Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Good Luck 2010 with 7 Bean and Kale Stew with Grilled Salmon

DSC_0386

Please raise a glass to 2010. It’s the first breath of a new year and hope waxes. I hope that life offers my friends and family more than they can desire; babies, marital bliss, jobs, and joy accordingly. Most importantly, let health and happiness be with us in this year.
DSC_0331

And, because I have an eternal belief that food always makes it better; here is my good luck 2010 dish: 7 bean and kale stew with grilled salmon and pumpkin corn bread. Symbolism abounds here—beans are symbolic of coins; kale for money; salmon for moving forward; black-eyed peas for prosperity; pomegranate for fertility. And, hey, if all these good luck ingredients don’t work, at least it tasted good.

DSC_0380
Recipes:
7 Bean and Kale Stew with Grilled Salmon
Measure out ¼ cup of the canary beans, black-eyed peas, adzuki beans, chickpeas, moong dal, cannellini and soak overnight.

In a slowcooker:
Add beans, drained
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
1 T pomegranate molasses
1 t lemon zest
5-6 coriander seeds
2 small onions, quartered
2 medium carrots cut in coins
½ sweet potato diced very large
2 celery sticks, chopped very coarsely (large)
2 t salt
1 T soy sauce
½ T mirin
1/2 inch ginger, whole
2-3 pieces pickled ginger
Barely cover with veggie stock.

Cook on low for 8.5 hrs.

In a skillet:
Add 1 T butter, 2 T olive oil, 1 T slivered ginger. Remove the ginger. Add 1 wild salmon filet that has been salted. Sear skin side. Flip when brown. Turn of the heat and cover a few minutes. Serve medium rare.

In the same skillet, sautée kale until just cooked.

Serve topped with the sauteed ginger and minced ginger. (Or pickled ginger.)

Monday, December 7, 2009

Vegetarian Lentil “Bolognese”

DSC_0014

I believe certain topics are not to be discussed like anything associated with politics and bathrooms. Both have a dirty aspect which I prefer to avoid. Of this dish, lets just say that we have entered into a new fiber rich eating regime and leave it at that.

Vegetarian Lentil “Bolognese”