Chicken and Red Lentil Soup With Lemony Yogurt

 

 A wonderful  Andy Baraghani recipe

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings  

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

• 2 large onions, thinly sliced 

• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (better with bone-in, skin-on thighs?)

• 1 ½ cups red lentils, rinsed 

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

• 1 cup finely chopped mix of parsley, dill and mint 

• 1 cup plain full-fat regular or Greek yogurt 

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

• (....suggested additions: hearty greens like kale or spinach to wilt, a soft-boiled egg, or even chilli oil or chipotle for some heat. Substitute finely chopped preserved lemon for lemon juice)

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until deeply charred around the edges and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Add the chicken, lentils and turmeric, and season generously with salt and lots of pepper. Toss everything a few times so that the turmeric can coat the other ingredients.

3. Step 3

   Pour in 8 cups water, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then, adjust heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have split and collapsed into the broth in a golden mush and the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Step 4

   Using tongs, remove the chicken thighs, let them cool slightly, then shred and return to the pot. Sprinkle in the herbs, taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.

5. Step 5

   In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and lemon juice and season with salt. (If using Greek yogurt, thin with water until it reaches a runny consistency.)

6. Step 6

   Ladle the soup into bowls, then spoon the lemony yogurt over before serving.

Red Lentil and Coconut Dal - One Pot

A John Gregory-Smith recipe

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp cumin seeds
2 onions, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 inch ginger, finely sliced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
200g red lentils
1 x400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g tin coconut milk
The juice of a lime
A small handful of finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and crackle for a few seconds before adding the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until golden.
2. Chuck the garlic and ginger into the pan and mix well. Cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Put the turmeric, chilli powder, lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and a good pinch of salt into the pan. Pour in 150ml of just boiled water and mix well. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. If it looks a little dry, add another 50-100ml of water and mix well.
4. To finish, add the lime juice and coriander to the daal. Mix well. Check the seasoning, adding more salt to taste and serve immediately with rice.

Chipotle Butter Beans Bowls

This one pan dinner is based on a John Gregory-Smith recipe and is quick and easy to make.  And its accidentally vegetarian  -  John on Insta

Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chipotle chilli paste e.g. Gran Luchito
2 tsp tomato puree
1 x 570g jar butterbeans
50g sour cream
A handful of shredded lettuce and tortilla chips to serve
Pickles onions and cheddar cheese to serve

For the avocado sour cream

1 avocado
1 tbsp pickled chillies
1 spring onion
A handful of coriander
50g sour cream
The juice of half a lime

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the onion and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until tender. Add a little splash of water to help steam the peppers and soften them even more. Add the garlic, chipotle chilli paste and tomato puree. Mix well and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Pour the whole jar of beans into the pan. Mix well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes to warm though.
3. Add the sour cream and stir together. Check the seasoning adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. Whilst that cooks, throw the avocado, pickled chillies, spring onion, coriander, sour cream, lime and a pinch of salt into a blender and blitz until smooth.
5. To serve divide the beans between two bowls and top with the lettuce, pickled onions, cheddar, chips and a dollop of the avocado sour cream.

Carrots with Ginger and Orange (from Anne Connolly)

 

• Cut carrots into narrow strips (can pre-soak in sugar solution)
• Sweat them in butter (little salt) and loads of finely chopped ginger
• After about 5 -7 min, while still hard, add juice and zest from an orange
• I then add about a teaspoon of pomegranate mollasses

Beef Guinness Prunes - Tamasin Day Lewis

 

Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak

An Ottolenghi Recipe

 

Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric

Spiced chickpeas are crisped in olive oil, then simmered in a garlicky coconut milk for an insanely creamy, basically-good-for-you stew that evokes stews found in South India and parts of the Caribbean. While the chickpeas alone would be good as a side dish, they are further simmered with stock, bolstered with dark, leafy greens of your choosing and finished with a handful of fresh mint. When shopping, be sure to avoid low-fat coconut milk, coconut milk meant for drinking or cream of coconut: All are very different and would not be suitable here.

Yield:4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• ¼cup olive oil, plus more for serving

• 4garlic cloves, chopped

• 1large yellow onion, chopped

• 1(2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1½teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving

• 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

• 2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2(15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk

• 2cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces

• 1cup mint leaves, for serving

• Yogurt, for serving (optional)

• Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

PREPARATION

• Step 1

• Heat ¼ cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

• Step 2

• Add 1½ teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.

• Step 3

• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk and stock, and season with salt and pepper.

• Step 4

• Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey!

• Step 5

• Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.

• Step 6

• Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.