Red Lentils with Rainbow Chard, Dates and Almonds

This dish is inspired by a side dish I had at Deseo Latin Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ. It’s not the same and isn’t soup like the way it is made at Deseo,  but the combination of Red Lentils with Dates, Almonds, Greens and Cheese is the same.

Ingredients

Vegetable Stock

Rainbow Chard or whatever Fresh Green you can get. (save and chop stems if using Chard)

Onion or Shallots

Red Lentils

Pealed Tomatoes (Cooked or Canned)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dates Chopped

Roasted Broken Almonds (I used lightly salted)

Fresh Grated Aged Gouda Cheese or any Cheese with a good flavor that can melt. (Deseo uses Mahon Cheese)

Fresh Crushed Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Black Pepper.

Cooked Rainbow Chard with Onions Salt and Pepper

I started this off by cooking the cleaned up Chard in Vegetable Stock then removing from stock setting aside with some onions I fried up in olive oil and then tossing them in with the salt and pepper.

In my pot of vegetable stock I added a can of pealed whole tomatoes that I broke up slightly. I added maybe 1/2 the tomato can size of red lentils and 1/2 lb. or a little more of chopped dates and maybe a cup of broken roasted almonds.

Then I added the Chard Onion Mixture and Grated Aged Gouda Cheese.

Rainbow Chard Stems

Lastly I add the Saved Rainbow Chard Stems and then shut the heat off and let it sit a little. The chopped stems are like super delicate watery celery with little flavor but I think they add some interesting texture and color to the dish. Between the cheese, stock and nuts you might not need any more salt but maybe some more pepper. Using a flavorful vegetable stock is part of the key to this recipe. The dates add pops of sweetness and the tomatoes add a little tang. The  browned onions echo threw the dish and the Roasted Almonds add another layer of flavor along with texture.

Red Lentils with Rainbow Chard, Dates and Almonds

I top the serving with a little cheese and an almond so my guest know what’s in the dish.

Forking Good!

I roasted my Beets up with Apple Cider Vinegar and a little water to start with.

Usually I peel my beets but these had super thin skin so I didn’t need too and then I grated them on my box shredder and made them into a thick shredded shape.

I thought the beets would taste good with Lemongrass, Green Garlic, Thai Chili, Asian Pears, Bean Sprouts, fresh crushed Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper.

Asian Pear, Lemongrass, Thai Chili and Green Garlic

I mixed them together and added a Big Splash of Mirin, and small amounts of Soy sauce and Rice Vinegar, Some Chopped Green Onion and Fresh Chopped Fresh Basil.

I boiled off some Whole Wheat Spaghetti and added beaten eggs and Sorghum Flour to look like pancake batter and added the Beet mixture till it looked right to me.

Then on med/high heat I almost dry fried them using just a light spray of canola oil.

I lightly added Crushed Sea Salt and Pepper to them.

They came out very tasty. I think most people would like them.

Forking Good!

I purchased these delightful looking Mandarin Oranges from Sprouts. To my surprise they tasted too tart for me to eat.

I didn’t want to throw them out or make a dessert out of them so I made them into salsa.

Salsa is very easy to make. All I added to the Mandarin Segments were…….

Sweet Onion Chopped

Jalapeño Chopped

Fresh Cilantro Chopped

Garlic Chopped

Some Apple Cider Vinegar

Some Sea Salt fresh Crushed

Some Black Pepper Fresh Grind

Then I just used my Hand Blender and made salsa.

Now it’s Tasty on Grilled or Pan Seared Meats or Seafood.

Mandarin Orange Salsa

Forking Good!

Parsnips are very delicious in a number of ways but at the moment I’m liking them Oven Fried with Ginger Cream and Green Garlic.

Oven Fried Parsnip Fries with Ginger Cream and Green Garlic

They are very easy to make as you just wash then cut the Parsnips into  French Fries Shapes. Place on pan to roast and drizzle with oil. Roast them till just fork tender and then let them go a little more on upper rack to crisp and brown them slightly.  Add fresh ground Sea Salt and Crushed Black Pepper.

To make the Cream you can use or make Cream Fraiche and strain. But I make my cream with less fat so I use a combination of Whipped or Light Cream Cheese mixed with Nonfat Greek Yogurt. I grate a good amount of fresh Ginger into it till it’s strong of ginger.

I then top with Chopped Green Garlic.

Green Garlic

There is no substitute for green garlic. The freshness and milder garlic flavor is delicious here and goes insanely well with the ginger cream. You can use chives or green onions but it won’t be the same. These Parsnip Fries are so tasty you will make them again and again!

Forking Good!

Carrot Ribbons around Parsnip Fries

Roasted Carrots, Grape Tomatoes and Black Garlic

I purchased some Black Garlic at Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s Black Garlic

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it so then I tasted the Black Garlic.

To me it seemed more like fruit than garlic and was sort of like a fig and a prune mixed together but with a little twang going on.

I thought since Black Garlic is only Garlic I thought it would go with my Grape Tomatoes I had.

So I put my Grape tomatoes and Black garlic with a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan to roast.

Grape tomatoes with pealed black garlic

Till they looked like this.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Black Garlic

I also just roasted red carrots from the farmers market.

Roasted Red Carrots

So I tasted them together and it is a very good match. The sweetness of the carrots and Jammy from the Black Garlic almost candies the carrots and the tomatoes are already sweet.

Roasted Carrots, Grape Tomatoes and Black Garlic

Forking Good!