SPICED LENTIL SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK

It is not fall in my pocket of the world. Summer is still lingering with warm ocean water, people in shorts and tank dresses and tomatoes at the farm stand. Sure there are pumpkins at the market and the sun sets earlier but those are the only telling signs the season is changing. The weather makes me crave salad and fruit, but a big pot of soup intrigued me for some emotional reason. I feel a bit drained lately, and there is something about soup that is comforting. Just a bowl and spoon. No stabbing bits of lettuce or cutting with a knife. Just simple eating. The kitchen is a place of solace for me - a place to be creative, to give, to appreciate small things, to refresh or to be pointed towards something in myself that I haven't taken the time to recognize. And in this case, that awareness came from wanting to make a pot of warm soup on a 97' day. I knew when I saw this soup on The Travelers Lunchbox that I would make it and like it. At first taste, it seemed all the spices didn't marry, but after a bit of sitting in its own goodness, my mouth was filled with warmth, spice, a bit of heat and lentils just tender to the tooth. I garnished it with some toasted coconut because I'm a sucker for a nice garnish, but this is certainly optional. The recipe makes a good portion of soup, which is not inconvenient because it is actually better the next day. So, maybe you're wearing a sweater or maybe you're still in shorts, but soup is never a bad idea.

SPICED LENTIL SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK // Serves 6

Recipe adapted from The Travelers Lunchbox who adapted it from Once Upon a Tart

The recipe calls for green lentils. I used a mixture because I have a large amount of them and they worked just fine. Split or red lentils will likely get too mushy here. I used 4 cups broth because I like my soups on the stewy side, if you prefer more broth to you soup, add another cup or two when cooking the lentils.

1 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed (green suggested)

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp. tumeric OR curry powder

2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 stalks lemongrass, outer layer removed, lower portion finely minced

1 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1/2 tsp. cinnamon pinch of red pepper flakes to taste

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

1 1/4 cup coconut milk (use full fat, just believe me)

3 Tbsp. lemon, lime or orange juice

a few handfuls of swiss chard, spinach or kale

1 cup flake coconut, toasted (optional)

chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Add the rinsed lentils, broth, thyme and tumeric or curry powder to a large pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

While the lentils cook, heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add the onion and saute until just browned. Add the lemongrass, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, pinch of red pepper flakes and some fresh ground nutmeg and saute another minute. Add the onion mixture to the lentils and stir, keeping the heat on a low simmer.

Add the coconut milk and greens and simmer another five minutes, stirring occasionally until just wilted. Taste for salt and spice and add as you prefer. Finish with the citrus juice and serve warm with toasted coconut flakes and cilantro on top.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH HERBED QUINOA

I'm not even sure where to start with the sentiments on this one, because the past week or two has sort of taken me under. I am not necessarily overwhelmed by way of responsibilities, but by emotion. I feel thrilled that the book is out next week, anxious about the feedback, excited to cheers with family and friends, insecure about my work, incredibly grateful for friends sharing recipes and compliments, timid in self-promotion, scared of speaking in front of people... it just feels like... a lot. That's all I can really say. I'm going to keep it short because honestly I'm not sure how to process all this quite yet. I've always been one to really feel things - to get swept up in emotion and feel like my heart has no callus on it. So maybe you can imagine why this season of cookbook release time feels like "a lot."

I included a number of links on the book page of friends who've so graciously posted recipes from the book. I am truly humbled. So many people who I admire are cooking my foods. I think that's crazy. I will be adding to that list, so you can keep up there if you wish. I updated the dates of events as well and would love to see your faces! Hoping this will be the last book related post out of me, I know I've mentioned it quite a bit :)

There isn't a lot of free time at the moment but I wanted to share a simple dish that seems to fit in with the pace lately. It's not fussy, tastes light while still having enough flavor to remind you that vegetables are just magnificent.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH HERBED QUINOA // Serves 6 as a side

I've been a big fan of the eggplant and za'atar combination since this pizza. If you don't have any, some dried thyme or a bit of oregano would be nice as well. The sumac in za'atar gives just a bit of smokiness that compliments the grilled flavor. You could use millet or another whole grain if you have something else on hand. The following gives you more eggplant to quinoa ratio, if you prefer it the other way, simply double the quinoa salad instructions.

• 3-4 medium eggplants (maybe 2 larger ones, 4 smaller ones)

• sea salt

• extra virgin olive oil

• za'atar seasoning

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

• half of a small red onion, sliced thin

• generous handful each of fresh basil, dill and cilantro

2 Tbsp. capers, roughly chopped

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

• 2 tsp. honey or agave nectar

• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

Cut the eggplants into 1 1/2'' rounds. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to release water.

Add the quinoa to a pot with a pinch of salt and 3/4 cup water or stock. Bring it to a gentle boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, fluff with a fork, cover again and leave it to steam another 5 minutes.

Heat up your grill or grill pan (I LOVE this. Obsessed). Press the eggplants between a dishcloth or paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Brush both sides with olive oil and grill for about 5 minutes per sides until you get nice dark marks and the texture seems pretty soft throughout. I like the softer texture that comes with covering them. Remove to a plate, drizzle a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar to taste.

To finish the quinoa, toss in the onions, all of the herbs, oil, vinegar, honey or agave and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Taste and adjust as you like.

Put the eggplants on a plate, top with the quinoa and garnish with the toasted pinenuts.

ROASTED ZUCCHINI, BLACK BEAN + GOAT CHEESE ENCHILADAS

Between an oven that heats the entire upstairs to 350' or a charcoal BBQ that requires a bit of forethought to get going, turning on either for summer cooking is a bit of a commitment. I have been deterred from making enchiladas for the site because they are difficult to photograph, so not only did this recipe come with an obligation to a sweaty mid-July photo session with the oven on, but also the challenge of making them look as good as they tasted. We make enchiladas pretty often. I appreciate having them for dinner and then warming them back up with scrambled eggs for a slightly different meal the next day. I've experimented with a butternut squash, greens and white cheddar version in the fall and then stuffing them with a bounty of zucchini in the summer with a slight tang of soft goat cheese. A number of recipes will have you fry the tortillas before filling, but I don't find that necessary for caloric content or texture. 

We added a few dates for upcoming book events. I would really love to meet as many of you as possible, so please come if you live anywhere close to these cities! A Seattle event of some sort will hopefully come around at a later date (please feel free to check in on The Book page, as well, for updates).

August 28th - Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Huntington Beach, CA at 7pm

September 9th - Omnivore in San Francisco, CA at 3 pm

September 22nd - Powell's Books in Portland, OR. Time TBD

ROASTED ZUCCHINI, BLACK BEAN + GOAT CHEESE ENCHILADAS // Serves 4

While short on time, I use the enchilada sauce from Trader Joes. It's thick and has a great kick to it. I have also made this one and loved it. Really good option if you have some time to make your own.

I would consider the below recipe pretty easy on the cheese all things considered in the enchilada world, but I like that for summer meals. If you want to taste more of the goat cheese, add more on top before or after baking.

3 large zucchini/summer squash, 1/4'' dice (about 4 cups once chopped)

3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper/garlic salt

1/2 of a small red onion or 4 green onions, finely chopped

1 15 oz. can/ 2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained

5 oz. soft goat cheese

10ish corn tortillas (the amount will depend on how full you stuff them)

12 oz. red enchilada sauce, see note above

/ for serving /

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

2 avocados

squeeze of lime

Preheat oven to 425'. Place the zucchini on a rimmed baking tray, drizzle with 2 tsp. of the olive oil and lemon pepper and toss everything with your hands to coat. Spread in an even layer, using two pans if it looks crowded. Roast on the middle rack for about 30 minutes until the edges are brown. Remove to cool. Turn the oven down to 375'.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion and black beans. Set aside 1 oz. of the goat cheese for the topping and crumble the rest into the bowl. Add the cooled zucchini and toss everything together very gently.

Over a burner, lightly char both sides of the tortillas, about 1 minute per side. This is not an essential step, but I find that it helps keep the tortillas a bit sturdier and it looks pretty. Set up your assembly with the tortillas and the filling.

In an oven proof rectangle dish (I used a 7x13 rectangle but a 9x13 works great too) pour 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Working with one tortilla at a time, fill it with a heaping 1/4 cup of the filling and roll it up like a taquito. Lay it in the dish seam-side down. Continue with remaining tortillas, squeezing the enchiladas in tight (you may have extra filling, it's great on it's own as a snack or in a quesadilla). Brush the tops of the tortillas with the remaining olive oil. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle reserved goat cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes until warmed through and the top is just crisp. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Top with lots of chopped cilantro, diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.