This is food from a family lunch a couple weekends ago, where a family friend prepared the chicken. They diced garlic and put it underneath the skin, along with other seasonings, and let it sit for a while. The asparagus, salad, potatoes, and chicken were just right for an end of summer meal: light enough for a warm day but hearty to satiate that natural hunger I often find myself craving as Autumn draws near: root vegetables, oven roasted poultry, and gravies.
I like the idea of slow food, and Sundays are perfect for all day food creations. Making home cooked meals is my favorite artisanal craft: you are constantly using your hands and you can perfect it daily.
When I am not watching TV I am usually thinking about food. As a result I tend to frame life goals around things I have seen on TV.
I recently had a conversation with some people at work about why some people live so long. NPR aired an interview with the 90-year-old Dick Van Dyke. He said the key to staying young is always keep moving. This is the same name of his recent memoir. He is constantly in motion.
Connecting the weird dot from old film stars to now, a gif in my mind runs Dick Van Dyke doing a little tap dance with a caption that reads: Always Be Moving, in the style of the ABC (Always be Closing) speech from the movie Glengarry Glen Ross where Alec Baldwin’s character motivates a bunch of salesmen to make the deal.
I think there is a lot of play with this dish. You could add more lentils and less potatoes for a more stew consistency, or pack on the tots like my current incantation which reads more like a casserole.
Simple contrasts pull this piece together: savory thyme mashed up with sweet coconut. This recipe includes ingredients I got at the farm market and items already in my cupboard.
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Equipment:
1 Butcher knife
1 pairing knife
1 peeler
1 strainer
1 9″ x 11″ Pyrex dish
cutting board
1 large pot
Ingredients:
4-6 red skinned potatoes
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp thyme
2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 can chunked pineapple
1 12 oz bag lentils
2 handfuls Brussel sprouts
Optional topping:
plain Greek yogurt
Directions:
Preheat oven at 400ºF.
Crush and finely chop garlic cloves.
Fill large pot 2/3 way with water. Heat on high.
Pour thyme, ginger, coconut oil, and garlic into pot.
Open bag of lentils. Pour in strainer. Rinse in running water for a minute.
Once water begins to boil, add lentils. Boil lentils for one minute and then simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off burner under lentils.
Open can of pineapple. Empty entire contents in Pyrex dish.
Clean and scrub potatoes. Use a peeler to remove blemishes and eyes.
Chop potatoes into 16ths. Set aside in Pyrex dish.
Cut each Brussel sprout in half. Set aside in Pyrex dish.
Pour lentils on top of vegetables in Pyrex dish.
Cook in the oven for one hour.
Remove Pyrex dish from oven.
Let sit five minutes before serving.
Optional: top with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
blorgons 