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Somali Red Lentil Stew (Maraq Misir)

Delicious. Makes 6 servings.

If you really want to go all out, you can toast any of the spices that you have whole, then grind them. Add the other pre-ground spices at the end.

Serve chunky or blended, with salad or rice or bread.

Ingredients	Step
oil 1 large white onion, diced	Saute in large pot until translucent.
1½ c. red lentils	Rinse in colander.
8 cloves garlic, minced 4 t. cumin 1 t. coriander ½ t. black pepper ⅛ t. cloves ⅛ t. cinnamon ⅛ t. cardamom ½ t. turmeric 1½ t. salt	Measure.
1.5 c passata (equivalent to 6 Romas) rinsed red lentils 1 large carrot, diced ¾ c. cilantro, diced spices 6 c. warm water	Add to the onions, stir, and cover pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked, about 25 minutes.

Source: Ifrah F. Ahmed (NYT Cooking)

Baked Risotto with Greens

An easy and delicious way to serve greens.

Violife parmesan is acceptable, but dairy parmesan is better. I often split the meal in half before the last "saucy" step to target both diets.

First enjoyed with Tom and Tobi.

Ingredients	Step
	Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1 small onion, diced olive oil	In a cast iron skillet with a lid, saute onion until softened.
1 small garlic clove minced 1 heaping c. Arborio rice	Add garlic and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute), then stir in rice. Season with salt and pepper, and fry rice until lightly toasted (about 2 minutes).
4 oz. kale leaves, as bite-sized pieces salt and pepper	Add. Stir until wilted.
quart of no-chicken broth	Add broth. Bring to a boil over high heat.
	Cover and bake until liquid is almost all absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
4 oz. spinach (chopped) 1 c. frozen peas, thawed --or-- asparagus, sliced 1 T. lemon juice	Stir in. (Don't add too much lemon -- we're not making lemon risotto!)
¾ c. parmesan 3 T. butter	Add. Stir until well blended and saucy.

Source: Kay Chun (NYT Cooking)

Sweet Potato Tofu Hash

Easy sheet pan meal. Top it with pickled onions and other sorts of toppings (fried egg, poached egg, cilantro, hot sauce, feta, ketchup, sour cream, ...).

First enjoyed with Chris.

Ingredients	Step
	Set racks at 1/3 and 2/3, and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment.
2 red onions	Thinly slice half of one onion. Chop the other onion and a half into ½-inch pieces
thinly sliced onions 2 T. apple cider vinegar or lime juice ½ t. chili powder salt	Toss onions with vinegar in small bowl to make a quick pickle.
2 blocks extra-firm tofu, dried and cubed 16 oz. sweet potato (likely 2-3), cubed 4 T. cornstarch 2 t. chili powder salt (3 t?)	Toss gently until well-coated. Then add more oil (2-4 T?) and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer across 1.5 sheet pans.
2 red bell pepper at ½-inch dice red onion at ½-inch dice 2 rosemary sprigs 4 T olive oil	Toss. Season with pinch of salt. Spread next to sweet potatoes and tofu. Roast on top rack until vegetables are tender and the tofu is crisp, about 30-35 minutes.
2 cans black beans, rinsed (1 c. from dry)	Stir everything from sheet pans with the beans into a final hash dish. Serve with pickled onions.

Source: Ali Slagle (NYT Cooking)

Semolina Pizza

Makes 2 small-to-medium pizzas, enough to feed about 4 people. Rises in the fridge for better flavor and flexibility.

Apparently you can take the parbaked pizza crust and save it for another night. Somehow ours always gets eaten.

Ingredients	Step
210g AP flour (1¾ c.) 206g semolina flour (1¼ c.) 1 t. yeast 8g salt (1¼ t.) 25g olive oil (2 T.) 1+ c. water, lukewarm (up to 1¼ c.) dash garlic powder	Stir together until shaggy and let rest about 15 minutes. Then knead with dough hook in mixer for 5-10 minutes, until sticky like a post-it and soft like a marshmallow.
	Grease a large container with a lid that will fit in fridge. Transfer dough to container, cover, and let rise 45 minutes on the counter. Transfer to fridge for the next 4-36 hours.
	Divide dough in half. Form 2 pizza crusts of the thickness you'd like, finishing them on parchment on a baking sheet. Cover and let the crusts rise. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
	After about 30 minutes, dock the dough, then parbake the pizza crusts for 6-8 minutes.
	Top with tomato sauce and toppings, and bake another 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Source: PJ Hamel's Now or Later Pizza Crust at KAF

Lemon Corn Quinoa

A lovely salad that works as a side dish for omnivores and an entree for vegetarians (easily vegan-izable). Can be served warm or eaten straight from the fridge.

Ingredients	Step
4 ears of corn	Cut off kernels into a very large bowl.
zest of 2 lemons (1 T.) juice of 1 lemon (2 T.) 4 T. butter, melted 1 T. honey ½ t. salt ¼ t. pepper	Whisk together.
1 c. raw quinoa, washed 2 c. water	Bring water and quinoa to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then remove the lid, move the saucepan from the heat, place a towel on top of the pan to collect additional steam, and replace the lid. Let sit 5 minutes. (Try to not overcook the quinoa!)
4 scallions, sliced thin ½ c. mint, chopped	Add.
	Season to taste (salt, pepper, lemon juice).

I explained how I cook with quinoa on the Broccoli Spoon Salad recipe.

Pamela Toman

Somali Red Lentil Stew (Maraq Misir)

Baked Risotto with Greens

Sweet Potato Tofu Hash

Semolina Pizza

Lemon Corn Quinoa

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