Inexpensive goodness

For those of us on a budget, and hell, these days who isn't, the bulk bins are our BFF's. If you don't have a store that has bulk grains, beans etc, I highly recommend finding one. Sooo much cheaper. This recipe is a new favorite at Chez Beaudin. It's good warm, cold, the day of, the next day. Overall very versatile, easy and inexpensive. It comes from a wonderful cookbook called The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley. I've made a couple modifications, but I want to be sure to give my boy Peter credit. While I love me some meat, vegetarian cookbooks are great because they prevent your veggie dishes from becoming boring. For my novice cooks out there, the reason you rinse and sort your lentils is because...
1. They get dusty, yuk
2. Sometimes little stones find their way into the mix. Nothing ruins a meal like eating a rock. Just sort through them and make sure there is all lentils in your lentils

Ok, here we go!

Warm Lentil Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

6-8 dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup green lentils, sorted and rinsed
coarse sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1/2 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice, about half a juicy lemon
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
black pepper
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, combine the tomatoes with water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the lentils and boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt and continue to boil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the lentils are tender, but still hold their shape. Drain, transfer the lentils to a mixing bowl, and toss them with 1 Tbs of the oil.

3. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, warm 2 more Tbs of the oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Stir the vegetables and remaining olive oil into the lentils.

4. Drain the tomatoes, slice them into quarters, and add them to the lentil mixture.

5. Season the salad with lemon juice and vinegar, add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve

Makes 4 servings

The Art of Poaching

Ahh poaching. It can have a rotten wrap, but if you know how to do it, it's something that can be easy, delicious, and very healthy. The following recipe I got from one of my favorite blogs called Orangette written by Molly Weizenberg. I've tried quite a few of her recipes and she never disappoints. This wonderful poached fish I have made quite a few times. I've even substituted the parsley for dill and it's very good as well. It works for many different types of fish, as long as they're not too thin (no Tilapia, sole etc.) but great for Halibut, Seabass, Salmon, anything with a bit of thickness to it. The original recipe is excellent. Especially with a drizzle of good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon and flaked sea salt. Lately I've been using salmon, then chilling it and putting it on top of a large salad with Meyer lemon vinagrette. Mmmm...

So here goes...

Poached Halibut with Sweet Garlic, Parsley, and Lemon

Adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s Weeknight Kitchen newsletter

The key to this preparation is Freshness, with a capital F. This dish is built to showcase the clean, delicate flavor of fresh fish and nothing less. Ask your local fishmonger—or even the fish guy at the grocery store, if that’s your best option—when he gets his deliveries, and save this recipe for those days. If you are in Seattle, get yourself—quickly!—over to Wild Salmon Seafood Market, where the fishmongers know their business and get halibut, fresh off the boats, once or twice a day. Likewise, make sure that you use a good, fresh head of garlic: there should be no green shoots poking from the top, and each clove should feel smooth, solid, and not the least bit spongy. And be sure to use an olive oil that, as Rossetto Kasper says, you would want to eat from a spoon. From there, it’s hard to go wrong.

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
8 branches Italian parsley
1 tsp salt
Water
2 (~6-oz.) halibut fillets, skin removed, or another firm, white-fleshed fish such as cod, tilapia, or catfish
Additional Italian parsley branches, for garnish
2-4 juicy lemon wedges, for garnish
Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Salt
Pepper

Place the garlic, Italian parsley, and salt in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan. Add water to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 5 minutes. It should smell very fragrant.

Meanwhile, measure the thickness of the halibut fillets. They will cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

When the poaching liquid is ready, slip the fillets gently into the pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch, adjusting the heat so that the liquid just trembles: it should only bubble a little, and very gently. To test the fish for doneness, make a small slit with a paring knife in the thickest part of the fillet: all but the very center of each piece should be opaque.

When each fillet is ready, use a slotted spatula to transfer it to a serving plate. Garnish the plates with sprigs of Italian parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately, allowing each eater to season their fish at the table with olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon.

Yield: 2 servings

Note: If you choose to halve this recipe, do not halve the amount of poaching liquid and aromatics. Halve only the amount of fish.