How to Make Lentils that Rock

Seared Scallops with Rockin' Lentils

Generally speaking, I don't cook food that takes more than an hour max to prepare. First, that's about as long as my kids can entertain themselves without tearing the house (or each other) apart. Second, I've never had a very long attention span. And third, it's hard for me to spend a ton of time cooking something that is eaten in minutes. So it's no wonder that I haven't made many pots of lentils in my lifetime. There's all that soaking, and rinsing, and picking, and soaking, and waiting, and boiling, and then a good hour to cook once all that's done. Who has the time for it?

Then last week I assisted in a class at Culinaria with a menu celebrating the French Bastille Day and I ate the most delicious, time-worthy lentils that I just had to try again at home. Earthy lentils are cooked until al dente and combined with sweet carrots, celery, and onion along with crisp, smokey bacon. They are a meal in themselves, but topped with quick-seared scallops, they are perfection.

To speed up the cooking process, pick through the lentils a few hours or a day ahead, rinse them well and boil covered in 2 inches of water. Turn off the flame once the water boils and then let them cool to room temperature. When you're ready to cook them, just rinse again and get started with the recipe below.

Seared Scallops with Rockin' Lentils
Recipe adapted from Chef Stephen Sands of Culinaria Cooking School
Serves 4 generously, with leftovers

Ingredients:
1 lb. large dry-packed scallops, patted dry
1 1/2 cups french green lentils
4 oz. bacon, diced and browned
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
6 oz. tomato sauce
4 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 onion, minced fine
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 carrot, cut brunoise (small cubes, about the size of the lentil)
1 celery, cut brunoise
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Pick through lentils to remove any sketchy ones. Rinse several times in cool water. Place in large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit until room temperature.
2. Saute onions, carrot and celery in 1 tbsp. oil over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and saute for one more minute.
3. Drain any remaining water from lentils and add to pan with cooked vegetables. Add remaining ingredients (chicken stock, red wine vinegar, tomato sauce) and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bring pot to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until lentils are al dente - about 45 minutes.
5. When lentils are almost done, heat remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil over high heat in heavy saute pan or cast iron skillet.
6. Season scallops with salt and pepper and add to pan, making sure not to crowd. Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes on first side or until they have a nice sear. Flip over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Serve scallops on a bed of lentils and garnish with any leftover thyme. Enjoy!

Father's Day Breakfast Vacation

Living in San Francisco for that brief time (not quite two years) opened my eyes to eating and cooking food in a totally different way from anything I had experienced before. Maybe it wasn't just the west coast difference, though to be sure, the farmers market situation out there is year round and abundant. Maybe it had more to do with the city vs. suburb living that I grew up in and currently inhabit. I know plenty of people out here that are just as into food as I am - it's one of the reasons I love living here. And slowly, slowly, small, locally owned restaurants are replacing the chains you see up and down the strip mall highways. It's progress, and I like it.

But still, in the five years we've been back, I have yet to come close to the experience Nick and I had eating a plate of chiliquilles while sitting on a curb on a cold crisp San Francisco Saturday morning at the farmers market at the Ferry building. We stood in a long line to get our food. We didn't even know what it was we were ordering at first, but we knew if the line was that long it must be good. And it really was. A bed of crispy, salty tortilla chips coated in a smokey red sauce piled high with light, fluffy, buttery scrambled eggs and topped off with a dollop of cool sour cream, shredded cheese, and more salsa.

So on Father's Day this year, it wasn't French toast or pancakes, it was Chiliquilles, San Francisco style, that he requested. A mini vacation on a plate. So good, you will be searching for a flight out west after just a few bites. And if you do find yourself in San Francisco on a Saturday morning, search out the food stall frying up a huge batch of tortilla chips out behind the Ferry building. But get there early, they always sell out.

Conquering Mussels on the Grill

Curried Mussels and Shrimp, Corn & a Cold Beer

I used to be afraid of cooking mussels - or shellfish of any kind, really. It seems like such a thin line between a delicious dinner and spending the night violently ill, and I always felt it was better left to the experts to figure out how to stay on the good side of that line. But then we were out to dinner last summer and my youngest son decided he wanted to try one of my mussels - and he liked it!

Since their usual dinner fare is along the lines of macaroni and cheese or chicken tenders, I was ridiculously excited and decided it was finally time to tackle those mussels myself.

Here's a few tricks I've learned for buying and preparing easy, delicious, and most importantly - safe - mussels:

1. To make sure the mussels are fresh, the shells should be completely closed. Discard any broken or opened ones.
2. Transport them and store them in an open container, if possible, so they can breathe. Keep them in the refrigerator on a bed of ice until ready to use - and cook them the same day you buy them.
3. Soak mussels in a bowl filled with cold tap water for 20 minutes before cooking. This will help them release any sand or grit.
4. After soaking the mussels, scrub them with a vegetable brush to remove anything that may remain on the shell. Pull stringy "beard" off of any that may have it.
5. Count on about 1 lb. of mussels per person for a main course. 

So now that your mussels are ready to cook, how will you prepare them? There are countless delicious recipes out there, but here's one I really like. It's based on a recipe from Donna S. on Allrecipes.com for Grilled Mussels with Curry Butter and I added shrimp to mix things up a bit. And before you ask, no, the kids won't eat curried mussels, so I made theirs with just butter, lemon and parsley. Each serving was cooked in it's own individual foil packet, so it was super simple. I hope you enjoy!

Curried Mussels and Shrimp on the Grill
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 lb. mussels, scrubbed
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bell pepper, diced (I used yellow)
1 tomato, diced (I used roma)
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium high. Set out all ingredients listed above to make it easy to prepare each foil packet.
2. Make curry butter by mixing butter, curry powder, garlic, cumin and salt in small bowl. Set aside.
3. Get 4 large rectangles of foil and lay them out on the counter.
4. Divide mussels and shrimp evenly in center of each foil rectangle.
5. Top seafood with peppers, tomato and parsley. Add a few dots of curry butter to top of each packet.
6. Seal each foil packet by pulling two sides together and folding along top. Then scrunch (technical term) the sides to create a seal. It doesn't have to be pretty :).
7. Place foil packets on preheated grill and cook for 5-10 minutes until shrimp are pink and mussels have opened.
8. To serve, open foil packets carefully, preserving liquid in bottom which will be a combination of the melted butter, herbs, and juices. Pour each packet into it's own wide, shallow bowl and top with sliced lemon or lime and more fresh parsley.

The great thing about a recipe like this is how versatile it is. If you don't like the flavor of curry, pick another you do. Switch out peppers for zucchini. Throw in more tomatoes or onions. Mussels are relatively inexpensive (I've paid $3/pound at Whole Foods) and if you follow the simple rules above, they make a quick and delicious meal too!