Cooking for the heart

I've had a few days off work (sort of), so I can be found in my kitchen even more regularly than normal. On Tuesday, I cooked and baked for the two women who raised me (not by themselves, my dad, for one, was intimately involved- but I wouldn't be me without them). There were stuffed portobello mushrooms and grilled asparagus for my mother after a day of hard work. And there were lemon sables for my great-aunt, who is in a home while she recovers from hip replacement surgery. Vegetables and cookies to show I care- food from the heart.

Today, it was just me and dinner wasn't so much from the heart as for the heart. I got " Cooking for a Healthy Heart" from the library when my ever-tightening pants told me it was time to Stop. Eating. The. Wrong. Thing. Right now. It's got quite a few lovely recipes (in spite of a tendency to consider vegetable spread an acceptable ingredient)- in fact, the caponata I described earlier as the first thing I cooked my man is from this book. Today, a recipe for salmon with lentils and dill caught my eye.

I've had a box of lentils sitting in my pantry since we got back from a holiday in France last year, stumped as to what to do with them. (Also, a little scared I wouldn't like them. They are Puy lentils, that everyone always loves and I don't like legumes in general. These were like a last-ditch attempt to teach myself to like this good-for-you food group. My experiment a few weeks ago to do the same with home-soaked chickpeas ended in a pan of inedible, black soup. But, uhm..., that might have had something to with the use of black pantyhose to make a bouquet garni. Nigella said nothing about using colorless pantyhose...) This recipe was my keep-my-fingers-crossed attempt at making something delicious from pulses.

And, boy, was I relieved. Even though the lentils had a bit of that mealy-ness I dislike so much, this dish was a keeper. Lentils brightened by a herby dressing, pieces of sweet roasted pepper and juicy salmon all mixed with a good dose of dill and spring onions. Tasty, healthy, lovely.

Lentils with salmon and dill
Adapted from " Cooking for a Healthy Heart" by Jacqui Lynas

125gr filleted salmon
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
50 gr of Puy lentils
handful of dill, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped (reserve a little to use as garnish)
lemon juice for sprinkling

dressing
small clove of garlic, peeled
handful basil leaves
handful dill
1 tsp mustard
1 pickled Turkish green pepper
juice of half a lemon
small glug of olive oil

Boil lentils according to package instructions (mine said to start with cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 25 minutes- but they were a bit mushy and could have used a little less time in the pot). In the mean time, make dressing by pounding all ingredients except oil together with mortar and pestle. When ingredients have turned to a bright green paste, add enough olive oil to make thick dressing.

Poach salmon until almost-done (please don't overcook). Drain lentils when done and immediately mix with dressing, bell pepper, dill and spring onions. Leave to stand for a while to allow lentils to soak up flavors. Add salmon, toss. Serve with a little extra spring onion on top.

Serves one

Grilled asparagus
Adapted from "Het Basiskookboek" published by Albert Heijn

Bunch of green asparagus
Olive oil
Lime juice
Nice, crunchy salt for sprinkling

Wash asparagus and break off bottom 2cm or so (no need to peel). Pat dry and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss asparagus to coat with the oil.

Heat a grilling pan to hot, put asparagus in pan. Turning them occassionally to brown on all sides, cook asparagus for eight minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Mix a good glug of olive oil with lime juice to taste to make a dipping sauce for asparagus. Sprinkle asparagus with a little salt and serve with dip on the side.

And it's six weeks later

Oi. How come it took me six weeks to get back here?

Well, there were some good reasons (interviewing for, negotiating about and accepting a new job; planning a weekend to London, a possible fortnight in Paris - not happening- and a three-week holiday to Vietnam) and some not-so-good ones (learning how to use my new camera so I can post pics here- but why did that stop the words?- and a dodgy internet connection- mostly because I am STILL freeloading off my neighbors' wifi). But now I'm back. Some random stuff to get you -me...- up to date:

Had nice all-you-can-eat Japanese food at Rotterdam's Sumo (sorry, link in Dutch only) yesterday with some colleagues. Not spectacular, but fresh and the company was great.




Had lovely sushi at Sushi (again, Dutch only) in Amsterdam a few weeks early. Am having dreams about eating more Japanese food, so I am guessing my near future will see plenty more sticky rice, raw fish and teriyaki sauce.

Baked Alice Water's soda bread today (recipe found via Oswego Tea) and Smitten Kitchen's wholewheat apple muffins. Mmmmm to the latter- I want to wrap myself in their moist, cinnamon-y, apple-y goodness. I didn't even care (much) that they flattened themselves into cake-disks because I don't own a muffin pan. But what's up with the bread? I was prepared for it to be dense, but what's with the faintly fishy smell? It was okay drenched in basil oil, covered in tomato slices and heaped with cottage cheese, but definitely not a winner by itself.

Am currently obsessed with anchovies (no, they went nowhere near my soda bread before it started smelling funny- I promise), fried onions and salted rice crackers. My blood vessels are probably not loving my food obsessions as much as I am...

Also, have only two more weeks left at my old job. Must bake something delicious as a goodbye. What a lovely excuse to bake muffins, brownies and cakes left, right and centre. Must practice!