Lentil Ragout

 

Lentil Ragout – French Puy lentil side dish

https://www.recipetineats.com/lentil-ragout-french-puy-lentils-side-dish/

From Recipetineast, 3/9/2025

Recipe video above. Lentils can be so dull. Trust the French to make them exciting!!

Lentil Ragout is a classic French way of cooking lentils. Aromatics are sautéed before simmering Puy Lentils in stock so they absorb the flavour. It's an outstanding side dish that's easy to make, the perfect side for any protein.

Or just do as I do and eat a whole bowl of this for lunch!

Ingredients

• ▢1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢1 garlic clove , finely minced
• ▢1/2 onion , finely diced
• ▢1 carrot (large) , peeled and finely diced
• ▢1 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢1 bay leaf , preferably fresh otherwise dried
• ▢1 thyme sprig
• ▢1 cup puy lentils (French lentils) (Note 1)
• ▢3 cups vegetable stock , preferably homemade else low sodium store bought (Note 2)
• ▢1/2 tsp salt (skip if using store bought)
• ▢1/4 tsp black pepper
• ▢1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped

• Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • Sauté garlic, carrot and onion until softened – around 5 minutes.
  • Cook off tomato paste: Add tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Cook 2 minutes.
  • Add lentils, simmer 15 minutes: Add lentils, stock, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to simmer, then lower heat and simmer without a lid for 15 minutes until the lentils are soft (don't let them overcook so they become mushy!).
  • Season: Stir through parsley. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve!

  1. Puy Lentils – These small, greenish-black mottled lentils are sold dried at larger supermarkets in Australia.

  2. Stock quality – Homemade vegetable stock is superior to any store-bought stock, and is one of the main things that distinguishes home and restaurant cooking. With vegetable stock being so simple to make, I really urge you to make your own. It makes these lentils knock-your-socks-off delicious, elevating it to restaurant quality (no exaggeration!)

  Nutrition Information:

  Calories:415cal (21%)Carbohydrates:64g (21%)Protein:26g (52%)Fat:5g (8%)Saturated Fat:1g (6%)Sodium:1045mg (45%)Potassium:121mg (3%)Fiber:31g (129%)Sugar:5g (6%)Vitamin A:3083IU (62%)Vitamin C:10mg (12%)Calcium:74mg (7%)Iron:8mg (44%)

Crudite

How to make a crudite platter by Heather Christo

How to Create Vegetable Vessels for Dips | Thanksgiving Decorations | Martha Stewart

How to Make Crudites - Martha Stewart

Ludo à la Maison - Crudité with Aioli

Mattar Pilau

Jan made this to accompany Tandoor-Style Shrimp. The recipe is from Dianne. It was a delicious pairing.

CRANBERRY SALSA OVER CREAM CHEESE

This recipe is from Stay at Home Chef
https://thestayathomechef.com/cranberry-salsa/

I first made this in Nov 2016.  Love it!!!!!!!!!!

Fresh cranberries are minced up with jalapeno into a healthy, fresh, and vibrant salsa.

Author: Rachel Farnsworth

Yield: serves a party

Ingredients

• 12 oz cranberries
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 2 jalapeños, minced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ cup sugar

Instructions

1. Rinse, drain, and pick over cranberries, (discarding all that are soft or bruised). Place cranberries in a food processor or blender; pulse until finely chopped but not mushy.
2. Place crushed cranberries in a bowl; mix together with green onions, jalapeños, cilantro leaves, and ginger. Pour lemon juice and sugar over and stir together.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate and allow flavors to develop. It will be a bit tart to begin with, but as it is allowed to sit it will develop even more flavor.
4. Can be served as a plain salsa, but is amazing served over cream cheese with crackers.

Asparagus Salad with Sesame Seeds

This recipe comes from the "Old Rittenhouse Inn" 2009, pg. 50 I served this as part of a spring

brunch with Quiche Lorraine.  Delicious.

Salad -
1 pound Bibb lettuce, chilled
10 ounces cooked asparagus, cut into 1/1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced red radishes (I used a black radish)
1/2 cup minced red onion

Dressing -
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 T soy sauce
2 t. sugar
3 T olive oil
1 t. sesame seed oil
2 t. peeled & grated ginger root
1 T fresh herbs, choose what is fresh

Garnish -
3/4 cup sesame seeds

SALAD
Toss together all the ingredients and chill

DRESSING

1. Combine vinegar, broth, soy sauce, and sugar.
2. Add oils
3. Stir in ginger root
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss and garnish with sesame seeds.

Spaghetti Squash with Moroccan Spices

Recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Reichl

INGREDIENTS
1 (3.5 - 4 pound) spaghetti squash
1/2 stick (4 T) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Pierce squash all over with a small sharp knife. Cook in an 800 watt microwave oven on high power for 6-7 minutes. Turn squash over and microwave until the squash feels slightly soft when pressed, 8-10 minutes more.Cool squash for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small heavy sauce pan over moderately high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.

Carefully halve the squash lengthwise (it will give off steam) and remove and discard seeds. Working over a bowl, scrape squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating the strands as you remove it from the skin. Toss with spice butter and cilantro.

ORANGE GLAZED BEETS

Recipe from: recipe exchange 9/07)

Great Side Dish!!...........Scott W. Porter,  Merced, California

Prep Time:  5 minutes       Cook Time:  15 minutes     Serves  4 

Ingredients:

1 TB..........Butter

1/4 Cup.....Orange Marmalade

1 TB..........Orange Juice

2 Cups.......Cooked Beet Slices  (canned O.K.)

Instructions:

§         Melt butter in skillet.

§         Stir in marmalade and orange juice.  Stir together well. 

§         Add beets and cook on low until beets are well glazed, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Curried Rice Salad

Recipe By Teresa Rose (recipe exchange)

1        (6.9-ounce) package RICE-A-RONI® Chicken Flavor

2        tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4    teaspoon curry powder

2        (6-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

1/3    cup mayonnaise

1/2    cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives

1/2    cup chopped green bell pepper

4        green onions, sliced

          Ground black pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute rice-vermicelli mix with oil and curry powder until vermicelli is golden brown, stirring frequently. Add 2-1/2 cups water and Special Seasonings; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Cool

Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade from one jar. Combine reserved marinade and mayonnaise. Stir mayonnaise-mixture, artichokes, olives, bell pepper and green onions into cooled RICE-A-RONI; pepper to taste. Cover and chill

SIDE DISH - Sweet Potato Casserole

I first made this recipe for Thanksgiving in 1998 at Jerry and Susan's. 

It was such a big hit that it became a part of our Thanksgiving tradition. 

Of course you can make this anytime of the year.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
3 pounds sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 apples (can use canned apple slices)
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream, can use evaporated milk
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions
Fill a large pan with water, bring to boil, add sweet potatoes and cook until they can be poked with a fork. Drain the water and then smash them using a potato masher.

Butter a 2 quart shallow baking dish and place the sweet potatoes inside.

Peel, core and slice the apples into wedges. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes to slightly soften in a separate dish. Arrange the apple slices on top of the sweet potatoes.

Combine flour and brown sugar; cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender. Add pepper, cream and nuts and combine with a fork.

Spread this mixture on top of the sweet potatoes and apple slices in the baking dish.

Place on top shelf of a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until topping bubbles.

Serving Ideas: Serve it right in the casserole dish you cooked it in.

SIDE DISH - Corn Relish with Roasted Peppers

Corn Relish with Roasted Peppers

From the August 2010 issue of Food and Wine

First made in August 2010

 

 

 

 

Active: 40 min; Total = 1 hour

MAKES  4 pints

INGREDIENTS:

12 ears of corn, shucked

1 red bell pepper

1 green pepper

4 jalapenos (I couldn’t find these at the time and used Hungarian sweet papers.)

1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar

1 ½ cups sugar

1 Spanish onion (I used a Vidalia onion)

2 T. whole-grain mustard (I used some other sort of mustard)

Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the corn until the kernels become slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Transfer the corn to the ice water; let cool. Drain the corn and pat dry. Cut off the kernels.
2. Roast the red peppers and jalapenos over a gas flame, turning until charred all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let cool slightly.  Peel, stem and seed the peppers into ½ inch dice and the jalapenos into ¼ inch dice.
3. In an enamel cast-iron casserole (I don’t have one of these) combine the vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the onion, peppers, jalapenos, onion and mustard and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and let cool.
4. Ladle the corn relish into four 1 point canning jars and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

A variation I am trying this year is to roast the corn in the husks on the grill. (September 2024)

Link to directions

Instructions

1. Remove the silk: Remove any loose husks from the corn cobs. Shuck the corn by peeling down the outside layers one at a time and keeping them attached, facing downwards away from the cob. Remove the silk, then pull the husks back up over the corn (it can be a bit messy, so it doesn’t have to be perfect!).
2. Soak 20 minutes: Soak the corn cobs in cool water for at least 20 minutes to prevent scorching.
3. Preheat: Heat a grill to medium high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit). 
4. Grill the corn: Place the corn directly on the grill grates and cook until the husk begins to blacken, then turn. Cook 20 to 22 minutes total, until the corn is cooked through (the outside husk will be charred). To check whether it’s done, pull back the husk on one corn to make sure it is bright yellow and cooked through all the way to the bottom of the cob. (You can err on the side of over-cooking it, since you may find the cooking is fairly uneven in the husk.) Serve immediately with butter and salt.