I have an odd food shopping....let's call it a quirk. I'm prone to purchasing new ingredients after an interesting recipe gets me all fired up. And I'm particularly intrigued by bulk bins. Unfortunately my follow through doesn't always match my initial enthusiasm. I've made it my unofficial project the last week to try and use up some of the myriad grains, legumes and various sundry other pantry items I've collected.
It's lead to some surprisingly satisfying meals. And further experimentation is definitely warranted. Quinoa was a bit of a revelation. Clearly I have not been a vegetarian...well ever, but somehow I missed out on some of the staple grains. The "kitchen sink" style quinoa salad I made on Sunday needed some tweaks, but it was surprisingly easy and tasty for something so healthy.
But tonight's project topped it. In one shopping fit I purchased multiple lentil varieties. And aside from a decent side for fish one night I haven't touched them since. I move the pretty multi-colored mason jar housing them almost daily to get at other items in the cabinet, but haven't felt inspired. Tonight I finally managed to make use of some of the contents in a lovely, easy meal made up of a mash-up of a few different recipes.
Lentils du Puy are small dark lentils, they're often described as green but I honestly think they're more indigo or purple. From what I gather they are traditionally from the Auvergne region in France. The provenance of mine was by way of Whole Foods, so I can't vouch for the authenticity of their native land. Tonight's dinner was inspired in part by a vegetarian take on another recipe and in part by a blog I read about one woman's favorite lunch from a Paris bistro.
Essentially it's lentils cooked in white wine with eggs. So simple, but SO delicious. I'm continually amazed at the complex flavors that wine and fresh herbs give the most basic dishes. I add wine to a lot of things, it's probably what drew me to this recipe. I tend to add a splash to any cooking broth or sauce. Even a recent attempt to make pesto for a pasta salad with limited kitchen tools was remedied with a splash of wine--with decent results I must say.
Regardless, here's the basics of tonight's foray into the Great Cabinet Purge. There are pictures, but cooked lentils aren't particularly photogenic. You'll have to trust me, it was very pretty. Enjoy.
(Guide to my abbreviations: C=cup; T=tablespoon, as opposed to t=teaspoon)
Lentils du Puy Cooked in Wine, w/ Eggs
1/2 C lentils
1 bay leaf
1/2 C wine
1/2 C broth
1 med onion or 2 shallots, chopped fine
1 T flour
1/4 C parsley
-boil the lentils and bay leaf in water until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and set aside.
-saute the onion/shallot in oil until tender.
-add wine, broth, flour and the cooked lentils.
-bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
-add parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
-fry two eggs in oil/butter, leaving yolk runny
-serve eggs over lentils with a side of greens
(note: I added some shredded aged gruyere, just because, but I don't think it's necessary)
this sounds great, although access to lentil varieties in Tahoe is a cruel joke, maybe when I'm in the Bay I can chase some down. I find photographing food that is essentially a pile of something (soup, pasta, salsa, beans, etc.) is incredibly difficult. But there are a few things that help out -
ReplyDelete1. Choose a dynamic dish with a strong shape
2. Use off center framing, showing half of the plate for instance and leaving the other part blank or, filling it with raw ingredients or other props.
3. Add a single piece of garnish that relates to the food (in this case, perhaps a reserved parsely leaf) to let the eye come back to something tangible after it has traveled over the photograph (and the pile).