An Indian-inspired Sunday Night Supper

Okay, I'll admit it-- I've been slacking on my food posts.  I've gotten a little carried away on some of my other blogs and have left this one mildly unattended.  But fear not!  Tonight's meal will be broken down in excruciating detail...(okay, well maybe not), but at the very least you'll find some of my ventures into the world of home foodie-ism and hopefully some ideas on how to use leftovers as well as seasonal ingredients.

As it's gotten colder outside, I've found myself cooking lentils quite a bit.  And not just any lentils-- Lentil Dahl to be exact.  While I've read of how rewarding toasting your own sesame seeds and grinding your own spices in a mill or coffee grinder can be,  I really prefer something a little more user-friendly. Enter: curry paste.  There are a number of varieties that you can easily find at your local Farmer's Market. I've been using the Madras Curry Paste lately with much success.  For the Dahl, I loosely follow this recipe, but the last time I made it I substituted regular lentils and extended the cooking time.  Instead of the freshly-ground spices, I opted for a heaping tablespoon and a half of the curry paste and chicken broth instead of the veggie broth.  In a pinch, I used a portion of the massive bag of carrots that have been lingering in my fridge to substitute for the tomatoes.  The results were delicious.  Since I like my Dahl on the spicer side, I used some ground red pepper and added some extra cloves.  Long story short, leftover Dahl is great for making lentil cakes. 

To make the lentil cakes, add a little bit of water to rehydrate as well as a small amount of egg-white as a binder. Drop into a heated, oiled pan with a large spoon and cook on both sides until brown.  Much like veggie burgers you might find that the cakes crumble slightly, but you can piece the cakes back together while in the pan (with a spatula) and they will hold together rather well.

Following the Indian theme, I found this recipe for "Low Fat Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup" which I also followed loosely.  I altered the recipe by adding my beloved coriander, parsley, red pepper, and a splash of almond milk.  After cooking as directed and processing the vegetables, I reheated and added a little water since the soup was on the thick side. The results were spicy and were a good compliment the lentil cakes.

The easiest part of the meal were the asparagus spears.  I snapped off the ends, splashed with olive oil and sprinkled with some Parmesan Cheese and broiled on high until they started to brown a bit.

With a little time and effort a home-cooked seasonal soup will make those winter nights a bit more bearable.  But don't take my word for it-- try it for yourself!

Happy eating!