When we first arrived in Quito, after the babe and I were showered and clean of five rounds of his puke and after he was safely tucked into his new bed, and after I took a minute to freak out about the place we would be staying our first two weeks I opened the fridge.  And in the fridge was a bowl with a post-it note on it.  A note that said, "Lentil Soup."  And my heart sank possibly just one note lower because lentil soup?  Lentils are what my mom used to have to eat all alone because the rest of us turned up our nose and refused.  I sighed, closed the door and decided to call it a night, a rather bad night.

For a few days we avoided the lentil soup, by indulging in the pasta dish also in the fridge and eating in other people's homes.  But eventually that soup came due.  But a funny thing happened.  As Nate was heating it, I started to like the way the house was smelling and by the time the bowl was tucked into my fingers I was feeling quite warm and cozy all over.  And ten minutes later when I had scraped my bowl clean I realized that by golly, I like lentil soup!

And then of course I had lentils on the brain because this is an item I've completely overlooked for the past 20+ years and that must be rectified and fast.  And then this recipe appeared before me like magic and it was like lentils?  With mushrooms ... something else it took me over 20 years to realize I love?  Oh and a gouda biscuit.  Well, okay!  I could think of no better way to enter my own love affair with lentils.

And this soup was lentil-delicious.  Hearty, totally about comfort.  Approved for my pot-pie qualifications which include non-soggy biscuits and non-runny filling.  My only change to this recipe would be a cheese swap.  Not because I don't love gouda but because the gouda is out-shined in this recipe and that should never happen to gouda.  A simple mozzarella or even cheddar will work just as well and then you can save the gouda for something truly sinful.

Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pies with Gouda Biscuit Topping

Taken from Pink Parsley Catering, who adapted it from Bon Appetit, November 2010

Serves 4   (I made 1.5x the recipe and it served 8.  I guess it depends on the size of your bowls.)

Filling

1/2 cup french green lentils
1/4 tsp salt
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 1/2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbs tomato paste

Topping

1 cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
6 Tbs yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbs chilled unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup shredded Gouda Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine 3 cups cold water, lentils, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes.  Drain and set aside.
Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl.  Soak 25 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, and squeeze dry. Chop coarsely and reserve soaking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the fresh mushrooms and saute 3-4 minutes.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the onion, carrot, sage, and thyme.  Cook 4minutes, then add the garlic.  Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to medium-low and mix the flour into the vegetables.  Cook 1 minute, then add the porcini soaking liquid.  Mix in the chopped porcinis, potatoes, soy sauce, and tomato paste.  Cover; simmer until the potatoes are tender, 13 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Add the lentils and season the filling with salt and pepper.  Divide among 4 ovenproof bowls and transfer to a baking sheet.
To make the topping, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend 5 seconds.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the buttermilk and pulse until the dough forms moist clumps.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to form a cohesive ball.  Divide into 4 portions and shape each one into a 2/3-inch thick disk.  Set rounds atop filling, sprinkle with cheese, and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake until a tester inserted into the biscuit comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.

Zucchini can be bad, just bad.  I've had bad before and I've made bad before.  One thing I've learned is to always salt my zucchini and let it sit for ten minutes releasing water before blotting it with a paper towel.  Less water = tastier zucchini and better texture.  Another thing I've learned is that I don't think this vegetable needs much cooking time at all.  I steer away from any recipes that have you roast for long periods, opting for barely cooked options that highlight the grill or a quick saute.  Oh and lastly I've learned that zucchini and lemon are like husband and wife.  Never should they be separated (in my kitchen).

So now that I've told you my zucchini recipe criteria you can pretty much guess that I liked this zucchini salad.  Short cooking time?  Check.  Lemon?  Check.  Added salting and blotting step?  Check.  Extra almond crunch?  Mmmh.  And this recipe is so durn quick that I've only thrown it together oh about 4 times in the last month.  And anything that appears even once a month in my kitchen can be considered a staple.

Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Almonds and Parmesan

Taken from Love and Olive Oil

Makes 4 side servings

1 medium lemon

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 lbs small zucchini, cut into lengthwise slices

1/2 cup sliced (or chopped) almonds, toasted

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Zest the lemon and set aside the zest. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a small bowl. Add oil, pepper, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat until hot. Oil the grilling surface and grill zucchini slices, turning once, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Arrange the zucchini on a platter and drizzle with the reserved lemon dressing. Serve sprinkled with almonds, cheese, and lemon zest.

This is a rustic dinner at it's best.  It's what I might imagine myself eating if I were wandering through the vineyards of Tuscany and someone invited me into their humble home.  A one bowl dish of hearty and healthy fare.  This with a glass of chianti and some new friends would make for a full and satisfied stomach and a feeling of warm content.

Alas I'm not in Tuscany and this was made in my kitchen with ingredients from the super market as opposed to a homegrown garden.  And yet it is still chock full of flavor and texture, enough to satisfy me anytime of year.

Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes

Originally from foodnetwork.com

Servings: 4 1 28-ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1 cup instant polenta

Freshly ground pepper

2 bunches Swiss chard (about 2 pounds) (I used red Swiss chard)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 7.5-ounce package farmer cheese, crumbled (I used feta instead)

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are charred around the edges, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 but keep the tomatoes inside.

Meanwhile, bring 5 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta until smooth and creamy. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Slice the chard leaves into wide strips and the stems into 1-inch pieces. Boil the stems until almost tender, about 5 minutes, then add the leaves and cook until both are tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain the chard.

Remove the skillet from the oven and place over medium-high heat. Push the tomatoes to one side, add the butter and swirl until the butter is golden brown. Add the chard and toss to coat. Divide the polenta among 4 bowls. Top with the tomatoes and chard. Season the cheese with salt and sprinkle over the top.

Lately, I’ve got a few too many people in my life calling me a food snob.  Okay, so maybe I do believe a wedge of quality brie, camembert, or port salut will top a slice of American EVERY day.  And maybe it’s true that I’ve been known to say something along the lines of, “People who consider lasagna a company meal must live sad, culinary lives.”  And maybe I’ve turned up my nose at many a greasy burger or gravy covered chunk of meat.  Well, OKAY, maybe I do like the finer side of food.

But for those who put me undeniably in the category of food snob I give you this.  Bear with me because I know you are thinking that stuffed mushrooms with good cheese are not example of the down-homeness needed to prove my point.  And normally it might not be.  But last night I had some regular button mushrooms and some leftover brie.  What I did not have was fresh parsley or any green onions.  And if I didn’t have either of those two things, why should I bother dirtying a pan just for some fresh garlic?  So you know what I did?  I made these anyway.  I went straight back to the 70’s and pulled out my onion powder, garlic powder, and dried parsley.  And after I had sautéed the mushrooms in butter and a splash of white wine I sprinkled these sad little substitutes all over my mushrooms.  And then I ate them.  And I liked them.  So there. These were good, but really, truly I’m pretty sure they would be about 10x more delicious if you made them the right way.  You know, the fresh herbs and aromatics released in the pan instead of out of the can way.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie Originally from thepioneerwoman.com/cooking

Ingredients

1 package White Button Mushrooms, Washed And Stems Removed

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped

4 whole (to 5) Green Onions, Sliced (up To Middle Of Dark Green Part)

Splash Of White Wine (optional)

1 slice (wedge) Of Brie Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add mushroom caps and toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from pan and place upside down in a baking dish.

In the same saucepan (without cleaning it) throw in garlic, parsley, and green onions. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and splash in wine, if using. Stir around until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Cut rind off of brie wedge, then cut pieces of brie to fit each mushroom cap. Place inside, lightly pressing to anchor each piece of brie.

Top mushrooms with parsley/garlic mixture.

Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until brie is melted.

After finally finishing off all the pots of leftover soup from Soup Night, which were much needed during a week when sit-down dinners were nonexistent, it was time for something different.  And by different I mostly mean a fresh, home cooked meal placed on a real plate, on a real dinner table.  I was happy to get into the kitchen and pull out my favorite knife.  Nate was happy to eat anything that didn’t consist mainly of liquid and microwaving.

The whole time I was prepping this recipe it kept sending me to the Olive Garden.  It must have been the combination of garlic and parmesan that brought this to mind, though I use this particular combination quite frequently.  Either way, I am happy to report that this dish does not end up tasting anything like the pre-fab meals that are served at the Olive Garden.  It was intensely flavorful and aromatic, infused with the sweetness of the sundried tomatoes and balsamic reduction, and the tanginess of the artichokes and goat cheese.

It’s the kind of dish that makes you realize vegetarianism is not the saddest plight to happen.  (Well, at least for the night.  Until you come across a recipe for cranberry-glazed, bacon-wrapped apricots.  Then you remember how glad you are that you aren’t vegetarian, that your husband isn’t vegetarian, and that no one in your immediate families is vegetarian.)

Stuffed Portobello with Balsamic Reduction

Adapted from loveandoliveoil.com.  Originally adapted from Epicurious.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh spinach leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped sweet onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

4-ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs salt and pepper, to taste

4-6 portobello mushroom caps

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 sprig fresh thyme

Directions

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 3 minutes.

Add spinach and stir until wilted.  Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Chop and transfer to large bowl; cool to room temperature. Add spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, sundried tomato, artichoke, goat cheese, and breadcrumbs to onion mixture; toss to distribute evenly. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover filling and let stand at room temperature.

To make balsamic reduction, combine vinegar and thyme sprig and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until reduced by half. Mixture should be thick and syrupy. Simmer longer if necessary. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer mushrooms to rimmed baking sheet, gill side up. Divide filling among mushrooms. Sprinkle remaining 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over and bake until heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 15 minutes.

Drizzle mushrooms with balsamic reduction and serve immediately.