Meatless Monday: Pan Roasted Tomatoes, Spinach and Pasta

     I was recently reminded of the importance of a quick meal.  I am not referring to that drive to the drive though window; but rather a fresh, light, satisfying meal that is also quick to make.  My mom came over this past week to help me wash walls and clean up my house after finishing drywall.  I truly appreciated her help.  For the past 6 months my home has looked a little like an episode I saw on the hit show Hoarder's.  Of the three episodes I could stand watching one such hoarder had a tool and handyman type of obsession. The home he shared with his wife was filled to the brim with excess tools, projects half started and a plethora of magazines and books of the handyman variety.  It hit too close to home, I could no longer watch.  The whole mess was starting to get to me.  I believe my mom picked up on this and since we had finally completed the dirty, nasty, work phase of our bathroom remodel, she volunteered to help me clean up.  I was relieved and took her up on the offer.
     We decided to also make dinner for everyone that night.  Before we set our minds and elbows on cleaning we started making dinner, but we wanted something easy that could cook while we worked.  My mom has the book Slow Cooker Revolution and recommended that we make a recipe out of it for dinner that night.  It turned out to be a successful try of a new recipe but it wasn't the easiest slow cooker recipe I had made.  The book is from American's Test Kitchen, who researches almost infinite techniques, procedures, ingredients, and brands to find out what works best and yields the best result.  Then they present the information they discovered along with the recipe.  I am not knocking the book, in fact I loved it and the recipe we choose to make.  I also can't wait to try the Tomato Mac and Cheese for dinner some night.  However when I think of the slow cooker I think quick, convenient, easy, one pot and its done, the recipe we choose (Beef Burgundy) was a little bit more complicated but totally worth it.
     After washing walls and the ceiling we were tired and ready for a break.  We rested our weary arms and shoulders while nestled on couches looking through cookbooks and watching an episode of Lidia's Italy.  Lidia Bastianich is one of my mom's favorite celebrity chefs and I can see why.  She is full of life.  A vibrant women, a lover of food, who truly has respect for people.  She praised an older Italian lady after she had observed her making orecchiette by hand, "A lifetime of experience," and concluded the segment with giving the woman a sincere and heartwarming hug.  The episode we watched was entitled Two Tasty Pastas Puglia Style, and as I was hungry from all our hard work, the beautiful pastas made me salivate.  As I watched I was also impressed by the easy everyday ingredients (pasta, tomatoes, arugula, olive oil and garlic) and the simple techniques that she employed.  I figured I could recreate this in my own kitchen with ease, even after (or before) a long and busy day.  I also loved Lidia's generous hand with which she poured the olive oil.  Since olive oil is the only fat added to this dish, it seemed to me she treated it more as an ingredient.  Make sure to use an excellent quality olive oil to add wonderful flavor to the dish.

Pan Roasted Tomatoes, Spinach and Pasta

Recipe inspired by Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients

• 1 pound rigatoni
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Bring salted water to boil for pasta.
2. Peel garlic and smash 6 cloves violently so that it breaks apart. If it is still clinging together pull it apart with your fingers.
3. Over low heat place 1/4 cup olive oil in 12 inch skillet. Add garlic and allow it to sizzle for a while to flavor oil.
4. Add tomatoes to garlic in pan and stir. Increase heat to medium-high and allow tomatoes to roast in pan stirring occasionally.
5. Cook pasta according to package directions.
6. Drain pasta after required cooking time, quickly, allowing some of water to remain on pasta. Return to stock pot. (Do not rinse pasta as this will remove starch that is important for the sauce.)
7. Once tomatoes are cooked down and slightly caramelized pour tomatoes over pasta, stirring to coat.
8. Add fresh spinach to pasta and stir to distribute spinach. Spinach will wilt slightly.
9. In the same 12 inch skillet used for tomatoes, add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over low medium heat. Smash remaining 6 cloves garlic and add to pan along with red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes until garlic is softened and beginning to caramelize.
10. Serve pasta with a drizzle of garlic pepper oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Cooks tip:  Eric and I had this for lunch the next day at our respective places of work.  We both ate it cold and it was equally delicious.  This could be made ahead of time ( like before a marathon cleaning day) and either reheated, eaten at room temp, or even cold the next day.

Meatless Monday: Aladdin's Eatery

     I decided to do something a little different for this meatless monday.  Like I said, eating out at times is a necessity.  Last week was extremely busy for us.  The combination of landscaping and remodeling work (still working on our singular bathroom), visiting with friends both local and out of towners, plus the usual day to day business left little time for cooking this week.  However I did get the chance to eat at a great little local Middle Eastern eatery on tuesday while on a girl's day with my friend Ashlee.  Before we even started shopping we were ravenous, and not too interested in the usual offerings of the big chain restaurants we decided on Aladdin's Eatery.  

     I rediscovered this fabulous eatery within the past year.  I had been there many years ago with my mom, and it was only recently that I started going there again with more frequency.  It is more than just a restaurant.  Their mission statement sums up their philosophy nicely which states, "Our intention at Aladdin's Eatery is to provide our customers with unique natural foods of the Middle East, while at the same time cater to their increased awareness and concern regarding health and nutrition."  The menu is extensive and caters to a variety of diets. Each entry in the menu is labeled as to whether it is vegan, gluten-free, or vegetarian.  Plus they also offer extensive nutritional information regarding their offerings, which makes it great for those with allergens or those with celiac disease.
     Beyond all the nutritional information is the food and no matter what your diet or restrictions, at Aladdin's it is all delicious.  I always get the Dawali, grape leaves stuffed with rice, chick peas, tomato and parsley.  They are served warm with a drizzling of a wonderful olive oil based dressing, crumbled feta cheese and additional fresh herbs.  Eric has had the baba, he loves the blend of eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, and olive oil.  For our girls luncheon this past tuesday, I again stuck to my routine and ordered the dawali.  There was plenty to share as they included 6 cigar shaped stuffed grape leaves on my plate.  I tried the fattoush for my main entree.  Fattoush is a mixed green and Lebanese salata (chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper, scallions, onions and herbs) tossed with toasted pita, lemon, garlic, sumac, extra virgin olive oil and herbs.  It was so delicious.  Everything in the salad was so fresh and tasty, the toasted pita flavored with sumac and herbs gave the salad an additional crunch.  I loved it.
     Besides for a variety of appetizers and salads, they also serve soups, a variety of pita dishes, and specialty plates.  The pita pizzas (which I love) are inventive and really worth checking out.  Try the Ali Baba pita pizza, a pita covered in pureed eggplant, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese, char-grilled slices of eggplant, slivered calamata olives and fresh oregano.  Farrouk's falafel pizza is another tasty dish consisting of tahini yogurt dressing topped with chunks of homemade falafel, yellow pepper rings, diced tomatoes and fresh chopped parsley.  Ashlee ordered the dawali rolled pita which is one of the vegetarian rolled pitas they offer.  They take their house made dawali, add crumbled feta and Aladdin's house dressing and roll it all up in a fresh pita which is lightly toasted.
     Overall Aladdin's eatery shines in my book.  It offers a plethora of choices for a variety of diners.  The prices are extremely reasonable due to the portions sizes and the quality of the food.  It is prepared beautifully and deliciously with not just giving consideration to taste, but also nutrition and a variety of dietary considerations in mind.  The staff is attentive, knowledgable and ready to offer suggestions and answer any questions.  If ever near an Aladdin's Eatery give this little gem a try.  The hardest part about going here will be deciding what to order! It is not only great for meatless monday but for any day of the week.  Check out their website to see all their locations, peruse the menu, or to view nutritional information.

Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Shallot Herb Reduction

     Several years ago I made a butternut squash lasagna for dinner.  It was a lot of work.  Now that I think about it, I probably could have roasted the squash whole.  Instead I blindly followed the recipe which involved peeling the squash, chopping it into cubes, roasting, cooling, and finally pureeing the roasted squash.  As you may know, butternut squash is a very hard and dense vegetable when raw and I just about cut my fingers off trying to cube that thing.  Then came making the béchamel sauce, the ricotta filling, shredding two types of cheese, and assembling the whole thing.  It was labor intensive and the final dish really wasn't in my mind that spectacular.  To me it was too sweet for an entree, it tasted more like dessert, the sweetness of filling made with roasted caramelized squash intensified with each bite.  Overall the dish was weird.  All the labor it required, combined with the strange sweet cloying flavor mixed with ricotta and pasta, discouraged me from ever wanting to make it again.  It was one of those dishes that after trying one time, for me didn't deserve a repeat performance.
     The one exception to this was that Eric, my dear wonderful husband, loved it.  He couldn't get enough, of what to me, seemed like a disaster.  He has commented a few times since the lasagna incident that he wished I would make it again.  I could not believe it, nor did I ever want to make it again, despite his request.  However the fact that he loved it and requested I make it again did nag at me.  I remembered it from time to time.  One day while on a weekly shopping excursion, as I was in the frozen food section picking up a block of frozen spinach, I saw it.  I am referring to frozen butternut squash puree.  This was the first time I noticed it.  I was thrilled at the possibility of finding a quick and easy alternative to all the peeling, chopping and roasting, that I threw one package into my cart.  I planned on making a version of a butternut squash pasta dish that we both could love (or at least I could attempt to love).
     The problem with the first attempt at butternut squash + pasta was the amount of squash.  In the lasagna it was just overwhelming.  Plus the sweet roasted squash combined with ricotta, which also has a sweetness to it, made the whole dish for me overwhelmingly sweet.  I changed up the cheese in this dish for that reason adding pecorino romano and a soft Italian gorgonzola that complimented the butternut squash earthiness and added a depth of richness.  Wonton wrappers were the vehicle I choose to hold the filling.  With just 1 1/2 tsp of filling in each ravioli the sweetness of the squash was pleasant rather then overwhelming.  The wonton wrappers also make an excellent substitute to homemade pasta.  I have used them before for a spinach ricotta ravioli and they work wonderfully.  As far as the ravioli cooking method, I tried out two.  I fried one batch in a thin layer of olive oil, the other batch I poached in the shallot herb broth.  I must say I preferred the fried ravioli.  For one they looked more appealing with a toasted brown color and crispy exterior. The crispiness offered a great crunch that contrasted with the creamy interior.  I had a slight problem with the poached ones sticking in the pan and tearing, the cheesy squash filling oozing out.  Plus they were a light fleshy color, somewhat translucent, which did not look very appealing.  (For any Star Trek fans out there it reminded me a little of the Borg Queen's skin in First Contact)
     I am proud to say the dish was a hit.  Eric loved it and it satisfied his butternut squash pasta cravings.  For me it was earthy, herbaceous, cheesy, with a slight sweetness that I enjoyed.  Fresh thyme, sage and shallots added extra flavor and a herby warmth and freshness to the dish.  While the wonton wrappers and already prepared squash did cut down on some of the labor of the dish, it still took time to fill each ravioli so plan on making this dish when you have some time to spare.  Since I made this for the two of us, I only fried about 12 ravioli.  This recipe makes about 40 ravioli, so the remainder I placed layered, (after the ravioli were dried thoroughly), in a large square airtight container, separating each layer with plastic wrap.  I have not tried freezing them but since they did well in the fridge, I would guess they would do well in the freezer. Will I make this again, Yes!

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Shallot Herb Reduction

Recipe by Jordan

Ingredients

• 1-12 oz package butternut or winter squash puree
• 1 cup pecorino roman cheese
• 4 oz soft Italian gorgonzola
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 package Frieda's wonton wrappers
• 1 large shallot minced
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• canola or olive oil for frying
• kosher salt
• fresh pepper
• 6 sage leaves torn + additional for garnish

Directions

1. Thaw butternut squash puree. Carefully drain off any extra liquid that may have separated during thawing.
2. Combine puree, 1 cup pecorino roman cheese, and gorgonzola. (Either run this through a food processor to combine gorgonzola or mix well smashing cheese with fork to combine it throughout squash puree)
3. Add thyme and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Add 1 1/2 tsp of filling to center of wonton wrapper.
5. Brush edges of all 4 sides of wonton wrapper with a pastry brush that has been dipped in water (keep a small bowl of water handy to rewet brush and to tap off any excess water on brush before applying to wonton)
6. Once all 4 sides are moistened, fold in half to form triangle. Starting where filling ends with index finger and thumb press out any air, working to the edges to seal up ravioli.
7. Place on cookie sheet. Crimp the 2 ends of the triangle with fork to further seal edges. At this point transfer ravioli to cookie cooling rack.





After crimping transfer to cookie cooling rack to dry. Even though these were on oiled waxed paper they stuck on the bottom.

Trial and error later I learned the cookie cooling rack prevents sticking. 



8. Continue to do this until all filling is used up.
9. Allow wontons to dry for at least 1 hour (the cookie cooling rack allows them to dry on both sides and prevents sticking).
10. In the meantime prepare broth. Heat a little olive oil in sauté pan, then add finely minced shallot sautéing until caramelized.
11. Deglaze pan with 1 cup of vegetable stock, simmer for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is reduced by 1/2. Season with salt, pepper and add torn sage leaves to broth.
12. Heat approximately 1/4 inch olive oil or canola oil over medium high flame in 12 inch skillet.
13. Working in batches place about 4 ravioli in hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on each side (watch this closely it only takes several seconds on each side).
14. Transfer to paper towel. Continue cooking until desired amount of wontons are cooked.
15. Place 4-6 wontons on plate and drizzle with shallot herb broth. Garnish with additional fresh sage leaves. Serve immediately.

Cooks tip:  If planning on refrigerating and using the next day, remove from refrigerator the day of cooking an hour prior to frying, place on cooling rack and allow to dry again.  The ravioli did get a little soft and moist in the refrigerator and this helps them keep their shape nicely when frying.

Meatless Monday: Three Cheese Pizza

     I love to cook, especially when I can try a new recipe.  Especially if the recipe is complex, has multiple ingredients, steps, or new techniques that I can attempt to master.  I love a challenge.  Yet I also appreciate a quick, easy, meal or snack I can throw together at the last minute.  To be truthful, this is how I cook most of the time with my busy, always changing schedule.  A dish that is easy, quick, yet at the same time tasty and satisfying is a real gift for the busy lifestyle. This pizza hits the spot and accomplishes all my requirements for a good snack or light meal.  It is crunchy, flavorful, and delicious.  Plus the speed at which it can be made leaves a lot of time for relaxing perhaps perusing that new cookbook.
     This also satisfies my frequent pizza cravings without being the gut bomb pizzas at times can be.  I love pizza so much.  So much!  I have a variety of favorite pizza parlors.  The one with the soft chewy crust, the one that loads each pie with extra cheese to order, or the one that is hometown made, a local favorite.  My three cheese pizza is just as tasty and the crust is only a mere 32 calories!  I used Ghossian's Thin Wheat Pita for the crust.  It is a local company that I am proud to support.  Don't despair out-of-towner's, they also ship many of their fabulous Mediterranean specialties across the country.  Their pitas make a light crust that crisps up great in the oven.  It makes the best quick, thin crust pizza.

Quick Three Cheese Pizza

Recipe by Jordan

Ingredients

• 2 Ghossian's thin wheat pitas
• 4 Tbsp sundried tomato pesto
• 2 tbsp grated pecorino romano cheese
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded
• 8 grape tomatoes

Directions

1. Slice mushrooms and sauté in a little olive oil over medium high heat until golden brown.
2. Place pitas on large baking sheet.
3. Spread 2 tbsp of sundried tomato pesto (I purchased this from Aldi's) over each pita
4. Sprinkle 1 tbsp pecorino roman over each pita
5. Place half of mushrooms over each pita
6. Remove thyme leaves from sprigs, sprinkling fresh thyme over each pita
7. Sprinkle half of mozzarella and parmesan over each pita
8. Slice grape tomatoes into rounds and place half of them over each pita
9. Bake at 375º until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
10. Serve as a snack or with a mixed green salad for a light meal.

This serves 2.

Meatless Monday: Rice with Chickpeas, Currants & Herbs

     We had meatless sunday as well as meatless monday yesterday in our home.  We fell back into some unsavory eating habits over the past few weeks, eating quick take-out meals and ordering pizza a few times.  I guess Eric was in the mood for some GOOD food and decided to make a wonderful vegetarian lunch.  It would have been vegan had it not been for the butter I slathered all over our garlic naan.  But I could not resist the urge to do so.  I inherited my grandma's love of butter.
     A few months ago Eric bought me a gift, Jerusalem: A Cookbook.  I saw it one day while perusing the local book store and fell in love.  It looked so interesting with new unique recipes, old favorites such as falafel, and of course the gloriously colorful and beautiful pictures of a foreign land and it's food.  I had been reading the book but up until yesterday we had failed to make any of its recipes.  I was planning on using one the recipes for my meatless monday feature, but Eric beat me to it, using a recipe for falafel for our Sunday lunch.  It was very tasty and further encouraged me to try a recipe today.  It is also the reason why my house now smells of curry and my hands like cilantro.  I just brushed a stray hair from my face while typing and the fresh, intoxicating aroma of cilantro filled my nasal passages.  To me this is a simple pleasure, the wonderful aroma of cilantro.  Also what a gift time is, especially when I can fill it with trying out a new recipe, playing with light via photography, and writing about the whole experience.
     Up until I acquired this book my exposure to food from Jerusalem was nil.  The authors of the book Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi include a great introduction in the book for ones like myself.  It gives a brief but colorful description of the people making up the city of Jerusalem, the backgrounds of the varied and diverse inhabitants of the land.  Jerusalem, I learned is a tapestry of cultures and therefore a tapestry of cuisines that at times are intermingled.  The food has evolved over time from various influences.  It explains the reason why the recipe I choose to make today reminds me of the some of the dishes I have had at Indian restaurants.
     This recipe is oh so tasty and very easy to make.  It includes some of my favorite ingredients: rice, chick peas, cilantro.  It is savory but also has a wonderful sweetness imparted by dried currants.  It also includes some of my favorite spices: curry and cumin.  I loved the technique for making the basmati rice.  I am accustomed to using the ratio of double water to rice so this seemed a little foreign to me.  However I followed it exactly and was overjoyed I did as it turned out great, each grain of rice separate from the next.  I did adapt this ever so slightly, based on what I had on hand and personal preference.  This dish makes a great meatless monday entree. I plan on serving it for dinner tonight with garlic naan and a chopped green salad with tomatoes and cucumber.  This dish can either be served warm or at room temperature, so it is great for a dinner party as it is something that can be made ahead of time.  Try this recipe out, it may just inspire you to purchase your own Jerusalem cookbook.

Rice with Chickpeas, Currants, & Herbs

Recipe adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup wild rice
• 2 1/4 cup basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cup boiling water
• 3 tsp curry powder
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp fennel seed
• 2 cans chickpeas
• 2/3 cup currants
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place wild rice in small saucepan covered with plenty of water. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low simmering for 35-40 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Bring water to boil for basmati rice
3. In medium saucepan and 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over high. Add the basmati rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toast slightly. Slowly add boiling water, decrease heat to lowest flame, cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes.
4. After basmati rice has cooked for 15 minutes, remove from heat, fluff with fork, cover pan with tea towel, followed by lid and leave set for 10 minutes.
5. In the meantime while rice is cooking ready chickpeas. (I used 2 cans and did this in two batches so as not to overcrowd my pan).
6. Place 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in 12 inch skillet and heat over high heat. Add 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas and stir to coat with olive oil.
7. Add 1 1/2 tsp each of curry powder and cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp fennel seed. Stir quickly to coat. Roast in pan for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Repeat steps 6 & 7 with second can of chickpeas.
8. Assemble salad, add both types of rice, chickpeas, currants, and herbs. Stir to combine, taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Cooks tip: I finished this with a drizzle of  excellent quality olive oil over the top just prior to serving.  The original recipe called for fried onions served over the top.  I feel these would have been great and given the dish a bit more crunch but I omitted them at this time to make the dish gluten-free.

Meatless Monday: Leek, Lentil, & Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese

     If you would have told my childhood self that I would one day love, in fact crave lentils, my child know-it-all self would have laughed in your face.  Let's say my tastes (and manners) have evolved over the years, or maybe my choice of lentils improved. Whatever the reason they are so much better tasting to me now.  My brother introduced me to French lentils several years ago.  I guess the French get most things right, even lentils.  I am really not sure what first inspired him to want to purchase these particular lentils, but I am going to venture a guess and say maybe it was the "French" preceding lentils that had something to do with his choice.  He too is a francophile like me.  He told me that the only place he could find them was at Whole Foods, and he loved them.  I was intrigued. The next time I took a trip to our closest Whole Foods, (about an hours drive) I looked for them in the bulk food isle.  There they were, small, round, with a pleasingly beautiful green background and black speckles over the surface.  They were ascetically pleasing but I was still a little apprehensive about the taste.
     My limited childhood experience with anything that even closely resembled these little gems had tainted my views.  The least favorite dish of all time that my mom had made for us on a few occasions contained split peas.  Usually using the left over ham from a prior meal, she made a hearty and nutritious soup.  I did not appreciate it to say the least.  It was the consistency I hated.  It may have been creamed, having never watched her make this dish I cannot say.  As a child all I saw was a giant bowl of thick green goo with bits of ham in it, sitting in front of me.  I could never eat more than I bite, and did that with I am ashamed to say, a bit of gagging.
     Flash forward a few decades and I decided to trust my brother's French lentil recommendation, as he too had been present and experienced the split pea soup, and I gave them a try.  French lentils are slightly different from regular lentils, in that they stay firmer and retain their shape even when cooked throughly.  They have a nice bite to them and a flinty, mineral-like taste.  I learned that to be real French lentils they must come from Auvergne, a mountainous region in the south of France.  Their unique taste comes from the rich volcanic soil they are grown in.  While they are indeed found at Whole Food Markets, they can also be ordered from a variety of mail order sources.  Check out my list for one such source.
     The recipe below is inspired from this recipe I used the first time I cooked french lentils, but has been adapted to my taste.  It is a great summer salad and can be served on a bed of mixed greens or baby spinach with a baguette for a completely satisfying meatless monday meal.  This salad is also a fabulous side dish when served with grilled swordfish or other such poisson.  I used California Olive Ranch olive oil for the dressing which I feel is a good quality, grassy, fresh-flavored olive oil that complimented the earthiness of the dish.  Herb vinegar purchased while on our recent epic road trip in Fort Collins, Colorado from Crescendo was also used in the vinaigrette.  If you don't have these available no worries, there are so many good choices in the grocery stores these days! Over all this is a very simple yet hearty and exceptionally flavored dish.  Give it a try and please let me know your thoughts!

Leek, Lentil & Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese

Recipe by Jordan

Ingredients

• 1 cup French lentils
• 1 leek
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes
• 4 oz goat cheese
• a few grinds of pepper
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian palsy
• 2 tbsp herb vinegar

Directions

1. Throughly rinse and pick through lentils.
2. Place lentils in 2 quart saucepan with 1 cup wine, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium to low, cover and cook for approximately 40 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Allow to cool slightly after cooking.
3. While lentils are cooking, prepare leeks.
4. Trim leek and cut into quarters longways. Finely chop leek quarters.
5. Place in salad spinner, rinse, soak, drain and spin. Repeat as necessary until throughly cleaned removing all grit from leeks.
6. Sauté leeks over medium high heat in a little olive oil, until slightly softened about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt as desired. Set aside.
7. Quarter cherry tomatoes and set aside.
8. Make vinaigrette: Combine 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp herb vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Combine cooked and slightly cooled lentils, sautéed leeks, fresh tomatoes, and chopped italian parsley. Pour vinaigrette over and toss to coat.
10. Serve with crumbled goat cheese on bed of mixed greens or baby spinach if desired. Eric also wrapped all of it up in a tortilla and said it was excellent!

Verboten Brewing: Beer for All

Nitro Handle and Verboten Brewing's 32 oz growlers

     Travel enriches the soul.  It teaches us something about ourselves, opens doors to new opportunities, enlightens by giving us a new perspective, refreshes and soothes in a very unique way.  Friendships too can do the same.  While on our recent adventures, our last stop was to Colorado to see some friends that we had not seen for 10+ years.  Time and distance can be a great separator but there are special friendships that always seem to bridge the gap.  Our friend Andrew explained such friends as lifelong friends.  These are truly the friends that neither time nor distance can separate and when such things do place themselves in between it does not create a gap, but instead things are picked up where they were left off and there is just an abundance of catching up to do.  It is a beautiful thing. 
     Our friends in Colorado are such examples.  These are the people whom we grew up with, who knew all our silly secrets and possibly too our biggest mistakes.  They are the kind of friend you don't just discard.  Nowadays while it is a little easier to keep in touch via social media tools, nothing beats real personal communication and better yet a real visit.  We were blessed with such an opportunity and possessed the wisdom to take the opportunity when it presented itself.  Our friends were willing to have us stop by and stay awhile which is the greatest compliment.  The icing on the cake of this epic visit was the fact that they recently opened their very own brewery.

Antique Cooler in Taproom at Verboten Brewing

     Craft Beer has become wildly popular.  If you are reading this from a place where craft brewing has been popular for years this comment may sound a little out of touch.  However it has had to trickle down as it were to the small towns such as ours across the nation.  Most recently our local grocer has stocked the shelves of our beer section with craft brews from Vermont, Washington, Colorado, Maine, Ohio, Utah, and other such states.  For someone that has appreciated craft beer for a while now this was a welcomed addition to the formerly mediocre beer selection.  I was now able to enjoy some of the quality brews at home that I had once only had the privilege of tasting while I was traveling to these destinations.
     My love of craft beer is one of the reasons I also watched excitedly via facebook as friends of ours announced their plans to open a brewery called Verboten in Colorado's Loveland area.  Over the months that followed we got to see the progress of their plans from construction to opening night.  After that we salivated as Angie announced the beers for the week that one could taste in their tap room.  My mind started thinking ahead and forming a plan, another trip was in the forecast not only to see our friends but to literally taste some of their success.  After less than 3 months they had already been selected by Bon Appetit as one of the top 10 nanobreweries in America!
     Verboten is a German word that means "forbidden" or "prohibited".  How does this relate to beer?  The Reinheitsgebot or German Purity Laws stated that only water, barley and hops could be used as ingredients in its production.  These laws were formed prior to the understanding of yeast!  Later these laws were repealed, yet still remaining strict in listing only 5 ingredients as what was allowed.  For Verboten Brewery nothing is forbidden in their brews.  Most of their beers play outside the purity laws with such ingredients mixed in the mash as strawberries and rhubarb, coriander and sea-salt, and homemade caramel.  I asked Josh Grenz, one-fourth of the Verboten team where he gets some of the inspiration for his unique blends.  He said some combinations are pulled from his childhood, favorite recipes his mom made, but inspiration also comes from conversations they (he and other brewer Joe) have with the wives in the partnership, his wife Angie and Joe's wife Keri.  

Josh and Eric discussing beer making over some homemade caramel for "Killer Boots" Verboten's Caramel Porter

Brewing beer is hard work!

     Eric and I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with Josh Grenz on one of his brewing days, while we were on a recent vacation.  It was a wonderful experience that we both will treasure for years to come.  Watching Josh work was like seeing a master artist.  Josh started out as a home-brewer and paired up with fellow home-brewer Joe Akers to open Verboten to the public this January.  Eric and I were both extremely impressed by Josh's knowledge and understanding of the science behind brewing.  I never realized until that day just how much of a science beer making was.  Other than the science, there is a lot of hard work, precise timing, imagination, and dedication that goes into beer making and it is those qualities that I feel makes Verboten's beers so great.  There is a lot of passion and life that goes into their signature brews.  The deliciousness shines through.  They are also very creative with the beer names taking them from favorite movies.  My favorite Verboten beers are "A roll in ze hay," their take on a Gose style salted beer (love me my salt), and "Killer Boots," a caramel porter.

  
     Many have already been inspired by Verboten.  We of course were inspired to make the trek out to taste the fine drink, but others have made barbecue sauce with the beer, beer pairing menus have been concocted by Chef Bill from Wapiti, and I am sure Verboten will continue to inspire. Verboten's motto is Beer for All, and it shows in their variety of fabulous beers and in the welcoming and helpful way they reach out to the community.  Stop by the tap room someday and try it out for yourself!  Check out Verboten's facebook page to keep up to date on the current hours, taproom offerings, and all the happenings in and around the tap room.