Lentils with Sage, Roasted Garlic, and Winter Vegetables

Looking for a warm, hearty fall meal that is as healthy as it is delicious?  Definitely try out this lentil dish.  It may not look very appetizing in the photo (yes, I'm still mastering the art of food photography with an iPhone, if that even exists) but my boyfriend and I both ate very slowly just to thoroughly enjoy all of the flavor of the dish.

At first I wanted to qualify this post as a "No Meat Monday" option, but it has a bit of bacon that purely adds flavor rather than crunch.  I'm considering trying a bacon substitute, something I've never done before, to see if it still packs the same flavor without removing it from the vegetarian realm.  However, the fresh roasted garlic is an absolute must.

Herb Ricotta Agnolotti with Sauteed Vegetables and Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Seasonal Pantry (1314 9th Street, NW Washington, DC) is a new local food shop in the heart of Shaw.   They're known for incredibly fresh products and offer seasonal clubs, such as an ice cream club and even a supper club.  During September, they offered a Pasta Club with several types of pasta.  My favorite is the herb ricotta agnolotti.  It's flavorful and delicious and perfect for fall.

A walnut pesto was provided with the pasta, but I'm slightly allergic to nuts and in observance of safety, decided to make a brown butter and sage sauce with sauteed butternut squash, carrots, string beans and yellow squash.  The result?  A warm, healthy meal with a savory edge.

Making the Most of What You Got: Soft Taco Night

There are times when you know you're making a great dish, and other times you just have to wing it.  Thursday night was one of those nights.  I had a random assortment of items in the kitchen and wanted to use all of them because I'm taking a mini-vacation in Kiawah Island, SC, this weekend.  I opted to make soft tacos since I had fresh wraps from Whole Foods that were sure to go bad and a bunch of cilantro.  So, here goes nothing...

My Partner in Crime

My cat, Peter, is my official partner in crime in the kitchen.  He is fascinated with anything I do in there.  He isn't begging...he is simply observing the action.  Maybe he'll start his own blog some day :)

Back from El Salvador, Back to the Kitchen

About a week and a half ago, I had the privilege of traveling to El Salvador for work.  It was a whirlwind of a trip - I found about about 5 days before departure that I would be traveling to the country to train the USAID Mission on the Google Apps Suite.

El Salvador is a gorgeous country.  Gorgeous people.  And, of course, gorgeous food.  Unbelievable food at that.  Everything I had, from filet mignon, to pupusas, to fruit, was fresh and flavorful.  I attribute this to most of the food being local.  The idea of "local" is something that is preached here in the United States, but I think that local food is the norm in El Salvador.  Perhaps it's because of the climate, the vast farmland, the type of jobs available, or a mix of all three, but it was truly a treat experiencing the local cuisine of the country. 

As you can guess, it took me be a while to get back into the swing of things, and tonight (9/18/11) I'm finally back in the kitchen cooking a homemade meal.  I'll post about it soon...glad to be back!

Simple Sunday Night Dinner: Herbed Chicken, Stringbean Salad, and Cous Cous

This past weekend, the entire east coast was on high alert for Hurricane Irene, which was supposed to be the largest storm to hit the region in quite some time. I was very lucky here in Washington, DC that we had minimal damage - just some fallen branches and general messiness. Regardless, I'm happy to use any excuse to stay in on the weekends to regroup from the work week and experiment with new recipes.

On Saturday night, I made Moroccan-style braised lentils and a pitiful excuse for yeastless bread. The dish (minus the bread) was a success - let me know if you want the recipe. Sunday night's dinner was much more notable. I made herbed chicken breast with string bean salad and cous cous. It was exactly the "homey" meal I was looking for after the storm...

No Meat Monday: Chickpea Burgers with Baked Potato and Veggie Crisps

No Meat Monday is a catchy little phrase I first saw at Whole Foods and soon learned that it's an ongoing international campaign. I decided to embrace this act - as well as removing meat from the most (but not all) of my meals - for health and environmental concerns (or, just being totally freaked out after reading The Omnivore's Dilemma). I'll admit that changing my diet is a challenge. Dinner used to be a simple task...simply cook meat, carbs, and veggies, and you'd be good to go. Nowadays, dinner takes research and creativity to ensure a healthy, flavorful, and most of all filling, meal.

I made chickpea burgers with baked potato and veggie crisps. The meal met all of my meatless requirements...check it out!