It’s officially been 2019 for a few weeks now, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want for this year and how to share it all… here’s the list so far:
• Gluten-Free Baking Academy will open for enrollment again for the Bread Course and Cookies Course late winter/spring—are you on the wait list yet??! We have the BEST student community around.
• A new course is coming to GFBA this year, too! It will make all of your special-event parties next level.
• Good Food Cooking Club will continue sharing one new recipe per month direct to your inbox first. We can all make one recipe per month, right? That’s an achievable goal! Make sure you get it.
• I’ll be sending out one newsletter per month, always with a cooking club recipe, and always with simple tips and inspiration. Are you signed up?
• I have a new kitchen! OMGOMGOMG. I worked my buns off to make it just what I need to create and share more with YU this upcoming year—check out the before and afters.
• I’m finalizing an enormous project for YU that I’ve been working on for over a year now. It launches in 2019!!! Cooking Club Members (our club is free) will be the first to know about it, and will be thanked with some goodies when the time comes. Who’s in?
Lots to be excited about…
Honestly, I’ve been in a creative-cooking rut for a while now, and if you check out my recent “New Kitchen” post you’ll learn more about that adventure. I’m on the other side though and couldn’t be more energized by the new space and the new year!
This recipe is the first I’ve officially made for YU in my new kitchen. It’s a simple one that seems fancy-ish, and it’s one that will hopefully bring a cooking “friend” into your home if you aren’t already in love with it like me: garam masala.
It’s a spice blend, whose name translates to “warm spice mix.” It can vary quite a bit, but the main components are cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, and cumin. Some blends will add turmeric, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic, mustard, fenugreek, and/or bay leaf, too. Use garam masala beyond this recipe to season dips, sauces, dressings, and vinaigrettes. Try some in your coffee or tea. Sprinkle on popcorn, fries, or homemade veggie chips. Use some to spice compotes and jams. Add to soups, stews, chili, and casseroles. Sprinkle on roasted veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, dark-leafy greens, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, and winter squash.
You can use any lentils you like (or chickpeas) to make this breakfast scramble, and you can add all sorts of goodies like sweet potato, peas, spinach, tomatoes, or eggs if you eat them.
If you like the look of the flatbread smothered in Miyoko’s Vegan Butter (that stuff is THE BEST) you can learn how to make it and much more in the upcoming GFBA Bread Course.
Of course toast, an English Muffin, or even pancakes make a nice addition to the scramble, or skip the addition altogether. I had to make this flatbread because I recently came home from an incredible trip with the most delicious jam I’ve ever had in my life: Hana Farms Lilikoi (Passionfruit) Jam.
If the majesty of Maui could be packed into one flavor, I believe this is the one. It’s SO worth ordering online, and get more than one jar! I’ve almost blown through mine in one week. I needed a vehicle for that jam, soooo, flatbread. It was delicious paired with the garam masala spices in the lentils.
These lentils were soaked and sprouted before cooking—I have digestive woes, these extra steps me, and it’s effortlessly easy. Lentils go in a bowl of water overnight, I drain them and let them sit undisturbed on the counter for one day. Done. Ready. And pretty.
Use these tips for cooking and measuring, and if you make too much, save in the fridge and use in another recipe.
You may need more water if cooking without soaking first, but if you’ve soaked/sprouted, use less (so about 1/4″ water covers the lentils) since the lentils are already partially hydrated. Also, red lentils break down quite a bit when cooking, and less water helps them keep some shape for the scramble.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cooked red lentils (start with 1 cup dry red lentils)
1 large shallot
5 leaves kale (any kind), de-stemmed and chopped.
Unrefined coconut oil or avocado oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon fine-ground sea salt*
*For egg-y flavor you can use India Black Salt aka Kala Namak Salt, just season to taste starting with 1/4 teaspoon and add more if needed.
Steps:
1. Peel and thinly slice (or mince, cook’s choice) entire shallot.
2. In a skillet heated to medium-low, add 1–2 teaspoons of preferred oil, and shallots. Cook 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly, until starting to brown.
3. Then, make a well in the center of the skillet, add a touch more oil and add garam masala. Stir for about 30 seconds to toast the spice a bit.
4. Then, kick up the heat to medium-high, and fold in the lentils and cook together for 5 minutes. Allow it to sit undisturbed a few minutes at a time, so lentils get a chance to brown, and they hold some shape.
5. Turn off heat, add chopped kale, stir, and serve warm.
If you wanna make the showstopper red juice in the photos above, here’s the secret.
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Want more inspiration? Check out my books!
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