DD Favorite Dishes - Part 2

Lauren's Lentil Salad for Summer
Lentils are a legume. They are one of the oldest domesticated crops and there is evidence that they were eaten by the Egyptians, Romans, and Hebrews. Remember Esau selling his birthright for lentil stew in Genesis! They come in different varieties: green, brown, red, and black.

They are perfect for making a "meatless meal" or you can serve them along with fish or chicken. Lentils are high in protein and fiber while being low in fat. Eating 1 cup cooked lentils yields about 18 grams of protein and 50% of your daily fiber intake. They also are high in antioxidants which support lower inflammation and cellular health.

Italian Lentil Salad
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' recipe on Food Network

Ingredients:
1 lb green lentils
3 scallions, chopped
1 package cherry tomatoes, halved
Cucumber, diced
Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Sort lentils; remove any foreign material.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add lentils once boiling, and cook until tender; stirring occasionally, about 18 - 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.
3. Chop scallions, half cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber and bell pepper. Add these veggies to a bowl and mix with the cooked lentils.
4. Prepare vinaigrette by mixing lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over lentil salad and mix well.
5. Serve over salad greens or along with chicken or fish.

Kelly's Favorite Dish:

Chicken Squares

1 1/2 Ib. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 to 2 medium jalapeño peppers, sliced
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia® Cream
. Cheese, softened
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. McCormick® Ground
Black Pepper
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In large skillet place chicken and jalapeno peppers.
Add 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain. Discard liquid and pepper.
Shred chicken.
2. In mixing bowl stir together chicken, cream cheese, onion, salt and pepper.
3. Unroll crescent rolls, separating into
8 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.
Place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture on 1 end of each rectangle. Fold other side of rectangle over chicken mixture. Press edges to seal.
4. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.
Serves 8.

Hyojin's Dish:

Kimchi stir-fried pork rice recipe

Ingredients
• Pork: 1/2 lb pork belly (you can use ground pork or thinly sliced, chopped)
• Kimchi: 1-2 cups fermented kimchi (chopped, + 1/4 cup juice)
• Rice: 2 cups cold, cooked rice (preferably day-old)
• Sauces/Flavor(optional): 1 tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, salt
• Toppings(optional): Fried egg, roasted seaweed strips, toasted sesame seeds, green onions

Quick Instructions
• Prep: Chop the pork into bite-sized pieces and slice the kimchi.
• Cook Pork: Pan-fry the pork over medium-high heat until the edges are golden, about 3-5 minutes.
• Sauté Kimchi: Add the kimchi, stirring until the kimchi is softened (about 3 minutes).
• Add Rice & (optional)Sauce: Lower heat slightly, add the cold rice, kimchi juice. If you want the optional sauce, add soy sauce, and gochujang. Mix well, breaking up the rice, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until everything is evenly colored. At this point, the fried rice is fully cooked and ready to eat.

• Finish & serve: Drizzle with sesame oil and add your favorite toppings. Serve in a bowl, topped with a fried egg and sesame seeds.

<Tips for Success>
• Kimchi: Use kimchi that is very ripe or sour for the best depth of flavor.
• Rice: Use cold, day-old rice; freshly cooked rice will create a mushy texture.
• Pork: If you don't have pork belly, ground pork or chopped bacon are great alternatives.

Tammi's Dish:

Instant pot red beans and rice

1 small package andouille sausage
1 package of ekrich smoked sausage
4 T olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small red onion, diced
1 small bell pepper (I use red), chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, sliced or diced
1 lb of dry, red kidney beans, Camelia brand from NOLA preferred
3 c chicken broth
3 c water
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Cajun seasoning (I use Tony chacere’s)
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
3 bay leaves
1 cup salsa
1 tsp dried parsley or 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

Soak beans over night if time allows. If not, rinse them and remove split beans.

Turn instant pot on sauté, brown sausage in 1 T of oil until brown on both sides. Remove on a plate.

Add remaining oil and onion and garlic. Sauté until onions are transparent. Add celery, green onion (except a small handful in a small bowl on the side) and bell pepper and sauté for 5 mins.

Add red beans, all seasonings, salsa, water and chicken broth.

Set on high pressure for 55 mins (if doubling recipe at least 75 mins). Natural pressure release (usually takes 15 mins).

Remove bay leaves and discard.

Remove about 1 and 1/2 c of bean mixture into bowl (or into a food processor) to mash until smooth. Return it to pot for desired thickness.

Adjust seasoning if needed, add hot sauce, top with green onion and serve over a long grain white rice - preferably jasmine or basmati.

Beans store separately from rice in fridge for a week or in freezer for 2 months. I also food save portions while on a camping trip and freeze it ahead of time.