Black Lentil and Carrot Curry

Ingredients:
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp Rogan Josh Indian Seasoning
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
1  14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 large carrots, peeled
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dried black lentils
2 tblsp vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked brown rice
6 cups water

Directions:
Begin cooking brown rice, according to directions on the package.

Cook carrots in chicken broth in a covered pot over medium until very tender.

Heat 2 cups of water to a boil and add 1/2 cup of lentils. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes. Pour lentils and water into a colander to drain off water.

Pour oil into a large skillet and heat on medium. Add onion and saute until soft, but not brown. Add minced garlic cloves, cooking for 1 minute. Add ginger, Rogan Josh Seasoning, curry powder,white pepper and stir. Add tomatoes with broth and coconut milk. Stir to mix together. Heat to a simmer. Chop cooked carrots and add to tomato mixture. Next, add the cooked lentils to the simmering tomatoes and carrots. Heat through until everything is hot.

Serve Lentil-Carrot curry over cooked brown rice.

Chorizo, Brown Rice, and Peas

Ingredients:
1 lb chorizo links
2 bags Boil-in-bag Brown Rice (Success brand works)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/4 tsp saffron threads (3/4 small strands)
1 cup frozen peas

Directions:
Remove sausages from casings and cook in nonstick dutch oven until crumbled and browned. Remove sausage into a bowl, leaving drippings in pan.
Saute onion and green peppers in sausage drippings until soft.
Return sausage crumbles to dutch oven and mix with onion and green peppers.
Open both bags of brown rice and pour into sausage, peppers and onion, stirring to mix well. Pour chicken broth over mixture until it reaches the top of the mixture.
Stir in garlic powder, Lawrys's Seasoned Salt, and Saffron. Bring to a simmer,cover, and cook for 8 minutes.
Remove lid and stir in peas. Cover dish again and allow to sit 10 minutes.
Ready to serve.

Shortcut Beef Bourguignon in a pressure cooker

Ingredients:
Top Sirloin Steak (2 large) cut into cubes
Lardons (thick cut proscuitto or bacon cut into small cubes)
1 large chopped onion
2 cups sliced button or baby bella mushrooms
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup red wine, a cabernet is good
lipton onion soup packet
2-3 tblsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
-corn starch optional
2 cups cold water
1 package egg noodles

Special equipment: a pressure cooker
Prep and cook time 1.5 hours

If you do this the Julia Child way, it is a an all day production, although well worth it. But, if you want a pretty similar flavor, this will give you pretty good results in a lot less time.
Hint: take advantage of the frequent half-price sales on Top Sirloin and stock up on it, freezing what you don't use. It is very versatile, flavorful and tender and can be used in any recipe calling for beef cubes.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. I use cast iron, but any will do. Add the mushrooms and try not to crowd them. Cook them in two batches to brown if you are not too pressed for time, until they are golden. Remove from pan and save. Add lardon to the pan. Brown them and then remove from pan and save. Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft. Remove from the pan and set aside. Salt and pepper the steak and add the steak to the pan, adding butter if needed, until the meat is browned. Transfer steak, lardons, onions, and mushrooms to your pressure cooker. Add flour to the ingredients and stir until the flour coats all ingredients. Pour in red wine, and onion soup mix, stirring everything well, over medium heat. Add enough water to cover all ingredients and add 2 bay leaves. Cover pressure cooker and bring ingredients to a boil. When indicator on pressure cooker pops up, turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes.
If mixture is not thick enough, mix a tblsp of cornstarch into a 1/4 cup of cold water and add to pot, stirring and simmering for one more minute to thicken.
Boil water and prepare egg noodles according to package directions, during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.
Serve meat and gravy mixture over egg noodles.

Banana Mango Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2-3/4 cup non-fat Greek unflavored yogurt

Directions:
Add sliced banana and mango chunks to the blender, and pour enough of the coconut milk and/or orange juice to cover the fruit. Blend on high until smooth. Add the remainder of the liquid and the yogurt. Blend again until well-mixed. Divide between 2 glasses and serve.

Makes 2 servings,

Corn, Black Bean and Edamame Salad

Ingredients for Salad
1 can of black beans, rinsed
8 oz frozen, shelled edamame
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels(I like Giant brand, super sweet white corn)
1/2 cup of raw almonds, chopped or sliced
1/2 orange sweet bell pepper, chopped finely
2 scallions, sliced
1 tsp salt

Ingredients for Dressing
2 oz Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried shallots or one chopped fresh shallot
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Mural of Flavor spice from Penzeys Spices (These spices can be mail ordered or bought from the Penzeys Spices stores.)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3-4 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Add enough water to a saucepan to cover edamame and toss in a tsp of salt. Heat until the water is boiling. Add edamame and lower heat. Boil for 5-7 minutes, according to package directions. Drain when done and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, to a large bowl add all of the other salad ingredients and mix well. Add edamame to salad and mix in.

In a small bowll, add all of the ingredients except the oil. Whisk these ingredients well, and then slowly whisk in the oil. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Serve immediately or chill and serve cold later.

Whole Wheat Couscous Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked whole wheat couscous
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
3 small, seedless cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 and 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Dressing Ingredients:
4 oz cider vinegar
2 oz olive oil
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tblsp orange juice

Directions:
Put uncooked couscous in large a bowl. Heat chicken broth to boiling and then pour broth over couscous. Cover the bowl of couscous with a plate and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, use a fork to fluff couscous.
Meanwhile, chop the vegetables into small pieces. Add the vegetables to the couscous.
Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, then pour over salad.
Add the feta cheese.

Serve immediately, or chill and serve later.