Just got back from a morning walk with the Maxer dawg and can't believe how cool it is, even though the thermometer says it's 79 degrees. Now, does that tell you something? How crazy are we thinking 79 is cool, and where the heck are the monsoons? At least during most summers we get to watch in awe at the torrential rains as the streets become rivers and there's actually water beside River Road. Believe me I'm not complaining, well not too much. At least it's not humid and the bugs aren't too bad.
I'd love to see a good thunderstorm though because I'm anxious to see how the cat reacts. She's been practicing for the "Catucky Derby" again in the middle of the night on the roof of our house, and particularly enjoys the spot above the bedroom. I think she's just about ready to race at Del Mar, which is where the big guy is at the moment. Now, wouldn't he be surprised.
I figured since it was only 106 yesterday a good pot of lentil stew was in order. Actually I'd planned it earlier in the week only to see Julie from www.dinnerwithjulie.com mention it yesterday in her segment on http://www.goodbites.com. If you haven't checked out Good Bites yet, you've just got to go there. There's great ideas and super video segments from some of the most popular food bloggers, though of course I think Julie's the best (what a "homer" I am - she's from Calgary).
Now some of you may think lentil stew when it's darn hot out may not be the best choice for dinner, but hey I'm alone this week and I love curry so there you go. There are a lot of different recipes for lentils and I took the opportunity to try out a vegetarian one to see if I can get it by the big guy - carnivore that he is. This particular recipe is from the Pillsbury site if you can believe it, and won a bake-off contest in 2004. It's very quick to put together using fresh vegetables and some canned products, and boy is it ever good. The original recipe makes a huge pot, so I cut it in half and tweaked it just a bit (of course), so here's my version. Download Curried Lentil Stew
It scores about a 9 on the 1-10 scale (just had to add more "heat" and maybe more ginger would be great too), and if you're not used to eating vegetarian food, I dare say you'll not even notice there's no meat in it. It would be great on a cold day or after a day of skiing. Who am I kidding? It would be great anytime. Thank goodness, because even cooking just half the recipe, I've got a lot left over. It's going to taste wonderful for lunch today and I'm sure it'll freeze well too. In fact, warmed in a shallow bowl and topped with chopped red onion and more jalapeno, it would make a great appetizer served along side some naan bread or pita chips.
Let me know what you think, OK? Happy Friday everyone!
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