"Everything But the Kitchen Sink" Dal Recipe

From Clean Food, Dirty Mouth

Occasionally, I like to share great recipes I stumble across. This one for a sort of "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" dal, posted on my college roomie's blog (aptly titled, "Clean Food, Dirty Mouth"), felt like it was worth sharing.

Firstly, dal is one of my favorite dishes in the whole wide world. And secondly, I love recipes that are like a base with which you can experiment, working with fresh, seasonal ingredients, adding your own twist.

From Clean Food, Dirty Mouth

This is why I love risotto (my brother's restaurant does a risotto special every day, taking this same flying by the seat of your pants approach). Only he's more like Superman when it comes to flying, and his pants are Gucci. But I digress...

And who knew, a decade ago back in college, that both of us would end up writers/self-taught-foodie-chef-bakers?

It's a Mad, Mad World...

Click here for her wonderful dal recipe

Baby Potato Zucchini Casserole

Baby Potato & Zucchini Casserole

I've just returned from San Francisco, where I spent the weekend at Cavallo Point celebrating my one year wedding anniversary, enjoying the Fleet Week air show, and dining at Picco, my brother's fabulous restaurant. We had two amazing meals there, and even got to meet Chef Bruce Hill, who I absolutely adored.

Not only is the restaurant busier than ever (it was packed both nights we were there), but the menu just keeps getting better, if that's even possible. It's worth the trip over the bridge for the risotto alone, which is made fresh on the half hour, and which many people believe to be the best in the city, if not the country.

I was sad to leave SF, but all good things must come to an end...

But getting away really does wonders for you. In a way, it reboots your brain, clearing out all the cobwebs, letting you return refreshed and ready to dive back into your life with a clearer perspective. I'm spending today catching up with myself--blogging, cleaning up, unpacking, grocery shopping, etc.

And tomorrow, I'll get back to my two favorite things: cooking and writing!

But in the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with a great recipe for Baby Potato & Zucchini Casserole. The other week, I received samples of baby potatoes from The Little Potato Company (available at Ralphs and other stores).

There are few things I love more than little potatoes.

For this recipe, I used a package of their Terrific Trio, a delightful combination of yellow, red, and purple baby potatoes. I love the different colors, which bring a whimsical flair to any recipe.

I paired them with zucchini, making them into a simple casserole by layering them over caramelized onions cooked with thyme.

The finishing touch? A sprinkling of parmesan reggiano over the top. This recipe looks great served out of the roasting pan on the table, and is the perfect side dish for any lunch or dinner.

Baby Potato & Zucchini Casserole
Serves 4-6 people
Cooking time: about 60 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby potatoes, thinly sliced
• 5 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano, grated
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a dutch oven or other oven proof pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Stir in the thyme and remove from heat. Note: if you don't have a roasting pan that can go on the stovetop, this step may be done on the stove top and then poured into an oven-proof dish.
3. Layer the zucchini and potato slices over the onion mixture, alternating a row of potatoes overlapped by a row of zucchini (see picture). 
4. Once the pan is full, drizzle the potatoes and zucchini with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover the dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. 
6. Once thirty minutes have elapsed, remove the cover and roast for an additional 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
7.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan. Then, return to the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
8. Serve family style straight out of the roasting pan for a beautiful side dish to any meal. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• Terrific Trio of baby potatoes from The Little Potato Company
• organic zucchini, organic onions, parmesan reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil from Trader Joe's
• onions and thyme from the West Hollywood Farmers Market

Disclaimer: I received free samples of potatoes, however the opinions expressed here are my own.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living somebody else's life." --Steve Jobs

if you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.

don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking.

don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.

and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. they somehow already know what you truly want to become.

everything else is secondary.

stay hungry. stay foolish.

--steve jobs

Meatless Monday: Sweet Corn Succotash

When I was thinking about what I most wanted to write about on this Meatless Monday, I couldn't help thinking about sweet corn.

It's in season right now, in the late summer and early fall. And nothing beats sweet corn in season. You know what I'm talking about...

And on that note, can you believe that's it's already October?

For one, I can't! And it promises to be a very busy month. First up, my husband's birthday is on Wednesday (I gifted him a beautiful mandolin so he can be the minstrel of Laurel Canyon). And on Friday, we're heading up the Bay area to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary with family, friends, and of course, great food (we're dining at my brother's restaurant Picco).

See what I mean about time flying? One year already...

But there's something about food--thinking about it, preparing it, sitting down to eat it--that seems to make the clock slow down. Maybe it has something to do with savoring the small pleasures of the day. Maybe it's how it connects us to the present by feasting on what is available at the moment.

The seconds tick slower, as the day is parceled out into meals.

Today's simple recipe brings out the best in sweet corn by cooking it with red bell peppers, red onions, and finishing it with a little fresh cilantro. It's a lighter take on a tradiational succotash, which usually includes lima beans or shell beans. But feel free to add them if you want.

Click here to view my recipe for Sweet Corn Succotash

GOOD Magazine's 30 Day 'Get Healthy' Challenge

Wouldn't it be nice to do something small every day for 30 days to improve you life? Your health? Your fitness? You mental well being?

That's why I've signed up for GOOD magazine's 30 Day 'Get Healthy' challenge. The mission is simple: "For the next four weeks, we want you to get healthy."

All you have to do to sign up is enter your email on their website. Here's a little more from them on the 30 Day challenge:

There will be siestas in pursuit of relaxation, meditation in pursuit of a sound mind, and flossing in pursuit of a healthy mouth—one task per day intended to get you to make an incremental change that could prove very important. Don't think of this as an exercise regime so much as an all-encompassing effort to pick up healthy habits and leave behind unhealthy ones.

So what are you waiting for? Just think--you could change your life in 30 days. I'm excited to get started! Bring it on October!

Click here to sign up