Beef Brisket

For flavorful, fall-apart protein-rich goodness, this inexpensive cut brings much richness. And it makes for the best beef sandwiches with the leftovers... if there are any. It may be more than 1hr per lb, but this is a good starting place. The thing to look for really is how tender it is or how tender you want it to be.

Spice Mix

2 Tbsps. chili powder

2 Tbsps. salt

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsps. dry mustard

1 bay leaf, crushed

Roast

Beef brisket (4lbs. recommended, but any weight is fine)

1½ cups beef stock

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, sugar, dry mustard, and bay leaf.
3. Generally season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub.
4. Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.
5. Add beef stock and enough water to yield about ½ inch of liquid in the roasting pan.
6. Lower oven to 300F, cover pan tightly and continue cooking for the equivalent of an additional 1 hour per lb, or until fork-tender, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 
7. Allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
8. Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain. Top with juice from the pan.

Brown Rice Mujadara Bowl with a Fried Egg

A 'mujadara' is a classic Arabic dish. Apparently, the word translates as 'pockmarked'. A bit of a strange reference to food, but the lentils make the dish look like it has pimples, or so it did to those who named the dish. For me, it's a delicious accompaniment to eggs and harissa.

Serves 4

For the mujadara:
1 cup brown basmati rice
1 cup French lentils
4½ cups vegetable broth
2 + 1 Tbsps olive oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
½ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
Salt

For the bowl:
Olive oil
4 large eggs
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Paprika
2½ Tbsps harissa (spicy or mild)
(optional) ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1. In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the brown rice, lentils, and a hefty pinch of salt. Reduce the flame to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered, or until the rice and lentils are cooked through (add more liquid as needed). Once the rice and lentils are fully cooked, turn off the heat, put the lid on and set aside. Let sit for another 10 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsps of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the sliced onions until deeply browned and beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes (TIP: add small amounts of water when you feel the need, to prevent the onions from burning; you can also continue cooking the onions for as long as the rice and lentils cook for a deeper caramelization). When the onions are nicely browned and almost finished, add in the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. When the rice and lentils have finished cooking, gently mix in the cumin, parsley, half of the onion mixture and the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Reserve the rest of the onions for serving.
4. Wipe clean the skillet used to cook the onions, lightly grease with olive oil, and return to medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook to your desired doneness. Sprinkle the tops of the eggs with salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika.
5. Divide the mujadara equally between 4 bowls and place a fried egg into each bowl. Garnish with the remaining caramelized onions, harissa, and toasted pine nuts.

Curried Zucchini and Swiss Chard

This is super quick to make and very good. If you have surprise guests and happen to have chard and summer squash available, this makes an impressive and quick meal. The chives can be substituted with a quarter chopped and caramelized onion (about 25-50 grams). The success of the dish hinges on how the zucchini is prepared. It needs to be in paper-thin slices, and cooked enough to be tender but not cooked enough so that it turns to mush. I've tended to undercook it, but the few times I've managed to get the right amount of doneness, the summer squash becomes buttery and flavorful with a bit of an al-dente bite to it.

* Serves 2 lumberjacks or 4 delicate ladies

1 recipe Savoury Rice
1 bunch of swiss chard (1lb)
2 medium summer squash, very thinly sliced (10 to 12 oz)
a fistful of fresh chives (equivalent to 3 green onions), minced
½ tsp curry powder
1 (½ oz/14gr) + (½ oz/14gr) 1 Tbsp butter
1+1 Tbsps mild oil
Salt and pepper, to taste.
a squeeze of lemon

1. Start by starting the Savoury Rice.
2. Remove the stems and the large center veins of the Swiss chard. Start with the stems and slice them stems very thin.
3. In a large sauté pan heat half the butter and oil over medium-to-low heat. Add the thinly sliced stems and sauté about 4 to 5 minutes, until starting to go tender. 
4. Meanwhile, fold the leaves together and slice very thin.
5. Before adding the sliced leaves to the sauté of stems, add the chives and cook about 1 minute more. Gradually add the leaf strips a handful at-a-time and cook until tender (about 4 to 5 minutes more). 
6. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
7. In the hot pan, melt the remaining butter and oil. Add the curry powder and warm it through to bring out its flavor, about 1 minute or until it becomes very fragrant.
8. Add the squash and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes (the thinner they are, the faster they'll cook). Essentially, stop when they're all covered with the curry but still have a bit of bite and the denser flesh hasn't quite become transparent. If you let it cook too long they'll turn to mush. 
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Your rice should be ready now. On a platter, spread the rice as your base, followed by the chard on top, and top of that the squash. Apply a generous squeeze of lemon on top and serve immediately.

Eggs in Marinade Oil

As many hardboiled eggs as will fit in your jar, covered with the marinade (at least 6)
2 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup finely chopped parsley
½ to 1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
5 anchovies, minced 

1. Boil the eggs to the hard-boiled stage (see Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs). Allow the to cool completely, ideally immersed in water in the refrigerator, overnight.
2. Peel the shells from the eggs.
3. In a large jar with a lid, place the peeled eggs. 
4. In a bowl, beat the tomato paste and oil together, then stir in the garlic and anchovies, and finally the parsley. Pour this concoction over the eggs.
5. Screw on the lid and refrigerate overnight.
6. Eat the eggs with the oil, preferably with some crusty bread. It's best to let the concoction come up to room temperature if the oil has congealed in the refrigerator, and to let the aroma blossom as it should when you serve it. Excellent with crusty bread, recommended with cheeses and fresh fruit.

Pan-fried broccoli

I like broccoli. I never understood why kids weren't supposed to like it, although I've always been more curious than picky about food, and ate pretty much whatever was put in front of me. Because of that curiosity, I look for ways to make things more interesting, especially for holiday meals. This add smokiness and spiciness to an old friend.

1 bunch broccoli (1.5 to 2 lbs/680 to 900g)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Tbsps water

1. Trim and peel the broccoli stems. Cut the florets into 1" pieces.
2. In a 10" fry pan over medium heat, cook the garlic until just golden, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Remove from the oil and set aside.
3. Increase the heat and add the broccoli and red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the water. Cover and steam for about 3 minutes. 
4. Uncover, stir and continue to cook until the broccoli is lightly browned and crisp-tender and the water has evaporated, 1 to 2 minute more. 
5. Scatter the garlic on top and serve immediately.

Egg and Chips

This is such a simple recipe, so few ingredients, and so very delicious. If you have a wood stove, the heat it makes is perfect. If you're looking for more greens in your diet, this is not the recipe for you! Lard is the fat of choice for making this, too. The runny egg yolks are all the sauce you need to flavour the potatoes, I swear. At least, that's how we eat this dish.

¼ to ⅓ cup lard
1 lbs potatoes, diced (optional - peeled)
6 eggs
Salt and pepper

1. Melt the lard in a cast-iron pan at least 10" wide. Turn the heat down to low-to-medium-low.
2. Spread the potatoes in one layer in the melted oil, powder with salt and pepper, and turn frequently until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3. In the remaining oil slowly fry the egg, powdering them with salt and pepper - cooking the egg at low temperatures allow the whites to remain softer and custard-like. If you prefer the crispy edging, turn up the heat. Flip the eggs for a couple of second if you want to.
4. Pile the eggs on top of the potatoes and serve immediately.

Roasted Italian Sausage, Fennel and Red Peppers

This is wonderful. The result is the smoky roasted flavor of the broiled veg and meat coupled with the sweet, flavourful drippings that make up the intoxicating sauce. It's nice to have a bit of Commons Bread on hand to sop up the hot juices.
You can play with the ratios of vegetables. I tend to prefer less red pepper as it is a strong flavour compared to the fennel, and I love fennel so I tend to add more of that than others may like.
NOTE: The outer layer of fennel bulbs tend to be a bit tough but you don't want to discard it completely because a: it's yummy and b: it's a lot of the vegetable that is wasted. All you need to do is, with a paring knife, peel away the skin of the top layer and the flesh underneath is as sweet and lovely as the rest.

1½ lb hot or sweet Italian sausage links
1 or 2 red peppers cut into 2-inch pieces
2 med-to-small fennel bulbs, quartered and cut into 2-inch-wide pieces. See NOTE
1 large onion, quartered and cut into 2-inch pieces
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp salt

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Score the sausage lengthwise to split them open.
3. In a large bowl, toss together all the remaining ingredients (I do this with my hands to make sure I get everything really well covered with the salt and oil).
4. Place the sausage on a large baking sheet, cut-side down. Dump the oily vegetables on top, shifting everything around to have things on a single layer (you likely won't succeed but that's ok). It's ok if the sausage is partially exposed.
5. Broil 6-8 inches from the heat source, until the exposed parts of the sausages are browned and the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. With a spatula, flip everything over and stir, then broil until the sausage is just cooked through and the vegetables are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes more.
6. (Optional) Serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.

Red Rice

This is the perfect accompaniment to refried beans. Of course, the chicken broth can be replaced by vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.

12 oz fresh tomato, cored
1 onion (6oz/170g)
3 jalapenos or ½ tsp cayenne pepper (for this heat-sensitive, this can be omitted)
2 cups white rice
⅓ cup oil
4 minced garlic cloves
Chicken broth (about 2 cups, subs veg broth for vegetarian)
½ tsp cumin
1½ tsp salt
½ cup fresh cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges

1. Run tomato and onion through a blender to pulverize. Measure out the quantity and add chicken broth until you get a total of 4 cups of tomato-onion-chicken broth.
2. If using: Remove ribs and seeds of jalapeno and mince.
3. Rince the rice under cold water for about 1½ minutes to remove starch for a light and dry cooked rice.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan with straight sides until a few grains of rice sizzle when they hit the oil. Fry the rice until it turns golden, about 7 minutes, adding the garlic partway through to get it to caramelize a bit. (NOTE the rice will likely glom together and get weird, just keep stirring and breaking up the clumps until it dries and stops sticking together and turns a light golden).
5. Add the cumin, cayenne (if using) and salt and stir constantly for about a minute before adding the pulverized veg the broth and pulverized veg.
6. Add the veg-and-broth liquid. Bring to a boil and cover. Stir after 15 minutes to combine everything back together (the veg will tend to separate to the sides), then cook another 5 to 15 minutes until the rice is perfectly cooked.
7. Stir in the jalapeno (if using) and cilantro; allow to rest, off the heat, for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve with lime wedges.

Simple crèpe omelette

Eggs are a delicacy unto themselves. Sometimes, I just want a simple egg dish, and Laura Calder's French-Style Omelette is exactly what will satisfy. There is nothing I feel needs altering about this recipe, in all its glorious simplicity. I like to have it on a slice of lightly toasted Commons bread.

French Style Omelette

1 tsp (4.7gr) butter

2 eggs

1 tsp chopped fresh herbs (such as basil, dill, thyme, chervil or parsley)

Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in an omelette or crêpe pan. 
2. Lightly whisk the eggs and pour them into the hot pan. 
3. When the bottom has just set enough to be lifted, gently lift up the edges, here and there, and, tilting the pan, let some of the runny part on top spill underneath. Do this until the top is set, but still a little slithery. 
4. Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper. 
5. Then roll the omelette into log like a crepe and slip it onto a plate (or fold it a couple of times into a squarish slice and slip onto a lightly toasted piece of bread). 
6. Brush the top with extra butter, if you like, to make it nice and glossy. Serve.

Split Pea Soup

The chemistry in cooking is always fascinating. While it seems odd, adding oatmeal in the mix makes for a luscious, unctuous, creamy soup, unlike the grainy pea soups I've had. While perfectly good made fresh, like stew, the flavours really come out when re-heated on the second day.

2 slices of thick bacon (approx 20g) (or use the cooking water from boiling a ham or the braising liquid from pork steak stew, maybe with a little ham fat)
2 onions (12oz/340gr), chopped
1 tsp of sugar
½ tsp of pepper
12 cups (3.5 quarts) cold water
2 cups (450g) yellow split peas
1 to 3 tsps. of salt (to taste, depends on broth or hock)

4 oz/114g (about 1 generous cup) of quick cook oats
Optional: 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf and/or 1 large carrot

1. Soak the peas in hot water for 2 to 4 hours before using. This helps avoid the odd overly firm pea being left in the soup.
2. Cut the bacon into lardons.
3. Together, combine the lardons and the onion in a soup pot and cook, rendering the fat at medium heat, for about ten minutes.
4. Season with the sugar and pepper, then add the cold water and the drained peas.
5. If using, also add the aromatic(s) and/or the carrot.
6. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the peas become quite soft, about an hour.
7. Add the salt, and slowly stir in the oatmeal to avoid lumping (I'll sometimes use a whisk which also helps the peas break up) and simmer for another twenty minutes.

Italian Sausage and duPuy French Lentils

This is a lovely, hearty comforting dish, perfect for cold, snowy and rainy days. The trick to its success is not letting the sausage cook too much once sliced because they'll become tough.

1 cup duPuy lentils
3 cups chicken stock
1 small onion, peeled and cut in half (use the part of the onion with the root basal plate and leave it intact to make it easier to take out the onion afterwards)
2 to 3 sprigs fresh oregano or a generous pinch dry marjoram
1 bay leaf
3 mild Italian sausages
½ cup white wine
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 shallot, minced (or small onion)
¼  to ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper

1. Put the lentils in a saucepan with the stock, onion, and oregano (or marjoram) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Continue to simmer the lentils, uncovered, until al dente, approximately another 20 minutes. Pluck out and discard the aromatics.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and prick the skins of the sausages. Brown the sausage on all sides in the oil. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
3. Add the shallot to the skillet and cook until translucent, adding a splash of oil if the pan is too dry. Add the wine and bring it to a simmer scraping up any fond. Continue simmering until the wine has mostly evaporated. Add the sausages, the parsley and the lentils, simmering until the desired sauciness is achieved, the lentils are tender, and the sausage has cooked through (internal temp should be 160°F).
4. Remove the sausage and stir in the salt and pepper.
5. Cut the sausage into sixths and reintroduce to the lentils, stirring to distribute.
6. Serve. with crusty bread.

Baked Stew with Sausage, Potatoes and Cabbage

This has been most successful using small Charmant cabbages slightly under 1 lb. It's relatively simple and quick to put together, then you just have to sit back with a cocktail until it's done.

¼ cup (55g) olive oil + more for drizzling
1½ Tbsps balsamic vinegar
2 tsps caraway or fennel seeds
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 to 1¼ lb fingerling baby potatoes, or larger potatoes cut into chunks
1 onion (6oz/170g) cut into quarters (don't cut out the basal plate)
8 oz to 1lb cabbage, cut into wedges (don't cut out the heart to keep the leaves together)
¼ cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1½ pounds sweet Italian sausage, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves, pressed

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425°F. 
2. In a large bowl whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, vinegar, seeds, salt and pepper until emulsified.
3. Throw in the potatoes and onions and toss until covered in oil. 
4. Layer the cabbage at the bottom of a deep glass baking dish (Corning ware 4L casserole works well) and drizzle with some extra olive oil. Glass here is important because it's better at absorbing radiant heat than metal is. Also, packing the pot to almost full prevents any stagnant air to sit on top of the dish, preventing it from more direct access to this radiant heat, effectively creating uneven heat and slower cooking in the middle.
5. Pour in the chicken broth.
6. Layer the coated potatoes and onions on top. Nestle the bay leaves in among the veg.
7. To get the rest of the sauce out of the bowl, throw in the sausage chunks and toss. Put the sausage on top of the veg mix and pour over any extra marinade. 
8. Sprinkle the pressed garlic on the very top.
9. Cook, covered, for about 45 minutes. 
10. Uncover and cook until light golden brown and fully cooked, about 20 minutes. 

Refried Beans

I am not Mexican, nor have I spent any appreciable amount of time in or near Spanish communities, but I love the food! This is my interpretation of the ubiquitous and delicious refried beans recipe. Any kind of large, pinto-like bean will do with recipe. So far, the most successful has been Neabel's Ukrainian pole beans, which just fell apart with the extra long cooking in this recipe. Excellent with Red Rice and thin sliced cabbage, or Ensalada de col. You can turn it into a build-your-own-burrito if you match them with flour tortillas. 

1 lb dried beans (2lbs 5oz when cooked), soaked overnight and drained*
1 bay leaf
4 cups of broth
½ cup (4oz/114gr) bacon fat (or lard or butter or olive oil or any combination of these)

- optional 200gr bacon ends, chunked

1 large (10oz/280g) onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 Tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne (or ¼ tsp chipotle pepper and ¼ tsp cayenne)
Mild white cheese to serve

1. Bring about 4 cups of broth to a boil and add the beans with the bay leaf. Lower the heat and simmer the beans for about an hour. 
2. When the beans are soft, remove pot from heat.
3. In a large, heavy skillet, melt the bacon fat (or whatever combination of fat you choose to use - if going vegetarian, add a few dashes of soy sauce for depth of flavour) and gently cook the onions and garlic until soft. With this much fat and low heat, you're poaching the onion. Note that the garlic may well caramelize - not a bad thing! 
4. Add the spices and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Remove the bay leaf from the beans. Pour the beans and their liquid into the onion-garlic mixture. 
6. Leave uncovered and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender and falling apart, about ½ to 1 hour more, adding more broth or water as necessary to create a thick pasty sauce with the starch from the beans. Some beans are more firm, you may need a potato masher to break them up. 

*A soaking shortcut is to cover the beans with water, bring to boil, boil for 2 minutes, turn off the burner, cover, and let them soak for 2 hours. Drain, rinse, and then start recipe.

Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes

This is delicious simple and quick to throw together. Great with bread.

2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 tsps fresh rosemary, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 (a little under 1 lb) Italian sausages (sweet or hot), squeezed out of their casings and divided into quarters
3 (a little over 1lb) medium old potatoes, quartered (peel if you feel like it)
1 onion cut into 8ths (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup water

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Whisk together in a large bowl the vinegar, oil, rosemary and garlic.
3. Throw in the potato and sausage and stir until well covered in the marinade.
4. Place mixture into a ceramic or glass gratin dish lined with parchment paper (it sticks terribly to the dish without lining) and bake for 30 minutes, then turning and bake another 15, until sausage and potatoes are cooked through.

Plum Compote

My wonderful mom and sister are visiting and it's early spring. Not a lot of fresh stuff to eat on the farm. However, I still have a bunch of frozen plums in the chest freezer. My mom likes fruits and veg and my sister likes desserts. So I made this, which we ate with plain cake and it was plate-licking good. I've also made it to eat with sweet dumplings and on toast and it's still tasty!

2 lbs Italian prune plums, pitted
½ to ¾ cup sugar (quantity depends on sweetness of plums, and personal taste)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsps vanilla extract.

1. Stew the plums in a pot with the sugar, cinnamon sticks and vanilla with the lid on, mixing occasionally for about 20 minutes.
2. When the plums have released their juices remove the lid and keep at a medium simmer until enough of the liquid has evaporated to thicken the juice into a sauce, about another 15 to 20 minutes to my taste, but maybe more or less for yours.

Savoury Rice

I have been making this dish for years! I use it whenever I make Indian or similarly heavily spiced dishes as an accompaniment.

Serves 3 to 4

1 cup white rice
1 tsp vegetable oil
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

1. Pour the oil in a saucepan and add mustard and cumin seeds. 
2. Start the heat under the pot. When the mustard seeds start to pop (this is unmistakable), add the water, rice and salt.
3. Bring to a boil. Put on a low simmer and cover, cooking 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is done.
4. Add the black pepper, and mix in before serving

DuPuy Lentil Soup

A simple wintery soup. I've indicated "beef broth concentrate" in the recipe, but any very rich beef broth will do. Just make sure the flavours are big and bold or they'll get lost in the warm richness of the other flavours.

Servings : 6

180g of bacon cut in small cubes (retain 4 Tbsps. of the rendered bacon fat)
5 onions, chopped (approx 800gr)
3 Bay laurel leaves
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
6 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cup DuPuy lentils
8 cups water
1½ Tbsp beef broth concentrate
¾ tsp salt

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Ground black pepper, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste

1. In a large casserole slowly render the bacon until it is brown and crispy. Cook the onion in the hot fat, along with the Bay leaves and cumin until the onion is tender. (Cooking the onions over low heat for a long time allows for the sweetness of the onion to come through). 
2. Add the garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Toast the lentils in the hot bacon fat and onion mix for 2 to 3 minute.
4. Add a bit of the water to start and scrape up as much of the fond that developed from browning the onions as you can, then add the rest of the water and beef broth concentrate and bring to a boil. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until the lentils are completely soft.
5. Optional: Once the lentils are cooked, you can blend about a quarter of the soup. This will make it thicker.
6. Stir back in the rendered bacon, along with the salt, pepper and vinegar.
7. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
8. Serve with ground black pepper on top and, if desired, a few drops of hot sauce.

Poulet à la bière avec herbes de Provence (Chicken cooked with beer and herbes de Provence)

A lovely single-pot meal (unless you make some sort of pilaf to go with it, although a slice of crusty bread works just as well). It's simple, delicious, and kind of impressive in a rustic sort of way. When serving, I always slice up the meat and ladle some of the richly flavoured cooking juices over it.

1 chicken cut into pieces
2 cups stout or dark beer
3 carrots, cut into cut into chunks
2 potatoes, cut into chunks
1 white onion, cut into thick slices
2 tsps Herbes de Provence seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
Pepper
2 stems fresh thyme
2 stems fresh oregano
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. Massage the chicken pieces with olive oil and cover with herbes de Provence and salt.
2. Arrange the onions, carrots, and potatoes in a baking dish and lightly season with more herbes de Provence and salt&pepper. Place the chicken amongst the vegetables with the stems of fresh thyme and oregano tucked in between.
3. Pour in the beer - don't worry about it washing off the herbs, the olive oil should make them stick. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 450°F. 
4. Remove the lid and continue baking for 15 minutes to let the chicken brown on top.
5. The chicken will be ready when the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 165°F. You could also service with rice or quinoa pilaf.

Creamy French Lentil Dal

This contains all sorts of yummy. The cream smooths the flavour of the smoky spicyness of the chillis, and the firm yet tender tooth of the little du Puys lentils. This makes for an excellent addition to a multi-course Indian-style meal, or it does very well on its own, over rice, for a nice lunch.

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion (6oz/170g), minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 chipotle canned in adobo, seeded and minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (4oz)
1 cup du Puys lentils
¼ tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 can coconut milk for vegan) 
3 cups vegetable stock or water (see NOTE)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, and carrots and sauté till the onions are soft and translucent.
2. Add the lentils, cumin, bay leaf, cream (or milk), and stock (or water). Turn heat to low and simmer until the liquid has reduced and the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you like, use a hand blender to gently purée the soup for a thicker consistency. 
4. Garnish with cilantro. Serve over rice.

NOTE: If you prefer a thicker dal, you can simply subtract the total amount of broth/water, which I tend to prefer if it's meant to be part of a larger ensemble of dishes. Just keep in mind that the bare minimum required to cook the lentils with NO liquid left is 2 cups to every cup of pulses.

Dragon Bowl

I made this for my mom in November 2013 when she was recovering from a major operation. She was working with a naturopath who had her on a special diet where she had to eat a lot of beans. Now, my mother doesn't like beans. So I was trying to find some interesting ways of preparing some for her. In this instance it was as mung bean noodles and tofu.

8 servings

  

The Sauce

¾ cups rice or apple cider vinegar

1 cup mild vegetable oil

4 Tbsps toasted sesame oil

¼ cup Tamari or Braggs aminoacids

5 Tbsps lemon or lime juice

3 Tbsps tahini

2 Tbsps grated fresh ginger

2 or 3 grated or pressed cloves of garlic

1 cup very hot vegetable or chicken broth

1. Put everything together in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
2. Keep on a low simmer on the stove-top.

The Layers
1 cake tofu, cubed

1½ cups brown rice

250g package rice or cellophane (mung bean) vermicelli noodles

9oz grated carrots and/or beets

2 head broccoli, cut into florets

1lb/500g daikon radish or zucchini, grated

Lettuce, thin slice

Parsley, minced

Green onion, small chop

2 avocado, cubed

340g/12oz sprouts of some description (mung, sunflower, alfalfa, broccoli, whatever)

Pumpkin or sunflower or hemp seeds

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1. To prepare the tofu turn on the oven to 400F. Use about a ¼ cup of the sauce and toss with cubed tofu. Put the tofu in the oven to bake for 30 to 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cook the brown rice in 3 cups of lightly salted water for 45 minutes.
3. Grate the veg you are using: either carrot, beets, zucchini, daikon
4. Boil some water and pour over the noodles and let soak for 1 minute or until pleasantly al dente.
5. Put the broccoli on to steam - only cook until al-dente, about 5 minutes.
6. Chop up the parsley and green onion.
7. Once the rice is cooked, layer each ingredient into bowls like this, 1 being the bottom of the bowl, 10 being the garnish on top:

• noodles
• carrot and/or beet
• steamed broccoli
• brown rice
• grated daikon radish or zucchini
• cubed avocado
• baked tofu
• some form of sprouts, and fresh lettuce
• pumpkin, sunflower or hemp seeds (about 1 Tbsp per bowl)
• sprinkles of parsley, green onion, and toasted sesame seeds

The last step is to pour the steaming hot sauce over the whole thing and serve with a bottle of hot sauce on the side for those who like it spicy.