The Thrifty Foodie

Twice as Nice Baked Red Lentils and Mashed Red Potatoes

            

Originally, I had planned to offer a red lentils and potato soup for this third recipe in my "Month
of Lentils" repertoire, but a fellow artist friend,
Veronica, had different plans: "Mash those potatoes up and bake the whole thing in the oven!"  I couldn't see any reason not to, and thusly embarked on creating a warm,
gooey, savory casserole .

Baked in a cast-iron skillet, and garnished with one
of my all-time favorite cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano,
this recipe turned out to be quite worthy of
"comfort food" status.  This dish is just the thing to
bring one's memory back to all those yummy baked
casseroles from childhood.  Enjoy, and, go
ahead, have seconds.  I did.
 

Blog o' the Week: Whipped

The lovely lady who writes Whipped says:

"Whipped is a new place for me to write about some of the things I enjoy most which include food, drink and above all, sitting around a table with friends and family talking, laughing and loving life."

(you can't argue with that)

Marlene says: Mmm, this food just looks good, especially the most recent pasta posting.  I was checking out her lentil salad with sun-dried tomatoes and feta, and am intrigued by the idea, but I think I need a bit of a break from lentils for the next month or so....

Greta says: I like how she incorporates "finds" with her own recipes.  And damn that bagel breakfast sandwich from her visit to Portland, ME looks good.  It makes me want to start experimenting with my own version of this early morning treat...

Sans Pork "Classic" Lentil Soup

Papa Dietrich has always been a huge fan of soups, and living through the cool and damp of the Willamette Valley fall and winter seasons my family tended to gravitate towards such warm dinner options.  Mama Dietrich, realizing that soups were a great way to make a cheap, easy and satisfying dish which pleased Papa Dietrich - and the rest of us too - taught me how to create classic soups, which I soon learned to improvise upon.  To close the "Month of Lentils" I offer this vegetarian version that mimics the satisfying flavors and aroma of the more traditional lentil soups out there, which all add some form or other of cured pork.  This soup is exceptionally cheap to make, high in fiber and protein, and can also be the perfect steamy bowl of goodness to help warm and comfort the body during the cooler days and nights ahead of us.

Spicy Ginger Pumpkin Cupcakes

Nothing quite says "fall" like these treats, which take a traditional cupcake and spice them up for the foodie in all of us.  With cream cheese frosting and cute little candy corn decorations, they can be taken to a pumpkin-carving party or just enjoyed at home.  This recipe makes about twelve, and you'll probably have a little leftover frosting.  I bought my crystallized ginger in bulk at the local grocery store, paid about a dollar for it, and still had about half of what I bought leftover to munch on after garlicky lunches.  I also use the cardamom I bought for Marlene's lentils a couple of weeks ago, which I think lends these cakes a more interesting flavor than traditional cinnamon.  Enjoy my version of pumpkin cupcakes.