I Love Lentils - Green Lentils with Confit Duck Legs

I do. I do love lentils. And I have them in the pantry, always. 

I love their slight peppery flavour and the fact that they are so versatile. They get a few bonus points because they are also very nutritious. 

My mother, Irma, who used to be an adventurous and progressive cook when my brother and I were growing up, never made lentils for us. We didn't miss it, because we probably never knew of their existence.

I got acquainted with these little legumes when we moved here to Ireland the first time round (1995/96 or thereabouts).  Since then they have been a regular part of our diet. 

The following recipe is of French origin, but with some poetic licence.

I bought these duck legs in Lidl. They were not bad, but between you and me, they are nothing like the confit the canard I used to have in France. 

If you don't fancy or can't get hold of duck legs, don't panic. The lentils work equally well with pork,lamb or sausages.

If you don't fancy lentils, well ....try them !

Ingredients serves 2

• duck fat, lard, butter or sunflower oil
• smoked lardons (bacon pieces), 100 gr
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 or 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
• provençale herb mix, 1 tbsp or a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano
• 1 bay leaf 
• lentils (small green, brown or Puy), 300 gr
• red wine vinegar, 50 ml
• water, 500 ml
• seasoning, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• parsley, chopped

Preparation

• On the hob, fry off the lardons in the oil or fat till they are golden brown. Do this over a gentle heat.

• Take them out of the pan, leaving the fat in the pan. Set lardons aside.

• Sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add the herbs.

• You might have to add a little more oil or fat and maybe even a splash of water. Again, do this gently with lid on to create a bit of steam in the pan.

• In the photo above you can see the level of doneness.
• Stir in the lentils and coat them with the fat (like you would be doing with the rice for a risotto) 

• Add the red wine vinegar and let it reduce.
• Next add the water, stir a final time and cover with lid.

• Simmer over a low heat for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Check regularly for doneness, add a splash of water if it has evaporated before its time.
• When ready add the bacon pieces/lardons.
• Season with salt and black pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

• I reheated and 'crisped'up the duck legs in a hot oven. The confit I've eaten many times in France is more moist and 'fall-of-the-bone' tender than this was. It probably has to do with the fact that in France they use the legs and magret (breast)of the very same ducks that produce the foie gras. As I said at the start as duck legs go, they were good, but don't expect confit, because to me it wasn't.
• Serve with bread.

I had made baguettes to serve with the lentils.

See recipe here. Unfortunately I misread my own recipe and added too much water. Had to rectify by adding more and more flour, which resulted in a denser crumb. Still bliddy tasty though. Even when I had to change their shape slightly too, to get them on my baking tray in the oven.

;o)

Come again soon.
Patricia xxx...x

Missing from my diet right now...Celeriac and Chicory

I am pining for these 2 winter veg, it's almost unreal.
I know, I know.  We should preferably eat foods that are locally produced, but I bet we all eat oranges and bananas from time to time. And quite frankly my IBS needs a break from cabbages and turnips.
I can understand that the growing of chicory is a tricky one here in Ireland. But celeriac ?
I can remember the last time we lived here and a large Tesco supermarket opened in Killarney (somewhere in the late 90's), they had 1 (one) celeriac and it was displayed in the 'exotic' fruit and veg section. Needles to say that I immediately bought that specimen. Afterwards I don't think I ever saw celeriac again in any of the supermarkets.
That is till we came back and a Lidl supermarket had in the meantime opened in Kenmare.  About 2 months ago they had celeriac in stock ! Yipee ! ..... Once !
It's time I start thinking about my veg pad to be and grow some myself.

You want recipes for this delectable veg ? Here are some.
Celeriac and Smoked Salmon

Celeriac Mash

Fondant of Celeriac

Chestnut Soup

I have always known chicory to be available in Kenmare SuperValue,  2 pieces on a Styrofoam tray. Imported from The Netherlands and hydro-cultivated.  That is not how us Belgians like ours.  We love to eat them in the depth of winter, grown in soil. And we buy them with kilos at a time. 
While a chicory salad is great, we also like them braised in a bit of butter with nutmeg, black pepper and some salt. Nothing more comforting than tucking into a plate of that.
Braised chunks of chicory also do well in a quiche with some blue cheese. It makes for a tasty and creamy soup with potatoes added and finished of with fried off smoked lardons or even brown shrimp.
My favorite recipe though is the following Belgian delight. Braised heads of chicory, wrapped in cooked ham slices, covered in a cheese sauce and topped with grated cheese.  In the oven till it bubbles golden.
chicory recipe

How do you prepare yours ? Feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks for visiting.
Patricia xxx...x

Roast Vegetable Stack with Smoked Trout - (374 cal) - 5:2

Opening a packet of smoked trout is easy, but great to accompaniment my roast vegetable stack.
For the vegetable stack I used meager pickings from the fridge and garden. Therefore the quantities of the veg I used may sound odd.  You might want to use different quantities, so I'll give you the calories per 100 grs of each ingredient.
You'll need a ramequin or a chef's ring, but you can use any bowl that can stand the heat of the oven.

Ingredients
serves 1 - 219 calories

• 103 grs fennel - the bulb variety  (36 cal/100 grs)
• 54 grs courgette  (30 cal/100 grs)
• 47 grs aubergine (24 cal/100 grs)
• 38 grs red pepper (48 cal/100 grs)
• 100 grs tomato (16 cal/100 grs)
• 50 grs ricotta (165 cal/100 grs)
• 45 grs spinach (24 cal/100 grs)
• 1 tsp olive oil ( or spray) (33 cal/tsp)
• seasoning, sea salt and black pepper
• a smidgin of nutmeg
• 1 tsp horseradish (if you happen to have some lurking from the deapths of your fridge. I hadn't so didn't use it)

Preparation

• Wilt the spinach and blend or chop fine.
• Mix it with the ricotta, nutmeg, salt, black pepper and horseradish (optional)
• Set aside (easy)
• Slice the vegetables in rings (or something that would fit your ramequin/chef's ring) - half a cm tick (or thereabouts)
• Heat your griddle pan on the hob (alternatively roast in the oven)
• Brush the vegetables with the oil. You'd be surprised how far the oil stretches if you use a brush for this.
• Griddle all the veg, bar the tomatoes, on both sides.
• Preheat you oven to 180°C
• Take a baking sheet and line it with baking paper.
• Put your rings on top and start filling it with layers of each vegetable.
• In between every 3rd layer or so, spread out a spoon of the riccota mixture.
• Start with the courgette and end with a spoon of ricotta before topping with a colourful slice of tomato.  If using a ramequin or bowl you put the tomato at the bottom and courgette at the top.
• Press down firmly and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Once out of the oven, leave to set for 5 minutes.  Get your plates ready, arrange the trout and capers, if that's what you're having it with.
• Slide a spatula under the vegetable rings and transfer to the plate. Slide of the ring and voilà !
• If you used ramequins, you'll have to turn it over onto the plate. Should be easy enough.

Note my courgette was the size of a marrow, so I used it separately and put my vegetable stack on top a griddled fat slice.

I ate it with 125 grs of smoked trout - 155 cal. 
A great fast day meal.

Cauliflower 'rice' - (45 cal) - 5:2

Cauliflower has been a life saver in my quest to bring down my blood sugar levels.
My low carb diet wouldn't be so 'easy' to maintain if it weren't for the different flavours and textures on my dinner plate. It is also low in calories, which helps
Just to clarify. It is not my own idea. I read about it on the internet and took it from there.

And no, it doesn't taste overly cauliflowery at all.

ingredients
Serves 2 -  45 calories per person

• half a head of cauliflower, +/- 450 grs  (20 cal / 100 grs)
• a splash of water
• seasoning
• herbs, spices of your choosing

preparation

• You'll need a food processor for this with grating attachment.
• Grate the cauliflower and transfer to a microwave dish with lid.
• Add a splash of water and nuke for 5 minutes on highest setting.
• Stir and taste for degree of doneness, if necessary put it back for a couple of minutes.
• When ready, stir in your seasoning, herbs and spices of your liking.
• Put the lid back on and let it rest for 3 minutes to bring all the favours together.

Serve instead of rice or couscous.

Thank you for visiting.
Patricia xxx...x

Ratatouille with Grilled Prawns - (366 cal) - 5:2

When you get this kind of still life from your garden, there is only one dish that springs to mind. Ratatouille !  



Ingredients  231 cal per person
serves 4

• 130 grs onions, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 850 grs courgettes, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 370 grs aubergines, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 330 grs red peppers, cut into 2.5 cm squares
• 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• thyme
• rosemary
• vegetable stock 250 ml
• red wine vinegar, a dash
• 620 grs tomatoes, red and yellow, roughly chopped
• seasoning
• a pinch of sugar (or do what I did, use Stevia)
• fresh basil, as much as you like

Preparation

• In a pan deep-ish pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil and sautee the onions with the garlic.
• In the meantime use another pan to heat up another drizzle of olive oil. Fry off the courgettes.
• When they are nicely coloured, add them to the onions which are still on the hob on a low heat.
• Next into the pan are the aubergines. Brown on all sides. Add to the onions.
• Repeat for the peppers.
• Now add bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and stock to the vegetables, together with the vinegar.
• Leave to simmer till the veggies are soft but not falling apart (20 minutes or so)
• You then drain the vegetables off the cooking liquid, preserving the liquid, which will go back into the pan on the hob to be reduced untill it tickens. Take off the heat.
• Add the vegetables again with seasoning and stevia. Top with the tomatoes, lid on for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the basil and serve.

Prawn skewers  135 cal pp
serves 1

•  12 frozen tiger (or other) prawns, defrosted and shell removed. 150 grs (shelled)
• a drizzle of olive oil (you should have some left from the ratatouille)
• season with seasalt, curry powder

• Stick the prawns onto wooden skewers - 2 skewers of 6 prawns, each.
• Drizzle with the oil and season
• Put in a preheated griddle pan. Griddle on both sides till they have completely changed colour.
• Don't overcook as they become rubbery.
• Serve with ratatouille

Patricia xxx...x

Salade Liègeoise

There is a low pressure area hanging over me and the weather isn't helping.  Nothing to shift it but this autumnal Belgian dish. A warm hugging salad.

Ingredients

• potatoes (I like nice yellowy and waxy potatoes)
• french beans (I used some from the freezer)
• lardons (smoked  will give you an extra hug)
• onion, chopped or sliced
• knob of butter or a little vegetable oil
• parsey, chopped
• chives, chopped
• white wine vinegar
• seasoning (sea salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper)

Preparation

• Peel potatoes, and cut in halves or quarters.
• Cover them with cold salted water in pot and bring to the boil on the hob and cook till ready.
• Bring water to the boil in another cooking pot, add some salt and cook the beans al dente.
• Drain both potatoes and beans, set aside.
• Fry off the lardons in some butter/oil, add the onions for a couple of minutes.
• Scoop them out  and deglace the pan with the vinegar.
• Bring all the ingredients together (including the parsley and chives) in a bowl and add the juices from the pan (ie vinegar)
• Toss.
• And toss some more.
• Serve on a plate willst still hot/warm and sprinkle over more black pepper.
• Let yourself be hugged.

It is great on it's own, but you can add hardboiled eggs, halved or quartered.  Eat it as a side dish with roast pork.

If you happened to have some leftovers, it is also tasty when it's cold, so pack some for your lunch box.

 

 

Thank you for visiting me on this dreary summer's day.

Patricia xxx...x



Thank You Chooks - Egg Salad

I  love prawns very much. Trouble is that Bert does not do prawns. Oh well, a piece of cod for him then. The star here however is the egg salad (or egg mayonnaise)

Seeing our lovely chooks are very productive and egg salad is just the thing to bulk out any plate of food....and the tummy.

Ingredients

• eggs (obviously) 8 or so - quantity depending on how many times you want to eat egg salad in the next couple of days (morning, noon and night)
• mayonnaise - also depending on the quantity of eggs - for 8, about 2 tbsp mayo
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• 1tbsp tomato ketchup
• cayenne powder - to taste
• 1tbsp capers (I use the ones in brine)
• 1 chunky or 2 tiny spring onions, sliced.
• black pepper, freshly ground

Preparation

• Put the eggs in a cooking pot, so that they sit snuggly next to each other. Cover with water and add a splash of white vinegar.
• Bring to the boil. From that point cook the eggs for another 8 minutes. Drain and run cold water over them.
• Leave to cool and peel.
• In a bowl, bring together the mayo, mustard, ketchup, cayenne and capers.
• Chop up the eggs in a rustic style (ie. not small)
• Fold into the mayo mix with the sliced spring onions, keeping some of the green to garnish.
• Sprinkle wit black pepper.

I bet you weren't looking for an egg salad or egg mayo recipe, but here you have it anyway.

Patricia xxx...x

Carrots in a Bechamel Sauce with Parsley

This will never win any culinary prizes, but it is one of these dishes that reminds me of my childhood. 
Why ? Well, my mumma used to make this for us whenever we felt poorly, it was served with rice and it was light enough to digest easily.

So last night I felt really awful and sick. What better way to get my appetite back than this simple dish.

Ingredients

• 50 grs butter (I am sure my mum used sunflower oil instead of butter)
• 50 grs flour
• 300 ml liquid - milk, cream, cooking liquid of the carrots
• parsey - the more the better or as much as you like, chopped
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced in discs (approx 3 mm tick)
• Seasoning - salt, black pepper and nutmeg

Preparation

• Cook the carrots in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, till al dente. Drain and keep some of the liquid for the sauce if you so wish.
• Please tell me I don't have to write down how to make a white sauce - make a white sauce with the butter, flour and liquid.
• Add parsey, seasoning and the carrots.
• Heat through, et voilà, it's ready.

What did your mother cook for you, when you felt poorly ? That's what I'd like to know.

Patricia xxx...x

Patience is a Virtue and this Chilli and Tomato Chutney is a Redhot Babe !

At last, here I am with the recipe for the Chilli and Tomato Chutney.

Ingredients (yield approx 2 liters)

• 10 large chillies (the plants I bought at the time said, Spanish Chillies, they are not extreem hot)
• 10 medium tomatoes
• 2 medium onions
• 2 red peppers (capsicum)
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 2 apples that are not overly ripe (they contain more pectine)
• 500 ml cider vinegar
• 300 grs sugar
• 2 tbsp - heaped - garam massala
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• Drizzle of sunflower oil

Preparation

Have sufficient jars with screw tops at hand, washed and sterilized.

• Chop the onions and sautee in the sunflower oil together with the grated or finely chopped garlic.
• The other veg and apples also chopped into the size that you like. The chillies I did smaller than the rest.  No need to deseed, except maybe the apples.
• Add it all to the pan and pour in the vinegar and sugar.
• Bring to boiling point and add the garam massala with the mustard seeds.
• Lower the heat and leave to simmer, without lid, until the liquid has reduced significantly.  Stir regularly.
• It can take up to an hour and a half.
• When still hot, transfer into jars, seal and leave to cool (upside down)

Chutney improves with age and can be kept in a cool, dark place for a few years. Once opened,  store in the fridge.



Griddled Marinated Courgettes

When they start growing, they won't stop.  I have a problem with picking them before they get too big and then finding interesting ways to prepare them so we don't get bored with eating courgettes every single day during summer ;-)

It is no hardship as we like courgettes. 

An easy to make and delish stand-by, these griddled beauties,  for salads,  on bruschetta, on pizza, in quiche or omelette, on your cheese sarnie, in a pasta dish and they make a nice change in a moussaka. Do I need to say more ? Very versatile.

Ingredients    quantities are approximates

• medium sized green and yellow courgettes, 1 of each
• 1 medium patty pan squash or 2 smaller ones (I used the white variety)
• coarse seasalt
• freshly ground black pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• handful of freshly chopped mint
• olive oil
• sunflower oil

Preparation

• Slice the courgettes lengthways, 1/2 cm thick
• Put the patty pan flat on the work surface and slice vertically, into 1/2 cm discs
• Bring all the slices into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, toss them around, so the courgettes are all slightly coated.
• Use a griddle pan (is not a necessity, but makes it look nicer) and let it get rather hot.
• Griddle the courgettes a few at a time on both sides

• When cooked through, bring them into a bowl.

• Squeeze a little lemon juice over the courgettes, a sprinkle of salt, black pepper and a drop of olive oil.
• Finish all the sliced courgettes like this, but beware of too much salt.
• Add the mint and toss.
• Adjust the seasoning and lemon juice to taste
• It can be kept in the fridge for a good couple of days, but you then need to cover with sunflower oil (don't use olive oil for this as it will be too bitter)

Will be seeing you at the next courgette meeting, I hope.
Patricia xxx...x

Courgette Fritters

The courgettes are growing,  plenty and fast. So, here is the first of my courgette recipes.

Fritters are easily adaptable depending on your mood or style of cuisine, by adding different spice mixtures. 
Courgettes do not give you an explosion of flavour on their own, so they do need a kick up the backside from time to time.

Ingredients

• 2 green courgettes and 1 yellow, grated
• salt
• 1 small onion, grated
• parsley, chopped
• tiny green or red chilli, finely chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• plain flour, 2 to 3 heaped tbsp
• corn flour, 1 heaped tbsp
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• sunflower or olive oil

Preparation

• Put the grated courgettes in a colander, sprinkle with some salt, put a plate over it with something heavy on top. Leave for 30 minutes standing in your (clean) sink.  This is to draw excess water out of the courgettes. If you omit this step, your fritters will turn soggy quickly.
• After about 1/2 hr squeeze some more of the water out of the courgettes and toss them into a bowl with all the other ingredients, except the oil.
• Give it a stir with a wooden spoon.
• Heat some oil in a frying pan (a non stick works best for this)
• With a large spoon bring about four dollops of the mixture into the pan (depending on the size of your pan, more or less dollops)
• Press them down slightly, frying them over medium heat. 
• Turn them over and fry on the other side till golden.
• When they are ready, drain on kitchen paper and repeat the process with the rest of the mixture and keep the others warm in the meantime.



Variations

Mexican style  Add sweetcorn, chopped red pepper, ground cumin, chopped coriander, chilli powder .....

Indian style  Replace flour with chickpea flour, add  grated ginger, ground coriander, fresh coriander, turmeric, cinnamon,  garam massala.....


Patricia xxx...x

Beetroot and Feta Salad

I just couldn't wait any longer to have a taste of the beetroot we are growing.  They were therefore on the small side, but it didn't take away from the flavour.

I love that sweet, earthiness of the beets and the colour and it works well with the saltiness of the feta.



Ingredients  (which I used)

• 10 small beets (smaller than a ping pong ball)
• 150 grs feta (from sheep milk)
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• 2 tsp honey
• Juice of 1 lemon (the zest I used in the courgette fritters)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Preparation

• Wash the beets thoroughly and cut off the leaves,  leaving stalks of about 3 cm (btw, you can also eat the leaves in a salad or sauteed like spinach, but this time I gave them to the chicks and they were very appreciative)
• Put in a cooking pot covered with water on the hob. Cook until tender (al dente)
• In the meantime make your dressing with all the other ingredients and crumble in your feta.
• When the beets are cooked, you can drain  off the liquid, cut the beets in half and add them to the dressing whilst still hot.
• Toss and leave to cool, put in fridge or a cool place till serving (I know ! You can use this as a warm salad too)

I served this salad with courgette fritters, panfried pollock and salmon.

Scorzoneras or Black Salsify

It conjures up sweet memories of childhood.
My parents owned a shop of electrical appliances in the sixties and first part of the seventies. Behind the shop was my father's workshop where he did repairs, and going through the hallway at the back of the house was a large kitchen, which was my mother's domain.
It was there that she used to prepare the scorzoneras, while I often sat in the sittingroom upstairs, already hooked on TV.  No, I wasn't hooked on TV, there was no broadcasting around the clock as there is today and my father wouldn't have allowed it.  Probably I was just playing with my dolls, reading or drawing. 
Anyway, I digress.
I remember the almost, coal black roots that my mother peeled, to uncover a lovely, ivory coloured spear.  Her hands became very sticky and black (or that is how I remembered it) and I had a fascination for this vegetable, because of it.

She cut them into 3 cm pieces, cooked them in boiling water and served them with a bechamel sauce, seasoned with freshly grated nutmeg, pepper and some salt.
I loved their nutty flavour.
They must have gone out of fashion as time went by, because you could hardly find them in their fresh state at the grocer's or supermarkets anymore.  Unless, you went for the jarred version . 
It's what I usually do, to my shame. I have jars of scorzoneras in my pantry, as an emergency standby.
Now, I have thought of having them in the garden, but they have a long growing season and consequently occupy their space for good part of the year. I am about to order seeds and I'll make some  space to home these lovely winter vegeables.
Luck would have it that since living not far from my cousin, she and her husband sometimes supply us with homegrown produce and a while back she gave me some fresh scorzoneras.  Lovely.

I prepared them very simple by peeling, boiling for 10 minutes or so till al dente, then sautee in a knob of butter, dress with a splash of lemon juice, seasoning and chopped fresh parsley.

Sit them in cold water with some lemon juice when peeled, they will discolour otherwise.

How wonderfully tasty

Thank you for reading.
Patricia xxx...x