Mulligatawny

I made this last night because the weather was crummy all day and because Blake and I aren't feeling 100%. It sounded good and looked easy in the recipe I saw on foodgawker. I have never had this dish before, but Blake knew just what it was when I served it to him. He liked it, and I ate it for lunch again today. I think the squeeze of lemon over the top really made it interesting and delicious. We ate it just with some buttered and toasted naan.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 white onions, chopped (about 3-4 cups)
2 teaspoons minced garlic, (3 – 4 cloves)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
3/4 cup green lentils, rinsed
15 ounce diced tomatoes, with their liquid
32 ounce chicken broth
1/2 cup light unsweetened coconut milk
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving (optional)
salt to taste

Directions:
Cook the onions, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and curry powder in the olive oil over medium high heat for about 8 minutes. Stir in the lentils to coat them. Add the tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let this cook for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Puree with an immersion blender. Stir in the coconut milk and blend it through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.

Brie Stuffed Turkey Burgers

I saw some stuffed burger recipes on foodgawker that gave me the idea for this. Blake was going to grill them, but we realized we were out of propane at the last minute and ended up having to cook them on the stove. It took much longer to cook through, so we added some beer and put a lid on it to help them steam. I wanted to put arugula on this for a little peppery flavor, but there wasn't any at the grocery so I compensated by making the apple mixture very hot. Blake made a spicy mayo ketchup spread for the buns. I served these with salad and some sweet potato fries, but they came out a little mushy, so I have to admit I like the frozen kind better.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey breast
salt, pepper
goat brie
apple
onion
cider vinegar
honey
maple syrup
cayenne pepper
buns

Directions:
Slice small chunks of the brie. Make some small flattened patties out of the turkey meat. Thin out the center as much as possible. Add a slice of cheese in the indentation. Work the edges of the turkey over and around the cheese, adding more if necessary. Work into a flattened patty. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to be grilled.

Meanwhile, chop onion and apple. Sautee onion in a small amount of olive oil until very softened. Add the apple and sautee until softened as well. Add in cider vinegar, honey, and maple syrup as well as cayenne. Cook until thickened. Add water if necessary to achieve desired consistency.

Grill turkey patties a few minutes on each side until completely cooked through. Top with apple mixture and serve on a crispy bun.

Broccoli, Sundried Tomato, Goat Cheese Quiche with roasted potatoes

I used the other frozen pie crust I had to make a second breakfast for dinner. This time I blind baked the crust correctly, but may not have baked it long enough. The crust wasn't very crispy on the bottom. It might have helped to wait for it to cool a little more before eating, but as always I had no patience for that. This one was better the next day too.

For the potatoes, I just quartered them and tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary and baked them in the oven with the quiche for about a half hour, stirring them up occasionally to make sure they got crispy for Blake.

Ingredients:
frozen pie crust,
1 bunch broccoli florets
handful sundried tomatoes, cut into strips
goat cheese
3 eggs
milk
salt, pepper
mozarella

Directions:
Defrost pie crust, poke with holes and blind bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, blanch broccoli florets and tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes. Remove to an ice bath and then drain completely. Add the drained mixture to the crust when it comes out. Beat the eggs and mix them with milk and a good amount of goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the broccoli mixture in the crust. Bake for about 25 minutes or until set. Before taking it out of the oven, add some mozarella cheese and broil until browned. Let cool before serving.