Hazel's New Favorite

I sort of invented this based on a few different recipes I read and what I had from the farm this week. Dahl is an Indian lentil dish that is great for babies. It's high in iron, fiber, calcium and can be made out of almost any veggies you have in the fridge. You can use green, red or brown lentils, but I had black Beluga lentils on hand. All measurements are approximate.

Baby Dahl

1tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4c. chopped carrots
1/2 large white or yellow onion, chopped
1 small Yukon Gold potato, skin on, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2c. lentils
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp turmeric
water

Saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add onions and carrots and saute on medium heat for a minute. Cover and let carrots and onions sweat for 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes and apples and mix everything together. Add lentils and spices. Stir and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover. Let simmer until lentils are soft and water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Puree or mash to a consistency right for baby. This freezes well in ice cube trays. Hazel loves this! Sometimes I mix in some roasted sweet potato or squash.

Pasta with Tuna, Arugula and Hot Pepper

We eat this all the time in our house now. It's quick and easy and the leftovers disappear fast. I make it with a pound of baby spinach in addition to the arugula. I also use the Barilla Plus whole wheat pasta with extra fiber and protein, and I squeeze a lemon over it all just before I serve it. I got the original recipe from the Simply Recipes blog, which I read obsessively. It is very important to use the Italian tuna packed in olive oil, not the Chicken of the Sea packed in water stuff. Save that for a sandwich. Italian tuna is rich and flavorful and it just makes this incredible.

Pasta with Tuna, Arugula, and Hot Pepper Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound dried fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, or more to taste, finely minced (I double this)
Generous pinch hot red pepper flakes (I use about 2tbs)
2 6-ounce cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained
Kosher salt
1/2 to 3/4 pound baby arugula

1 Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and boil until al dente.
2 While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-low heat. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook until garlic is fragrant and sizzling. Add tuna and shred it into fine flakes with a fork. Season with salt. Keep warm over low heat.
3 Just before the pasta is ready, set aside 1 cup of boiling water from the pasta pot. Drain pasta and return it to the warm pot set over moderate heat. Depending on the size of your pot and skillet, either add the arugula and the tuna mixture to the pasta in the pasta pot, or add the drained pasta to the skillet with the tuna mixture and add the arugula. Toss vigorously with tongs, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water. The arugula will wilt in the heat of the pasta. Divide among warm bowls and serve immediately.

The Best Option for Leftover Easter Eggs

Curried Egg Salad Recipe

Use any type of onion you like here, I've done this version of egg salad using yellow, white, and in this version I had a tiny red one on hand, so I grabbed for that.

5 good quality eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (your favorite)

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 big pinches of salt
1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 medium apple, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

1 small bunch of chives, minced

First off, you need to boil the eggs properly (the key to good egg salad!). Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking and place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking.
While the eggs are boiling and cooling, combine the yogurt, curry powder and salt in a tiny bowl. Set aside.
Crack and peel each egg, and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the curried yogurt, onions, apple, pecans, and chives. Now mash with a fork. Don't overdo it, you want the egg mixture to have some texture. If you need to add a bit more plain yogurt to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time. taste and add more salt if needed. Enjoy as-is, or served wrapped in lettuce or between two slices of good, toasted bread.
Serves 3-4