Avocado Dressing

This creamy avocado dressing is delicious on salads, grilled or roasted veggies, and grain bowls.
 
1 ripe avocado, pitted

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1/2 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the avocado, water, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, garlic, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper in a blender. Blend until creamy, then transfer to a jar.

If the dressing is too thick, stir in a little more water to reach a drizzle-able consistency, if desired.
 
Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
 
Serves 4 to 6.
 
From Love and Lemons blog

Asparagus Salad

2 bunches asparagus, tender parts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Avocado Dressing
⅓ cup crumbled feta
3 radishes, thinly sliced
¼ cup pine nuts. toasted
Mint or basil leaves, for garnish
 
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the asparagus into the boiling water and blanch for about 1 minute, until tender but still bright green. Transfer to the ice water for 1 minute, then drain. Transfer the asparagus to a kitchen towel to dry and wipe out the bowl.

At the bottom of the bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the asparagus and peas and toss until coated. Transfer to a platter, drizzle with some of the avocado dressing, top with feta, radishes, pine nuts, and mint or basil.
 
Serves 2 to 4.
 
From Love and Lemons blog

Spinach and Coconut Dal

For the lentils:
250 grams (9 ounces) toor dal
4 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

For the spinach:
1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon urad dal
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 dried red chilies
50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) fresh coconut, roughly chopped
200 grams (7 ounces) fresh spinach
1/3 cup boiling water 

For the tadka:

1 teaspoon ghee

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 dried red chilies

Pinch of asafoetida

Combine the lentils, water, salt, and turmeric in a pan and bring them to the boil.  Reduce the heat, then cover and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the lentils are soft.  (Alternatively, cook in pressure cooker for 25 minutes.)

To cook the spinach, heat the ghee in another pan and add the urad dal.  Cook for 2 minutes on a low heat until slightly golden, then add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, dried red chilies, and chopped coconut.  Let it all sizzle for a minute.

Add the spinach and boiling water.  Cover and cook on a low heat for 2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted.  Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree.

Tip the puree into the pan of cooked lentils and return to the boil.

For the tadka, heat the ghee in a small pan.  Add the mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and asafoetida and let them sizzle for a minute.  Stir this mixture into the lentils and serve.  

Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days.  Reheat well before serving.

Serves 4.

From Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian by Chetna Makan

Martin's Bagels, or Bagelettes

Poolish
1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (166 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (198 grams) lukewarm water (75° to 80°F)
 
Dough
1 1/2 cups (340 grams) lukewarm water (see note below regarding water temperature)
5 1/2 cups (663 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 3/4 teaspoons (17 grams) salt
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
 
Water Bath
2 tablespoons (43 grams) barley malt syrup
1 tablespoon (18 grams) salt
 
Toppings
Sesame seeds, coarse salt, dehydrated onion, poppy seeds, or everything bagel topping
 
To make the poolish:
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and yeast.  Add the water, mixing until smooth.  Cover and let rest at room temperature for 2 to 8 hours.  (This broad time range is for both convenience and flavor.  More time will yield more flavor, but even a few hours will be enough to make a noticeable difference.)
 
To make the dough:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the poolish with the water, mixing by hand to break up the poolish.  Add the flour, salt, and yeast, stirring by hand or on low speed of a stand mixer until the dough forms a cohesive, shaggy, tacky mass.  Resist the urge to add more flour.
 
Place the dough in a bowl, cover, and allow it to rest for 2 hours, stretching and folding the dough over onto itself three or four times in the bowl after 1 hour.
 
Without touching the dough again, place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight, or for 8 to 12 hours.
 
The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
 
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces; if you have a scale, each piece will weigh about 114g.
 
Shape each piece into a tight ball, place on a lightly floured surface, then cover and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
 
To shape the bagels, use your fingers to poke a hole in the middle of each ball, gently expanding the hole until it is 2” to 3” in diameter.
 
Return the shaped bagels to the floured surface, cover them again, and allow them to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. 
 
While the bagels are resting, heat the oven to 475°F.  Line two pans with parchment and set aside.
 
To prepare the water bath:
Put 4” of water in a shallow (wide) 6-quart pot, then add the barley malt syrup and the salt.  Bring to a medium boil.
 
Carefully place three bagels at a time in the water bath.  Boil the bagels for 30 seconds on one side.  Using a slotted spoon, flip them over.  Boil the bagels for another 60 to 90 seconds.
 
Remove the bagels from the water, allowing them to drip dry for a few seconds before placing them 2” to 3” apart on the parchment-lined pan; you should be able to get six bagels per pan.
 
Sprinkle any toppings onto the bagels.  Alternatively, dip the bagels into a shallow bowlful of the toppings before returning to the parchment/pan.
 
Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through if baking both sheets at once.  The bagels are done when the bottoms and sides are a deep mahogany brown and firm.
 
Remove the bagels from the oven and cool them on a rack. Store bagels at room temperature for up to one day, or wrap and freeze for longer storage.
 
Notes:
 
Water temperature:
Your desired water temperature depends on a few factors, but primarily the temperature of your home will have the most influence. If your home is cool (below 70°F), you’ll want to use warmer water (between 90°F and 110°F). If your home is on the warmer side (above 70°F), use water in the lukewarm range (75°F to 90°F).
 
Make ahead:
To shape bagels ahead of time and bake the following morning (to serve fresh for breakfast or brunch): Shape, place on a parchment-lined or cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate. In the morning proceed with the recipe as written, boiling bagels immediately out of the refrigerator.
 
Makes 12 bagels.
 
From Breaking Bread: A Baker’s Journey Home in 75 Recipes by Martin Philip, via King Arthur Flour

Kale Pesto

1/2 cup pepitas
1 small garlic clove (raw or roasted)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 packed cups chopped kale
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse the pepitas and garlic until the pepitas are ground up.  Add the cheese, salt, and several grinds of pepper, and pulse again.

Add the kale and lemon juice.  With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until combined.  Season to taste.

Note: If the pesto is too bitter, add 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup or honey.

Makes 1 cup.

From Love and Lemons blog