When I was pregnant, I claimed I didn't mind what my son's interests would become, as long as he found his passion in life. And that's still mostly true. But now that we cook together almost every day, I get so excited that he loves being in the kitchen, and I really want to nurture his interest in food and cooking. So I guess I do mind a little bit.
The day before yesterday we made pesto together and he diligently worked for 20 whole minutes(!) putting chopped parsley and garlic into the food processor, pouring olive oil without spilling it and trying to juice a lemon. It was the best.
One of the side benefits that I hope comes from our time in the kitchen is a more adventurous spirit on his part to try the foods we cook together. Like most babies starting solids, he would eat just about anything when he was around a year old - pureed steamed kale, pureed steamed broccoli, pureed kale AND broccoli! At the time, I didn't know any better and thought he would always be a perfect little eater. Foolish, I know.
We made this dish together a few nights ago and I feel like you're expecting to hear that it was SO good that he not only tried it, but ate an entire serving. Sorry! He wouldn't even taste it, despite the facts that (1) he thoroughly enjoyed pouring unseemly amounts of garam masala into the pan, and (2) I tried to make my best yummy noises as I was eating it. But, it was so good. My husband and I loved it, doesn't that count for something?
~~~~~
Lentils with Delicata Squash, Garam Masala & Cilantro
Notes: You can find garam masala in the spice section of most grocery stores. Also, since making this recipe, roasted delicata squash has become one of my favorite things to make. It's buttery, caramelizes really well, and doesn't require peeling. You might want to make extra to have for a snack.
1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils (1/2 cup dry)
1 delicata squash, halved, and sliced into 1/4 inch half or quarter moons
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp garam masala spice blend
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Small bunch of cilantro, chopped
Cook the lentils. There's a great tutorial here.
Roast the delicata squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half length-wise and spoon out the seeds. Slice each half into 1/4 inch half moons - or quarter moons if your squash is on the larger side, as mine was for these pictures - and toss the pieces with some olive oil and sea salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes on the middle rack, tossing once half-way through. The pieces should be browned and a bit caramelized when done.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over somewhere between medium and medium-low heat (depending on how your stove cooks) and add the onions and garam masala. Let the onions slowly cook in the garam masala until softened, stirring regularly. It should take between 10 and 20 minutes for the onions to soften. Don't turn the heat up too high because spices can burn. When the onions are soft, turn off the heat and add the lentils, delicata squash and most of the cilantro. Toss together. Salt to taste. Serve garnished with the remainder of the cilantro.
Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side
