[LauraKY]

snbess, for you.

BBQ Eggplant and Lentils Recipe

1 c. dried lentils
2 cups water
1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
2 cups tomato puree (I use a large can of crushed tomatoes)
2 T cider vingear
2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp honey
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce or to taste

Combine lentil and water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut eggplant into 1" cubes, combine flour and salt and toss with eggplant (paper bag or ziploc comes in handy here)

Heat oil in large skillet (I use a large pot) and cook about 10 minutes, turning to brown. Add all the other ingredients except the lentils, bring to a gentle boil, cover and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes while waiting for the lentils.

Stir in lentils, replace cover and continue to cook at least another 30 minutes. Add more liquid if necessary. Keep at a simmer...don't let all the liquid boil away.

Serve over brown rice. It's great the second and third day too.

[BuddyRoo]

Good reminder! I Need to go STIR!

[rmh_rider]

We are having sweet and sour meatloaf,

Sweet and sour meatloaf sounds good. I am looking for a recipe in my cookbooks and online. I was planning to do a plain ole meatloaf but this sounds really good. Got a recipe?

I also got on a cooking strike to. But, I am getting over it. I hope!

[mht]

Sweet and sour meatloaf sounds good. I am looking for a recipe in my cookbooks and online. I was planning to do a plain ole meatloaf but this sounds really good. Got a recipe?

I also got on a cooking strike to. But, I am getting over it. I hope!

No real recipe...I just mix in one egg, bread crumbs, chili sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and a bit of prepared mustard. My house smells so go right now!

[Vesper Sparrow]

Arctic char was on sale at the grocery (the sale fish I get there is always very good and char is my favorite). I'll bake it with a few lemon slices and serve it with baked squash.

[Tha Ridge]

Just made a pork ragu with fettuccine. Delicious and super easy!

Sort of like this: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recip...318/index.html, but I used a 1 1/2 lb. pork shoulder, added chopped carrots, and a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes. (I also cooked the meat in the oven at 325 for 3 hours instead of on the stove top.)

[horseymum]

Mmmmmm pork ragu sounds delish! lazy dinner as we are preparing for New Years tomorrow....so bacon, onions and pirogies, with lots of sour cream.

[lucky dog farm]

It's below freezing here with a horrific windchill so it's Homemade pea soup with carrots and potatoes made from the ham we had for Christmas. Made in the crock pot of course.

[Event4Life]

Short Ribs! Been cooking all day and house smells AMAZING.

[halo]

Thanks to those adding recipes. And its wonderful to see so many really good healthy meals, and (for the most part) not expensive at all. Great ideas. All these good stick-to-your-ribs recipes are great for cold weather. So that the ONLY reason I dont mind cold weather...now and again....once in a while...maybe once or twice...

[CVPeg]

Just returned from the barn. My guy newly turned out into the big pasture with a pal. Full of snowdrifts. Shoes pulled on Friday, so going the Keratex route. Returning the driving was other-worldy, with dramatic dark clouds, huge snowdrifts. (I'm going to have to do this daily for a week?!?)

The snowmobiles are buzzing at the bottom of my driveway, while I'm enjoying delicious leftover ham, with a pineapple casserole, inspired by COTH food discussions of days long gone.

(Temp outside is 18, without the windchill figured in...)

[Renn/aissance]

Risotto made with dried porcini mushrooms, buttom mushrooms, onion, butternut squash, and a mix of mussels, shrimp and squid; seasoned with white wine and pecorino romano.

A lettuce salad with walnut oil and lemon juice dressing. Soft goat cheese on the side.

Glass of local dry riesling.

I'm coming over for dinner.

Forgot to put my chicken in the crock so it's spaghetti with sausage and mushrooms in a vodka sauce for me.

[Bacardi1]

Arctic char was on sale at the grocery (the sale fish I get there is always very good and char is my favorite). I'll bake it with a few lemon slices and serve it with baked squash.

Ooooh - love Arctic Char - one of my favorite fish. And like you, every time it crops up in the markets, it's always super fresh. And as such, I like it the same way you do - the simpler the better.

[lovey1121]

snbess, for you.

BBQ Eggplant and Lentils Recipe

1 c. dried lentils
2 cups water
1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
2 cups tomato puree (I use a large can of crushed tomatoes)
2 T cider vingear
2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp honey
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce or to taste

Combine lentil and water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut eggplant into 1" cubes, combine flour and salt and toss with eggplant (paper bag or ziploc comes in handy here)

Heat oil in large skillet (I use a large pot) and cook about 10 minutes, turning to brown. Add all the other ingredients except the lentils, bring to a gentle boil, cover and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes while waiting for the lentils.

Stir in lentils, replace cover and continue to cook at least another 30 minutes. Add more liquid if necessary. Keep at a simmer...don't let all the liquid boil away.

Serve over brown rice. It's great the second and third day too.

Laura, this sounds really interesting! I have red lentils and split yellow lentils, plus about 1 1/2 cups of french lentils. Can I use the reds or yellows? I have oodles -we're big Indian fans,

[lovey1121]

I made this a few weeks ago, from the last OT day-wish I could remember who posted! THANKS, COTHER!! IT WAS HEAVEN!!

Jamie Oliver's English Onion Soup
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/j...ipe/index.html

If you have the opportunity, get hold of as many different types of onion for this soup as you can - you need about 2 pounds in total. Sweat them gently and you'll be amazed at all the flavors going on.

Ingredients
Good knob of butter
Olive oil
Handful fresh sage leaves, 8 leaves reserved for garnish
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5 red onions, peeled and sliced
3 large white onions, peeled and sliced
3 banana shallots, peeled and sliced
11 ounces leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups good-quality hot beef, chicken or vegetable stock
8 slices good-quality stale bread, 3/4-inch thick
7 ounces freshly grated Cheddar
Worcestershire sauce
Put the butter, 2 glugs of olive oil, the sage and garlic into a heavy bottomed, nonstick pan. Stir everything round and add the onions, shallots and leeks. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, and cook slowly for 50 minutes, without coloring the vegetables too much. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes, the onions will become soft and golden. Stir occasionally so that nothing catches on the bottom. Having the patience to cook the onions slowly, slowly, gives you an incredible sweetness and an awesome flavor, so don't be tempted to speed this up.

When your onions and leeks are lovely and silky, add the stock. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. You can skim any fat off the surface if you like, but I prefer to leave it because it adds good flavor.

Preheat the oven or broiler to maximum. Toast your bread on both sides. Correct the seasoning of the soup. When it's perfect, ladle it into individual heatproof serving bowls and place them on a baking sheet. Tear toasted bread over each bowl to t like a lid. Feel free to push and dunk the bread into the soup a bit. Sprinkle with some grated Cheddar and drizzle over a little Worcestershire sauce.

Dress your reserved sage leaves with some olive oil and place 1 on top of each slice of bread. Put the baking sheet into the preheated oven or under the broiler to melt the cheese until bubbling and golden. Keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't burn! When the cheese is bubbling, very carefully lift out the baking sheet and carry it to the table.

To be truthful, I didn't do the whole crouton thing since we weren't eating it right away. But Halo, this is some good!

[PonyPeep]

Dino nuggets!

[Bacardi1]

Laura, this sounds really interesting! I have red lentils and split yellow lentils, plus about 1 1/2 cups of french lentils. Can I use the reds or yellows? I have oodles -we're big Indian fans,

I vote for the the reds & yellows. The little green French lentils are too good to use in soup. I'd save those for a non-soup dish of their own, or for a salad.

[Hunter Mom]

BBQ Cheddar & Bacon chicken breasts with roasted garlic potatoes.

[Calvincrowe]

Short ribs braised in red wine with mushrooms/onions/garlic.
Mashed potatoes. Carrots in a butter sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Fresh baked rolls.

It is clear, sunny, breezy and cold here (first totally clear and sunny day since October...I'm not kidding...there is a down side to Washington!). Fire in the wood stove, house smells amazing and I have two more vacation days left!!

[sk_pacer]

Temp here is flirting with 0°F and still dropping; we wont even mention windchill. Pork chops sizzling happily in the frying pan, peas for a veg and washing it down with coffee left over from this morning.