LENTIL-CARROT-WINTER SQUASH STEW

A year and a half since our last post!  Some VARIATIONS ON ORANGE for an October night.  This stew works with lots of substitutions, and need no attention for the last hour before serving.

1. dice and saute 1 med onion.  Cook for 5 min (med heat)
   
2. mince 3 garlic cloves and add to pan (turn to low heat)
3. slice 2 carrots and add to pan.  Can cook some more.
4. dice 1/2 of a winter squash.   Maybe you just don't feel like peeling the rest of it, so 1/2 is ok.  Or use two yams. Add dice to pan.  Dice one tomato and add to pan. Or use 2T of tomato paste.  Suzanne even added potatoes.
   
5. add 1 t. cumin.  Can also add coriander and bay leaf and sprinkle in cayenne or hot sauce.
   
6. mince 2 t. ginger and add
   
7.   Add 1 1/2 c lentils (use orange if you are going with the theme).  Add enough veg stock to cover but not too much - - can add more later
8. Bring to a boil but then reduce and cook on low maybe 1/2 - 1 hour

Miso dressing

 

I made a delicious salad topped with miso dressing inspired by this 101 cookbooks post. I started with a bowl of baby spinach leaves topped with steamed cauliflower, sliced spring onions, cilantro, and toasted walnuts. Then threw fried thinly sliced tempeh - over medium-high heat in canola oil, finished with a splash of soy sauce - on top. Finally, the dressing: whisk together 2T miso (I used white miso), 1/2t mustard (I used dijon), 2T brown sugar, 1/4c apple cider vinegar, 1/4c walnut oil. The original recipe uses rice wine vinegar, which I bet would be great, if you have it. This would probably also make a great dip for crudite. Enjoy!

Marinated flank steak
M got flank steak, from the Farmers' Almanac recipe that I cut out of the Post at least 30 years ago.  The marinade is 1/3 c. brown sugar, 1/3 cup soy sauce (I used Tamari this time, an upgrade), 1/3 cup bourbon (Old Crow, probably also 30 years in the liquor cabinet and not an upgrade), 1 T. worcestershire sauce and juice of 1 lemon.  I score it lightly on both sides to prevent it from curling too much.  It broiled to medium rare in about 11 min, and then to medium in about 13.  I used 3/4 lb for the 3 of us.  It came from the Organic Butcher in McLean and was really juicy.  I added a little cornstarch to the marinade and reduced it to make a sauce for the meat and the rice.  Reeves was eager to slice it - - it had been a long time since he sliced any beef.  And here we are, having it again at our celebration of Suzanne's 30th.