopped and half cut into fine rings
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbl. olive oi or canola oil or ghee (clarified butter)
2 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
2 dried hot chilies, each broken in half

Put the red lentils, 3 1/2 cups water, turmeric and the chopped onions into a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Cover partially, turn heat to low and cook 45 minutes or until the lentils are very tender. Add the salt and mix in.

Pour the oil into a small frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, put in the sliced onions and stir a few times.  Add the garlic and chilis. Stir and fry until the onions and garlic have turned a rich golden-red color. Pour the contents of the frying pan into the pot with the dal. Stir to mix.

Serves 4-5

Roast Chicken with Sumac, Za'atar and Lemon

I took Ottolenghi: The Cookbook out of the library and was fascinated by the exotic Middle Eastern recipes and spices. Determined to learn more, I bought sumac and za'atar from D'Vine Taste, a wonderful Middle Eastern food shop in my Park Slope neighborhood. The first recipe I tried was a hit. Rosalie, Stan, Alice and Bill came over that night and we all  thought this dish was wonderful. I made a few changes from the original and served rice and a salad with the chicken.

8 chicken thighs
1large red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbl. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. sumac
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1cup chicken stock or water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tbl. za'atar
4 tbl. chopped parsley

In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the onions,garlic, olive oil, spices, lemon, stock or water, salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Transfer the chicken, and its marinade to a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken pieces lying flat and not touching.  Chicken should be skin side up.  Sprinkle the za'atar over the chicken and onions and put the dish in the oven.  Roast for about 45 minutes, until the chicken is colored and just cooked through.

Transfer the hot chicken and onions to a serving plate and finish with the chopped parsley.

Serves 4

Notes: The original recipe calls for 1 large organic or free-range chicken, divided into quarters. Also, when the chicken is roasting you melt butter in a pan and add pine nuts cooking until the nuts turn golden. Drain the nuts on a paper towel and add them to the chicken when it is done along with a drizzle of olive oil. To my taste, the spices add plenty of flavor and the nuts and extra oil are not needed.

Kale Salad

Kale Salad

As Henry says, "Brooklyn is the kale capitol of the world". Well, we live in Brooklyn and kale is a big topic of conversation so it was only a matter of time before I served kale salad at a family gathering.  And it was a big hit, at least for the kale lovers and even for those who are unsure about it. The kale haters stood firm and didn't touch the stuff.

If you are willing to give it a try, this recipe is a fine way to begin. It is adapted from a recipe in Self Magazine (December 2012 edition) and can be made in advance.

Juice of 1 lemon
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 bunches kale, stems removed, leaves shredded or finely chopped
2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 oz. Parmesan, crumbled (optional)

In a bowl, whisk juice, shallot, honey, salt and pepper flakes.  Add kale, toss well and massage kale leaves for about 30 seconds. Let sit 20 minutes. Mix in oil. Refrigerate for up to 1 day or serve immediately.

In a dry pan, toast almonds over medium heat, tossing constantly, until color deepens, 1 0r 2 minutes. Add almonds and optional parmesan to kale.  Serve.

Notes: Original recipe calls for adding 8 dates, pitted and chopped.  That didn't appeal to me but you might want to try it.  When I toast almonds, it is usually in the toaster oven.  This might taste good with sliced apples, pears or Asian pears. It is a basic recipe that you can easily fool around with.