Double-Post Thursday

Since it's Thursday, it's time for another Double-Post Thursday. Today's six recipes include Chipotle Cranberry Meatballs and Engagement Roast Chicken. Enjoy!

MOROCCAN LENTIL SALAD

This lunch recipe, along with the Apple Cider Vinaigrette is from the September 2016 issue of Runner's World, page 78, and begins, “Saute pureed cauliflower in olive oil for 3 minutes as a substitute for couscous.”

This is adapted from Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes, by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. Published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.

Makes 6 servings.

This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/run-fast-eat-slow.

Ingredients

1 cup dried green lentils, sorted and rinsed

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

3 medium carrots, peeled and grated

2 cups loosely packed chopped kale, stems removed

1/2 cup chopped toasted pistachios or almonds

1/2 cup chopped dried Turkish apricots

1/4 cup pitted, chopped Kalamata olives

1 Tbsp. Ras el Hanout (Moroccan spice blend)

1 cup uncooked couscous, prepared according to package instructions

Instructions

Place the lentils in a medium pot, add the salt, and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Place the carrots, kale, nuts, apricots, olives, and Ras el Hanout in a large salad bowl. Add the couscous and lentils and toss until evenly combined. Add two-thirds of the dressing (recipe below), toss, and taste. Add more dressing to taste, if needed.

Cover the salad and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings.

APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

This recipe begins, “Apple cider vinegar is inexpensive and crazy good for you. It’s high in minerals, can help your body maintain healthy pH levels, and is rich in digestion-enhancing enzymes. We’re so hooked on making salad dressings out of it that we’re giving you three variations to try.

“The variations are vegan-friendly. When buying apple cider vinegar, the uglier the better. If it’s clear instead of murky, the 'mother' (enzymes and good bacteria) has been filtered out.

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 shallot, minced

1/4teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Basic Apple Cider Vinaigrette: Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.

This basic vinaigrette pairs happily with any refreshing salad. We are partial to pouring it generously over our Green Apple–Fennel Salad with Hazelnuts. This dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. If the oil solidifies, briefly microwave on low until melted.

Maple-Dijon Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

Add 2 teaspoons maple syrup to the basic recipe. This sweet variation goes superbly with lentil salads. Try it on our Moroccan Lentil Salad with Cauliflower Couscous. Each variation makes 1/2 cup.

ENGAGEMENT ROAST CHICKEN

This comes from Ina Garten of The Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 1 hr 40 min; Active: 5 min; Yield: 3 servings; Level: Intermediate.

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/engagement-roast-chicken-recipe.

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons

1 whole head garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise

Good olive oil

2 Spanish onions, peeled and thickly sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove and discard the chicken giblets. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cut the lemons in quarters, place 2 quarters in the chicken along with the garlic and reserve the rest of the lemons. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a small (11 by 14-inch) roasting pan. (If the pan is too large, the onions will burn.) Place the reserved lemons and the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the mixture around the chicken in the pan.

Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan.

Place the pan on top of the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect under the chicken. Carve the chicken onto a platter and serve with the lemons, onions, and warm sauce.

TEXAS-STYLE CHILI

This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Texas-style chili is a bean-free stew that’s usually made with chunks of slow-cooked beef. Here, eggplant stands in for meat in the traditional thick, spicy sauce. Serve with chopped green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, and corn chips.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

3 mulato or pasilla dried chiles

2 costeno dried chiles

1 cascabel dried chile

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 15-oz. can whole tomatoes

1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. light brown sugar or 1 tsp. molasses, optional

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

4 medium Japanese eggplant, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

2 Tbs. masa harina

Instructions:

Place dried chiles in medium bowl, and cover with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes, or until soft, pushing chiles under water occasionally. Let liquid cool until chiles are easy to handle.

Remove tough stems and seeds from rehydrated chiles, using soaking liquid to rinse away seeds. Coarsely chop chiles, and strain liquid to remove seeds. Set aside.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and sear 1 to 2 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add chiles with soaking liquid, tomatoes with juice, chili powder, brown sugar (if using), cumin, oregano, and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Remove pot from heat, and blend chiles and vegetables with immersion blender until smooth. Stir in eggplant chunks, then cover pot, and simmer 30 minutes over medium heat, or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in masa harina, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 148; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 21 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 242 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 10 g

CHIPOTLE CRANBERRY MEATBALLS

This comes from Publix, and can be viewed online at http://www.publix.com/recipes-planning/aprons-recipes/chipotle-cranberry-meatballs.

Servings: 24

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb fresh ready-to-cook gourmet meatballs (any flavor)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 (8-oz) package Deli cranberry-orange relish*

2 tablespoons chipotle pepper sauce

1/2 cup presliced green onions

Directions

Prepare meatballs following package instructions for skillet (using the oil). Meanwhile, combine relish, pepper sauce, and onions.

Drain any extra fat from meatballs, if needed. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cranberry mixture; cook 1–2 minutes, stirring often, or until thoroughly heated. Serve.

*This is a seasonal item; you can also use canned whole-berry cranberry sauce.

MEYER LEMON TART

This is from Amanda Hesser at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Amanda wrote, “The Meyer lemon has always been something of a California secret, and every year when its brief growing season begins there, eager cooks sigh with relief. The Meyer is not as assertive as the common supermarket varieties, but it offers so much more in nuanced flavor that it is unforgettable. And these days, the Meyer's secret is finally out. A Meyer lemon contains about four times the sugar of a regular lemon, but it can be used almost interchangeably with the traditional varieties, adding a rounder edge to both sweet and savory dishes. And you can use the whole thing – from pulp to peel. This gorgeous tart is the ideal way to showcase its seductive fragrance and flavor. (Regular lemons will work well in this recipe too, but you'll likely want to add a bit more sugar.)”

Yield: One 10-inch tart; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “All Perfume, No Pucker” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Crust

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pan

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 tablespoon milk

12 ounces (about 2 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Lemon Curd

1 1/4 pound (5 or 6) Meyer lemons

1 cup sugar

5 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pan

7 large egg yolks

5 large eggs

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Make the crust: in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into two balls. Freeze one for future use, chill the other for at least 1 hour.

Heavily butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.

While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add remaining sugar, butter and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.

In bowl of a mixer, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir to stop the cooking. Strain lemon curd into a bowl. Adjust sugar to taste; the curd should be tart, but may need additional sugar if the lemons were unripe. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving.