Welcome to the March 2022 Ultimate Coffee Date! When the rest of the world has so much disturbing news, I’m feeling lucky to host our coffee date and chat about mundane things over coffee. Deborah and I enjoy hosting friends old and new and hope you enjoy our virtual get-togethers. This month I’m sharing recipes that satisfied my need for nourishing comfort food.
You know how this works—grab the badge, link your post, and comment on the other blogs in the link-up.
You also may be joining the Fit Five Friday Link-Up with Darlene, Michelle, Renée, Jenn, and Zenaida.
Sharing Recipes Over Coffee
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I’ve been on a lentil kick lately. It started when my (vegan) daughter visited over Christmas, and took off from there. Taking the time to fix a lentil dish on Sundays pays off when leftovers make a nourishing lunch all week. Here’s the recipes that got me through February:
Yellow Lentil Dal — I added a diced carrot for texture and stirred in some spinach I needed to use up. Next time I might use less red pepper flakes, but it was good.
Spicy Chickpea Lentil and Veggie Soup—This one is from Deborah, and includes fresh herbs, which I love!
One Pot Red Lentil Chili — I got to use one of the jalapeños from my Aerogarden in this one!
Persian-Style Tomato and Lentil Soup—This recipe has you stir in fresh lemon juice at the end, which adds depth to the flavor and a hint of sour.
If we were having coffee, I would share one more recipe for my breakfast staple—my current take on quiche.
The recipe sounds *interesting* but trust me, it’s good.
- For the bottom, I thaw ~6 oz frozen (raw) shredded potatoes, spread over the bottom of my pie plate, and pre-bake for ~20 min at 350F.
- For the filling, I mix 6 eggs and 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese with my immersion blender, and then add 1/4 cup feta cheese, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1 tsp dried herbs (depending on the veggies I’m using), and a cup or so of whatever veggies I have on hand (usually broccoli or asparagus, but I had some tired grape tomatoes on hand when I made this one last weekend).
- I pour the filling over the pre-baked potatoes, and cook for 25-30 min at 350F until the top is just about dry.
I had been making this take on quiche, but started using cottage cheese as a replacement for ricotta when I ran out of ricotta, and I didn’t really notice a difference. I started using shredded potatoes for the base after making a more decadent baked egg brunch dish built on a layer of hash browns. The feta cheese and diced onion make sure the dish has good flavor, and the veggies help round out the nutritional profile.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I finished my second puzzle of 2022! Honestly, it was harder than my first one, with all those beige pieces.
Dali’s Tres Picos
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am about to hide people on Facebook who share their Wordle results every day. I like to do it at the end of the day, and don’t want to see comments about the word that might give me a hint! So if this is you don’t take it personally if you don’t see me commenting on your Facebook posts.
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That’s a great puzzle! I’m sure all of those beige pieces would have had me pulling my hair out of my head.
I have been in a recipe rut so thanks for sharing!
We just had quiche for dinner last night, altho ours was much more traditional with bacon, spinach, and swiss cheese. Sometimes you gotta go for the comfort!
I stopped posting my Wordle on FB. I don’t mind seeing the others tho. Idk.
Sounds delicious! Do you add cream too? I need recipes that use what I keep on hand and I’m not sure half and half would work!
Great job on the puzzle! I can totally see how all the beige would be tough! I use to cook with lentils quite a bit but I haven’t in quite some time. Maybe it’s time to revisit. They’re a great source of protein after all.
I’ve made an egg dish with a sweet potato base & it’s so good! Lentils are really great for runners! I’ve been making fairly simply beans & rice and my husband hasn’t even been complaining about it — too much.
Still not doing Wordle. I’m sure at some point it won’t be free. The posts are rather annoying from that standpoint, because I really don’t care about people’s Wordles and then I don’t want to look at their other posts, because I think it’s going to be Wordle results.
I have to ask — what the heck do you do with all the completed puzzles?
I crumble them up and put them away — and hope to find someone who wants to do them!
I love lentils. Thanks for those recipes.
I used to make quiche frequently but not lately.
Yes yes. I hate seeing the wordle posts. I do play. It’s fun. But you won’t see my score on FB.
What a beautiful puzzle. You should cram that one.
I’m just afraid of comments that will give me a hint I don’t want.
Oh that potato crust quiche sounds awesome! I might have to give that a go 😉 I agree, the Wordle postings drive me nuts, though I do like the game itself. That jigsaw puzzle looks challenging, but such a beautiful picture!
Well, YUM! i love lentils! I make dal a lot, but it would be nice to branch out. The persian one looks interesting- I’ll give it a try.
i love how that puzzle came out, but not sure I would like doing it. There are a lot of little beige pieces!
This is super timely! My husband needs more meal options that are non-meat protein. I suggested lentils!
You are on a lentil kick! Glad you enjoyed my soup. I also like to use potatoes as a crust for quiche and I am always happy to have it for dinner!
Those recipes all look great. The quiche is a great spin. Thanks for sharing!
That puzzle looks really tough! We’ve only done one this year so far.
i’m in such a food rut so you sharing these recipes is much appreciated – thanks!
I see the Wordle posts but do not really understand it because I do not play it. I am not sure what it means. I like lentil soup but rarely make it. My sister does and it is really good.
That quiche looks + sounds amazing!!! I really need to start cooking again!