I don’t know about you, but when I heard Gwyneth Paltrow coming out with a cookbook, I rolled my eyes.  I was a bit like “What can that skinny-macrobiotic diet-eating B know about real food?  Doesn’t she only eat her food raw?”  (Yes I am the type to make snap judgements, in case you can’t tell.)  But then I heard some pretty good reviews about it, so when I was browsing the library one day and saw it, I decided to check it out.  Another reason I thought I’d give it a shot is because when Gwyneth was in Nashville for a couple months shooting “Country Strong”, she did some great write ups in her newsletter GOOP about my fair city.  Some of the spots she named were favorites of mine, and it seems she really took the time to explore what we have to offer, rather than just staying cooped up in her penthouse apartment.  (GOOP Nashville Part 1 and Part 2)

One of the first dishes I chose to make was this Kale Fried Rice, along with her Teriyaki Salmon (sorry guys, didn’t get a picture, but it was delicious).  The last time I made brown rice, it was sticky & mushy, so I knew I needed to change up my method.  I was really hoping Gwyneth would include a method for cooking brown rice (because I assume she probably makes it a lot), but alas she did not.  After some quick googling, I found Pinch My Salt’s adaption of a method from Saveur, and I can safely say this will be my preparation from now on.  The rice was the perfect texture for frying in this dish.  We really love kale, and I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t get around to signing up for a share in the Winter CSA this year.  I miss all those lovely greens.  The key to integrating it into this dish is to prepare it well.  Chop off the thick stems, and slice it thin into ribbons.

This went perfect with the salmon, but I was very excited to have leftovers.  I knew EXACTLY what I was going to do with it for lunch the next day… Top it with a runny fried egg!  That may have been the best decision I made all week.  The egg added some protein, but also added tons of flavor.  It was rich, savory, and perfect for the rice.  Though prepping kale can be a bit time consuming, it is definitely worth it in this dish.  In fact, I can see myself preparing a double batch of this to eat on throughout the week.  All you’d need to do is reheat the leftovers in the microwave, and fry up an egg to top it off.  This dish will be made again and again in my kitchen.

I’m eating my words, maybe Gwyneth knows a thing or two around the kitchen!  Her cookbook is named My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness and is available on Amazon.  Or be like me and check your library!  (This is NOT a sponsored post, obviously I would not refer to her as a B if it was.  I just liked the first two recipes I tried from her cookbook and thought y’all would want to know!)

Kale Fried Rice

Yield: 4 servings

This is great as a side dish in an Asian inspired meal, or perfect on it's own topped with a runny friend egg.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb (225 g) kale (about 1/2 bunch), thick stems discarded
1-1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely minced
3 scallions, trimmed, thinly sliced on diagonal
2-1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

Cut the kale leaves in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into very thin ribbons (chiffonade). Steam the kale for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Raise the heat to medium and add the steamed kale and scallions. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the soy sauce and cook for 30 seconds more.

from My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness

Whether you choose to top your waffles with real maple syrup, that OTHER stuff, fresh fruit & whipped cream, peanut butter, nutella, or whatever, you won’t be disappointed with this recipe!  It was SO simple to prepare.  I mixed it together in a matter of minutes and put it in the fridge, to be enjoyed the next day.  (Side note: rather that use my stand mixer, or even my hand mixer, I thought this would be a great use for the OXO Hand Egg Beater I got at Food Blog Forum: Nashville.  Sure enough, it worked awesome!  I love that little gadget!)  Come morning, I loved that all I had to do was turn on the waffle iron, and give the batter a stir.  Seriously.  That’s ALL you have to do.  You go from your warm bed to warm waffles in a matter of MINUTES.  Thanks Jessica for sharing this recipe!

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

Yield: 6-8 waffles (I got 6)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Add in the milk, eggs, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Cover the batter loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and chill overnight or up to 24 hours.

Stir the batter before using. Preheat and lightly grease your waffle maker. Pour about 3/4 cup batter onto waffle iron and close lid quickly; do not open until done. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your particular waffle iron. When done, use a fork to lift waffle off the grid. Repeat with remaining batter.

from Better Homes & Gardens, as seen on The Novice Chef

While I have a black bean soup in my blog archives from long ago (with ugly picture to prove it), I’ve never posted a black bean soup using dried beans.  When I received a pound of black beans with my Whole Foods Market Pantry Staples challenge (my giveaway has ended but it’s not too late to enter their sweepstakes!) I knew it was time to make a soup again I’ve made once before, but hadn’t blogged.

It’s pretty lame that I don’t cook with dried beans very often.  I like the fact that there’s less waste in the packaging than canned beans, for one thing.  And I also like that they don’t have the added sodium.  With the help of a slow-cooker, the dried beans in this recipe can cook without having to pre-soak, rinse, or require watching.  This is a soup I can prep pretty quickly, and then just forget about it.  It also gave me a chance to use my new immersion blender again!  I prefer more blended beans than the original recipe calls for, so I’ve adapted the recipe below to my preferences.  I like that this black bean soup has a completely different method of prep & cooking, and also a different flavor than the other soup in my blog.  This one uses canned chipotle peppers for added depth of smokiness & heat.  While I’m sure the Toasted Crema Deb of Smitten Kitchen included in her post is fabulous, I’ve admittedly never made it.  I just dollop mine with a touch of sour cream, and sometimes add in sliced avocado if I’ve got it on hand.  It’s great on a cold winter day!

I’m submitting this post to Branny Boils Over’s Souper Bowl.  I had the pleasure of meeting Branny at BlogHerFood ’11 in Atlanta, and she’s just as nice, sweet, and funny in person as she is on her blog and twitter.  One thing about Branny is, she LOVES animals.  Her Souper Bowl is all about raising money for her favorite charity ASPCA.  I’m dedicating this post to my fur child, Jesse.  He’s only been in our lives a little over a year, but we can’t remember what we did without him.  Yes, I had a little more time in the mornings, and I didn’t lay on the floor to get a tennis ball out from under the bed or couch 3x a day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I love to see his face light up & him leap into the air when we say the magic words “wanna go for a ride” or even better “wanna go to the park”.  I may find it a bit annoying when I’m trying to type a blog post, and he keeps putting his toy on my keyboard so he can fetch, but he makes up for it when he snuggles up next to me (as he is right now).  And best of all, on those late nights when I arrive home from work the same time Nathan is leaving for work, around 2 am, I invite him onto the bed so I still have someone to snuggle with.

Just like the black bean soup, my dark doggy is hard to photograph!  And please ignore the dirty window.  I can wash the window, and it looks like that again in >24 hours.  Homeboy takes his self-appointed role of neighborhood watch VERY seriously.

It’s not too late to join her Souper Bowl, you have until Jan 31st.  Head over to her blog for more info.

Chipotle Black Bean Soup

Yield: 6 servings

The instructions on the cooking of the beans has varying times. Deb's were done in 2 hours 45 minutes, mine were done in more like 4 hours. The original recipe called for 6 hours. I suggest checking yours after 3 hours, but plan for more cooking time if necessary.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium-size red onions, chopped
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce package dried black beans
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chiles from a can (use less if you prefer less heat)
7 cups hot water (tap water is fine)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional toppings:
sour cream
greek yogurt
crema or creme fraiche
avocado

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and sauté until beginning to brown, about eight minutes. Add garlic and cumin; stir one minute. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 3 hours, but longer if necessary. [See note up top.]

Transfer four cups bean mixture to blender; puree until smooth. Return puree to remaining soup in slow cooker. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with desired toppings.

Per serving: calories, 314; total fat, 4 g; saturated fat, 1 g; cholesterol, 1 mg; fiber, 18 g

from Bon Appetit as seen on Smitten Kitchen.

While I believe it’s really important to have pantry staples for preparing healthy meals.  I also believe in the importance of having a baking pantry stocked!  Some things I try to always keep on hand include:

all purpose flour
white whole wheat flour
bread flour
rolled oats
sugar
baking soda
baking powder
cocoa powder
fleur de sel
cream of tarter
vanilla
vegetable/canola oil
peanut butter
chocolate/butterscotch/white chocolate chips
walnuts & pecans
spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc
eggs
butter

With this list, I can usually make a long list of desserts when the mood strikes.  And this is important because the mood strikes at least once a week!

I made these on a night our neighbor invited us over for dinner.  He said not to bring anything, but I insisted on bringing dessert.  I cut some of these before they had cooled completely so the ones I shared at his gathering were a bit messy!  If you let these cool completely, you’ll get clean sharp edges.  No matter how you slice them, you’ll end up with a delicious bar cookie!  These combine the taste of an oatmeal cookie, with a thick layer of fudgey goodness.  I’m a tad bit embarrassed to admit this, but we brought about half the pan to his house, and left the other half at home.  All the ones we brought over were eaten, which meant we still had half a pan to ourselves.  I said “I’ll probably bring these to work to unload the rest of them.” Umm… after eating them for two more days, we decided they were just too delicious to share.  So Nathan & I finished off the rest all on our own in a week’s time!  hehehe

Chewy Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
2 cups chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (15 oz.)
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, walnuts or pecans) *I did not use

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan. (Or you could line with parchment paper.)

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. Add vanilla and mix well.

Slowly add the sifted flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in oatmeal.

Gently spread 2/3 crust into bottom of prepared pan. Reserve the rest for topping.

Make the filling:
Over Medium-Low heat, melt together chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt. Stir until smooth. Remove mixture from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts if using.

Evenly pour filling mixture onto crust but keeping filling about a 1/4 inch away from side of pan so it does not stick to side while baking. (The pan I used was nonstick and brand new, so even the chocolate that got on the edge did not cause a problem. If you chose to use parchment paper, chocolate on the edges probably wouldn't cause an issue either.) Evenly dollup top of filling with remaining oat mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is light brown and fudge layer set but not solid. Don’t overbake these bars or they can become dry.

Cool in pan on rack until set before cutting. Can chill to set faster. Keep stored in airtight container.

as seen on Beantown Baker, originally from Baking Blonde

Sorry I got so picture happy, I had a really hard time deciding which photo to use!  *sigh*

After the smoothie, the next thing I made from my Whole Foods Market pantry staples was actually a dessert.  But I think I’d rather post this healthy, filling dinner first.  I used the lentils and a can of diced tomatoes from my pantry staples.  It certainly hit the spot during this cold, wintery time of year.  This meal definitely fulfilled my “eat more vegetables” mission.  And I loved that I was able to cook a healthy vegetable & lentil dish where the meat was more of an accent.  I was very worried about Nathan liking it.  When I told him dinner included lentils he said “Lentils, I’m not eating that.”  (He was kidding, for the most part.)  Which is why I changed the flavor profile entirely from the original recipe to a blend of spices I knew he would be more into.  During the meal he commented it was really good!

I was really excited that lentils were a part of the pantry staples I received from Whole Foods Market.  They are something I enjoy eating, but don’t cook often enough.  I’ve really only made this Curried Lentil Soup, Lentil & Couscous Salad, and Red Lentil Vegetable Soup in the past.  That’s my entire lentil repertoire.  So it makes me happy to add another staple dish into my lentil rotation.  The ingredients in this are very similar to the Red Lentil Vegetable Soup I love, but the curry, red pepper flakes, and chicken sausage make it a completely different meal.  It may be the post-holiday health kick, but I find it funny I’m posting a lentil recipe in January, which means now 3 out of 4 lentil dishes on my blog were posted in the month of January!  I hereby proclaim January “Lentil Month”, even if just on Erin’s Food Files.  ;)

Sunday is the LAST day to enter my giveaway for a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card, so if you haven’t already, skeedaddle on over there and comment.  But it’s not too late to enter Whole Foods Market’s pantry staples giveaway, you have until January 31st to enter.  Just head on over to their blog for more info!

Indian Spiced Lentils with Chicken Sausage

Yield: 4 servings

I served mine with whole wheat pita bread, but naan would have been awesome as well. I enjoyed having something to "sop up" a bit of the small amount of liquid. Plus it tones down the heat for me, as I can't handle nearly as much heat as Nathan can.

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves of minced garlic
3 links fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced (such as Johnsonville Chicken Sausages, which I'm always seeing coupons for)
about 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I added nearly a full teaspoon because Nathan likes the heat)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry lentils
14oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, chicken sausage, crushed red pepper, cumin, curry powder, salt & pepper and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add spinach and cook 10 minutes more, until spinach is wilted and lentils are tender.

heavily adapted from Cara's Cravings

*DISCLOSURE: Whole Foods Market – Franklin, TN provided me with my pantry staples in exchange for promoting their giveaway.  They also provided me with a $50 gift card to giveaway to one of my readers.*