Indian Lentils With Coconut

We're trying this recipe today in honor of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's feast day (San Lorenzo Giustiniano of Venice on the traditional calendar--maybe we'll have Past'é Fagioli for dinner!)
Mother Teresa travelled all over the world and helped the poorest of the poor, rescuing the dying from the gutters of India (Hinduism teaches that the suffering deserve to suffer for their transgressions and we will be punished for helping them) and nursing the sick and suffering for almost all her life. However, she said that throughout all her travels the one thing she has seen that saddens her more than anything else in the world is communion in the hand.

I fully concur.



Indian Lentils With Coconut



Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 45 minutes.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups water
1 pound dried small red lentils, washed and picked over
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion; sauté 5 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Stir in the water, lentils, coconut milk, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

2. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Then stir in salt and pepper.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 196 ; FAT 3g (sat 1g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); PROTEIN 13g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 129mg; FIBER 7g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30g

Health, MARCH 2006

Legumes for Breakfast?

Lentils are so delicious and considered one of the healthiest foods in the world (along with olive oil, yogurt, soy and kimchi)! We grew up on Past'e Lenticchie (especially Fridays in Lent), which is a soup of lentils, parsley, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil--Heavenly! After I got my grain mill I started grinding everything I could think of, and lentils eventually topped the list of favorites. We cook this up mostly for breakfast, but it could be done for dinner, too. It's great for babies, expectant (and pre-expectant) mothers, due to its high iron and folate content, and is perhaps the most economical source of protein on the market. If you don't have a grain mill, it grinds up very nicely in the blender on "grate."

For Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Lentils:

2 cups ground lentils
8 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and cook on low until thick and creamy. Serve into bowls and top with another drizzle of olive oil, diced tomatoes, fresh parsley, minced onion or anything that strikes your fancy! The whole meal can feed a family of 8 for about $1! My oldest daughter likes to add ground split peas and cracked buckwheat to this recipe, which is always very nice.

Buon Apetito!

Pasta Caprese

Seems I'm just full of recipe ideas this week! Today my Mom reminded me of a recipe she used to make once in a while when we were kids and it's such the perfect summer, exploding garden recipe that I just had to share it. This isn't exactly Mom's recipe and she'll be mad at me if I don't mention that. I added a few optional ingredients that sounded good to me, but of which Mom may not approve.

Pasta Caprese



For 1 lb. of pasta like ziti, pene or rigatoni, start with:

Insalata Caprese

7 or so ripe but firm tomatoes
1 lb. mozzarella cut into about 20 cubes
12 or so basil leaves
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Optionally add:

1-2 cloves minced or chopped garlic
1/2 large vidalia onion, finely sliced in slivers
3-4 oz. black or calamata olives, pitted
2-4 tablespoons capers
3-4 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
3 anchovy filets, chopped
1 cup red-leaf lettuce, finely shredded

Mix the tomato ingredients with any of the optional ingredients and allow to marinate for an hour or so. (If you're including the lettuce don't add it until just before tossing the pasta in with the tomatoes.) Boil the pasta just until al dente. Drain, run under cold water to stop cooking, and toss with the Insalata Caprese. Serve in deep plates and sprinkle with grated parmigiano cheese. A glass of wine, a slice of bread and you're in Heaven!

Buon apetito!