SUMMER TOMATO LENTILS

I work in the hospitality industry. There are no holidays, and ‘weekends’ typically come in the form of a Tuesday and Thursday. This does make for productive days off, but there is something about the traditional weekend day that makes me feel like I don’t need to set an alarm. I love taquito-ing myself in my soft white comforter, listening to people futz around in the back alley and having tea in a mug that doesn’t have to fit in my car cup holder. I love you, Saturday.

Laguna Beach has their farmers market on Saturday, so that was my first stop this past (real) weekend. You know, once I got out of my fluffy taquito. I can travel to others during the week if need be, but I find it much more charming to walk to my market, canvas bag in hand- it fits the Saturday picture I paint in my head. I joined the people hovering around the testers enjoying the sweet smell of stone fruits on little toothpicks. Hugh lingered in the background twittering about how 'the hippies were looking at him funny.’ Typical.

There is so much produce in season right now; I grabbed a few favorites to fill my mini fridge, along with some incredibly fragrant baby tomatoes that I thought would be great in a big bowl of lentils. As they delicately roast in the oven, the sweet flavor becomes more pronounced.

SUMMER TOMATO LENTILS // Serves 2 as entrée, 4 as a side

1 Cup Lentils

1 Lemon, zest and juice

1/3 Cup Goat Cheese

2 Large Shallots, peeled and sliced thin

3 Cups Baby Tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Chives, Finely Chopped

1/3 Cup Basil, Chopped

1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Oven to 325'

Note: I cook my lentils in unsalted water, as salt is said to toughen the beans- they will taste most fresh if the seasoning is added at the end.

1. Cut tomatoes in half. On the baking pan, toss with 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil and garlic salt. Turn the tomatoes so they are cut side up, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

2. Rinse and drain the lentils, pick out any scrappy pieces. In a medium pot bring 1½ cups water to a boil, add the lentils, turn down the heat to medium and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Test the beans for doneness; the liquid should be absorbed, add more if they are not soft to your taste. Put them in a large bowl and crumble in the goat cheese so it melts in the warmth. Add the lemon zest and juice, and gently fold to coat.

3. While lentils are cooling, make the crispy shallots. In a small saucepan, heat up 1/2 tbsp. olive oil on medium. Add the sliced shallots and cook about 15 minutes, until they are golden brown on both sides.

4. Gently fold the dijon mustard, remaining olive oil and fresh black pepper into the goat cheesey lentils. Add the basil and chives, roasted tomatoes and crispy shallots. Add salt to your preference.

~ Serve in a pita or butter lettuce wraps!

SAUCY FISH TACOS

Hugh is trying to take over my hobby. I do food, he does pictures. It works. But last week he bought a special grilling book and now has been experimenting on his own. Seeing that I don’t do meat, he can take ownership of that. I don’t come from a lineage of cooks, so the fact that it’s ‘my thing,’ leaves me flattered with the responsibility. If I had the slighest clue about photography, I would start a battle to retaliate against his hobby burglary.

Hugh made some great grilled peppers the other night, which led to inspiration for a good sauce. That is what makes these tacos different- this tasty sauce. It is a tad spicy, has hints of creaminess from the yogurt, and freshness from the loads of cilantro. I put leftovers on my eggs this morning, and it’s thick enough to spread on a sandwich.

We went to a great fish place down by the harbor to get the freshest fish. I checked here to see what white fish is safe and sustainable for our area. The website is full of information and will definitely make you think twice before you just grab for what you see in restaurants. It does not cost more to get what is sustainable. Organics is a whole different market than sustainable seafood; the challenge is finding a place where you can buy specific fish. Once your fish is covered in this tasty sauce, it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference what it is anyways.

SAUCY FISH TACOS // Serves 2

• 12 oz. White Seabass (use what is fresh/local for you)
• 1 Lime, Zest and Juice
• salt and pepper or lemon pepper
• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 3 Cups Green Cabbage, Finely Sliced
• 1 Firm Peach, Cut into 8 Slices
• corn tortillas

/ poblano cilantro sauce /

• 1 ½ Cups Cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Lime, Zest and Juice (add another if it’s not juicy)
• ½ Cup Whole Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• ½ Cup Toasted Pistachios
• 2 Roasted Poblano Chiles, seeds removed
• 1/2 tsp. each Garlic Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat your grill to medium/high

Salt and pepper both sides of the fish. Rub the zest and juice into the fish, and put in a bowl to marinate.

Lightly oil the bell peppers and poblano chiles, put them on the grill and char on all sides. About 8-10 minutes. Remove peppers and chiles and put them in a plastic bag to steam. Let them sit about 10 minutes in the bag. Remove the stem and seeds, and then peel off the skins when they're cool to the touch. They do not need to be perfect, a little black adds some smokiness. Chop the peppers up and set aside. The poblanos are for your sauce. 

Put the cilantro, garlic, lime, yogurt, olive oil, pistachios and poblanos in a blender or food processor. Fully combine. Taste for salt and pepper.

Grill the fish (on extra clean grill grates to keep from sticking). Put the peaches on the grill, cut side down. Close the lid and grill for about 6 minutes. Flip the fish and peaches and grill another 4 minutes (time will vary depending on thickness of the fish). Warm the tortillas on the grill or stovetop.

Assemble your tacos. Tortilla, sauce, fish, roasted peppers, two grilled peach slices and a generous amount of cilantro.

CHERRY NUT GRANOLA

I’m big into snacking. Probably so into it, that it’s more of a shortcoming. People comment, “I saw you driving, you were eating”… yes, thank you, that is typically the case. If managed correctly, small meals throughout the day are better for your metabolism. I’m flabbergasted that my snacks-on-the-hour approach hasn’t made diet headlines yet.

I like when granola has chunks,almost like mini cookies within the granola. I did some research and found a tip from The Traveler's Lunchbox to give some of the oats a grind. To be honest, this didn't exactly work for me, but it likely has to do with my proportion of wet ingredients. The theory of the oat flour acting as a binder, completly makes sense. My goal was to keep the fat and sugar down, so my clumps were few. Exisiting, but few.The recipe below is quite tasty and my quest for 'light' clusters remains.

Granola has an oat base, where you are welcome to change the nut and dried fruit additions as you please. I like to use a tad of butter and brown sugar for crunch, and agave nectar because it is not as sweet as honey. Most homes have honey on hand, and that will certainly work out just fine. We gifted some, made Hugh breakfast with a bit of plain yogurt and will pack the rest as the perfect sustenance for our 4th of July beach day. I will say that after the breakfast ration, dark chocolate chips were added- highly recommended for optimum snacking.

CHERRY NUT GRANOLA // Makes about 6 Cups

3 Cups Quick Oats

3 tbsp. Flax Seeds

3 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

1/2 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds

3/4 Cup Raw Pistachios

3/4 cup Raw Slivered Almonds

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil or melted butter

2 tbsp. Agave Nectar (or Local Honey)

1 tbsp. Real Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Dried Cherries

**If you double this recipe, make sure to bake it in shifts. If the layer of oats is too thick, it will steam itself. If you put one sheet on the lower rack, it won't crisp up because of it's upstairs neighbor.

Oven to 325’

1. In a saucepan, on low heat, melt the brown sugar, applesauce, agave nectar/honey, olive oil/butter and vanilla. Let it warm through so the sugar breaks down and all flavors incorporate.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, salt, nuts and seeds. Slowly drizzle the wet mixture on the oat mix and stir until all oats are covered. It should look pretty moist but not 'wet'.

3. Spread the granola in an even layer on a baking pan (also known as jelly roll pan; ½’’ sides). Place the rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, stir. Granola should take about 45 minutes to cook, continue to stir every 15 minutes for even color.

4. Pull out the granola and fold in the dried cherries. Allow the granola to cool completely before adding chocolate chips or putting it in a container.