Low Carb Experimentation - Lentil Salad with Ham,

I am currently on a low-carb/no carb diet in order to get ready for two very different beach vacations this summer.  Some things about taking up eating in a South Beach Diet Phase 1 friendly way (boy, that's a mouthful) are easy, and some things are hard: no white wine, no crunchy snacks.  I stocked up at our local Trader Joe's market on some basic components for cooking in this manner: canned beans, nuts, pre-cooked lentils, sausage, and lots of eggs.

I have lots of ideas in mind, and I've acted on two of those thus far.  One was a total throw together, using leftover chicken, a jar of Panang curry sauce, a can of chick peas, and some roasted veggies (diced carrots, butternut squash, and onions).  This actually tastes very good and made enough for 2-3 meals for one.

The other inspiration is what I fixed for lunch today -- a simple lentil salad. According to the Perfect Pantry's post on lentils,  lentils are a good source of inexpensive protein.  There are different varieties of lentils available, but French green lentils are the one most commonly used for salads since they hold their shape well.  See The Cook's Thesaurus for more information.

Lentil Salad with Ham

Ingredients:

1 17.6 oz. package of refrigerated Steamed Lentils, about 2 1/2 cups (available at Trader Joe's) ** 

1 cup diced cooked ham

1/4 cup diced pickled carrots (I used Tillen Farms brand)

1/4 cup diced fennel

1/3 cup diced celery

2 tbs. minced parsley

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbs. good quality vinegar (I used a cider vinegar with pear)

1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine lentils, ham, carrots, fennel, celery and parsley in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk together mustard, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour dressing over lentil mixture, stirring well to combine.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning.

** If you'd prefer to cook lentils on your own, here are some instructions.  Bring 3 cups of water and one teaspoon of salt to a boil.  Add 1 cup of lentils, cover and return to a boil.  Adjust temperature to maintain a slow simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until lentils are fully cooked but not mushy.  Drain and proceed with remainder of recipe.

Serves 4-6, depending on portion size 
 

Central Coast Rancho Cooking - Macaroni and Cheese

Last week, I didn't set out to work on another Central Coast Rancho style recipe, really.  My in-laws have recently returned home from a rather lengthy hospital stay, and we've been helping with cooking and running errands as well as generally keeping an eye on them.   This has been keeping us busy, hence for the long delay in posting.

One of the things I made for them was some individual meatloaves, packaged so that they'd be easy to freeze and use later.  I had been thinking that some macaroni and cheese would go well with the meatloaf, and I had seen a recipe from America's Test Kitchen that looked especially good.  In addition, it made a large amount, and I thought it would be definitely make enough to share.

Despite checking the recipe to see what I'd need to purchase (lots of shredded cheddar, for example), it turned out that I was missing one of the ingredients for the original recipe.  I had one can of diced tomatoes, but it wasn't big enough.  Here's where necessity being the mother of invention comes in.  I did have a couple of cans of enchilada sauce left from buying the makings of Central Coast Rancho Style Beans.  So my substitution yielded inspiration, and a new take (to my way of thinking) on macaroni and cheese.

Another inspiration for this recipe is related to the recipe that had first caught my eye, the Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes from America's Test Kitchen, which actually turns out to be from the Cook's Country website.  My grandmother used to make a very different version of macaroni and cheese that is nothing like what comes in the box.  She would cook the macaroni in the usual way, then add cubes of extra sharp cheddar, chopped onions, and a can of tomato sauce.  The combination of the tomato sauce and sharp cheddar smelled so good as it was baking! 

So, I've also tapped into the memories of my grandmother's recipe and added caramelized onions to the newly adapted recipe.  I hope you like it as much as we did.

Central Coast Rancho Macaroni and Cheese

Inspired by Cook's Country Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

16 tbs. (2 sticks) of butter, divided
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1 lb. of pasta (elbow macaroni preferred)
1 14..5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 19-oz. can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. Santa Maria Style Seasoning
4 cups half and half
1 cup chicken broth
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used a triple cheddar blend from Kraft)
2 cups Mexican Four Cheese
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
2. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt when water is boiling and add pasta.  Cook until just al dente, about 6 minutes.  Be very careful not to overcook.  In fact, you may want to undercook the pasta since it will continue to cook as the pasta bakes.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add 1 stick of butter, cut into smaller slices, and stir until butter melts.
4. Add diced tomatoes and enchilada sauce to cooked pasta, and stir to combine.  Cook briefly over low heat, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.
5. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  When butter is melted, add onions and reduce heat to medium low.  Add sugar.  Cook onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Add flour and Santa Maria Style Seasoning to onion-butter mixture.  Continue cooking, over medium-low heat, till golden brown.
7. Slowly whisk in the half and half and the chicken broth until smooth.  Increase the heat, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  
8. Remove mixture from heat.  Stir in the cheeses, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper until the cheeses are melted.  
9. Pour sauce over pasta and stir to combine.
10. Pour into baking dish, and place on a rimmed baking sheet (in case of spills) in the oven.  If you'd like to prepare this dish in advance, lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the pasta, let cool, then refrigerate for up to 2 days.  When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 15 minutes, until top of pasta is beginning to brown.
11. Bake until the top of the pasta begins to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.  Let sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.