Competiton Archives - Nutmeg Disrupted

Red Lentil Bacon Corn Fritters

February 22, 2015 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

I have had a lot of fun experimenting with lentils these past few weeks. And my lentil infatuation is just as strong as it has always been. Though I am looking at them in a whole new light.

Next up is my freestyle entry for the Canadian Lentil contest with the deadline for entries just under 24 hours from tonight.

*Update: I am very pleased to announce my recipe for Red Lentil Bacon Corn Fritters was the runner up in the Canadian Lentils Recipe Revolution contest! *

My recipe choices have been quite the discussion during morning coffee at work with my bosses, everyone has made suggestions as to what I should make next. I forsee a lentil feast at our next managers dinner.

So without further ado…. I present, Red Lentil Bacon Corn Fritters.

3/4 cup of red lentil flour (directions for making the lentil flour can be found in my previous post for Lentil Coconut Shrimp Tacos)

1 tablespoon of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons of cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup of milk

1 large egg

1 can of corn kernals

1 strips of bacon, chopped and fried

Vegetable oil, for frying

In a large bowl, stir together flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and cayenne.

Add milk and egg to flour mixture and stir together to create a batter. Add corn and bacon and fold to combine. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat 4 inches oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 375 degrees. Working in batches, using two spoons, drop batter by the tablespoon into the oil. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through and deep-golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes; adjust heat as needed to keep oil temperature between 350 and 360 degrees. Transfer fritters to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Season to taste with salt.

I served them with maple syrup. Depending on your mood and menu you could serve them with a variety of sauces or dips.

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Lentil Coconut Shrimp Tacos

February 16, 2015 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

If you have checked out the recipes being created for the Canadian Lentils contest you’ll notice how creative everyone is getting. Keeping that in mind I wanted to kick my entrée recipe up a notch. Something quick, easy and crazy delicious!

The pineapple in store right now is absolutely gorgeous so I started with that in mind. Thinking I want a lot of color in the dish pineapple salsa seemed the perfect choice. One of my favourite things to go with pineapple is coconut. The rest fell into place after that.

I ground red lentils into a flour and Lentil Coconut Shrimp was born. Nesteled in a nice lightly fried tortilla with a gorgeous pineapple salsa and finished with a squeeze of fresh lime to make a sweet tart crunchy taco. Total hand held perfection.

Lentil Flour

1 cup of red lentils

blender

Place the lentils into a blend and process until it become fine like flour.

Set aside.

Lentil Coconut Shrimp

1 pound of shrimp

1 cup of lentil flour

1 cup of cornstarch

5 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne

1 1/4 cups of coconut water

1/2 teaspoon of oil

2 1/2 cups of shredded coconut

1 lime, cut into wedges

In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cayenne. wisk in the water and oil, mixing until smooth.

Place the coconut into a bowl. Dip the coconut into the batter then coat it in with the coconut. Set in a bowl, battering and coating all the shrimp.

Using a large skillet heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry the tortillas until lightly browned, flip over and fry until the second side is browned. Using tongs take the tortilla and drape it over the handle of a wooden spoon suspended over a large bowl shaping it into a traditional taco shape.

Fry all tortillas. Now fry shrimp a handful at a time until golden brown.

Drain on paper towel.

To build the tacos.

Add some greens down the center of a fried tortilla, ie: chopped kale, lettuce, shaved brussel sprouts, whatever you have on hand and enjoy. Place a large spoonful of pineapple salsa on top of the greens. Top with lentil coconut shrimp! Squeeze a wedge of lime over the taco.

Pineapple Salsa

2 cups of fresh pineapple – chopped

1/2 of a red pepper – chopped

1/4 cup of onion, white or red – diced

handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

fresh lime juice

salt to taste

Combine everything in a bowl adding salt at the end to taste. Serve in Lentil Coconut Tacos.

Be sure to check out my dessert entry Crispy Maple Lentil Crème Brulee. It is as good as it sounds!

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Crispy Maple Lentil Creme Brulee form Nutmeg Disrupted

Crispy Maple Lentil Crème Brulee

February 10, 2015 Redawna Comments 6 comments

It is that time of year again, the annual Canadian Lentil contest! I use lentils year round so am always excited about this contest! I also look forward to it as it pushes me to think outside of the box as to how I can use lentils.

For the dessert round I am going fancy. It is actually the first time I have ever made Crème Brulee. It is quick and easy yet is such a striking elegant dessert.

Now from the reading I have done one of the best parts of creme brulee is the hard sugar layer you crack through to get to the creamy custard. My thoughts were to take this layer up a notch. I set forth to make a batch of maple candied lentils to go on top of the maple custard.

You can make the lentils while the creme brulee is cooling in the fridge.

Crème Brulee

2 1/4 cups (560 ml) 35% cream

1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla

5 egg yolks

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of sugar for the finishing of the crème brulee

1/2 cup of crispy maple lentils

Preheat the oven to 325 ºF. In a saucepan, heat the cream for 5 minutes with the maple syrup and vanilla.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Stir in the hot cream. Pour the mixture into four 3/4 cup crème brulee dishes.

Bake in a water bath. To do this, place the dishes in a baking dish. Pour hot water 3/4 up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool and refrigerate to chill completely.

To finish sprinkle with the additional sugar and caramelize quickly with a kitchen torch.

Once the sugar layer has been torched and it still sticky sprinkle with a layer of the crispy maple lentils.

Enjoy immediately!

Maple Candied Red Lentils

2 cups of red lentils

3 1/2 cups of water

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of butter

1/4 cup of maple syrup

Place the lentils and water into a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 8-9 minutes testing around the 7 minute mark. You do not want to over cook the lentils, soft with a bit of bite is the goal here. Once they are cooked strain in a fine mesh strainer.

Place back into the pot with the butter, sugar and syrup an cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

Strain again with the fine mesh strainer and allow to cool.

Once cool spread the lentils on two parchment lined cookie sheets to the thin layer. Place in a 325 ºF oven. Check every 10 minutes stirring the lentils and rotating the pans between the shelves. Once they start to brown turn the oven off and let the lentils finish drying.

Store in a covered container.

You can use Candied Maple Lentils in granola, on salads or anywhere you want to add a touch of crunch to.

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Midnite Mass The Great Collaspe 2007 Festival Of Trees Grande Prairie.

September 28, 2014 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

ugh….

Just thinking back, there is so much I thought of after the fact. Indeed hind sight is 20/20.

Things started off very well and I was extremely excited about how the project was coming along.

The marble steps of the church were stunning.

The bibles, pews and people were done exceptionally well.

The gelatin sheet stained glass windows were flawless.

It was a gorgeous, tall open church……with not nearly enough roof support due to no interior walls.

………………sigh

I thought I could do a fancy balancing act with the roof pieces and hoped the royal icing would hold it all together. Not taking humidity into thought. I had issues with the roof becoming soft and splitting during the day of delivery and set up.

Really, at that point there was nothing I could do to save the roof but about an hour after leaving the Festival location I realized my mistake.

Earlier in the year due to extreme amounts of snow, the ceilling of the art gallery in Grande Prairie collapsed. Reflecting on that I could have got some blue fondant and made a tarp to go over the opening in the roof. The addition of a sign looking for donations for roof repairs to finish it off would have been perfect. Though no records would have been broken I could have at least walked away content with the project.

Like any situation that does not go as you expect you learn a lot. Making mistakes is the best way to learn what not to do. Far more then when everything goes as planned.

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Lentil Mushroom Pate

March 30, 2014 Redawna Comments 1 comment

Looking for an interesting appetizer for the Canadian Lentils contest I wanted to do something very different. The earthiness of mushrooms seemed like a natural paring with lentils, some shallots garlic and thyme with a hit of lemon was the perfect balance It felt like a winner! A quintessential example of umami.

Lentil Mushroom Pate

boiling water

2 cups of dried mushrooms

3/4 pound of white button mushrooms

4 tablespoons of butter

4 shallots, minced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoons of fresh thyme, minced

3/4 cup of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup of green lentil puree

2 tablespoons of whipping cream

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soften for 15 minutes, Drain through a coffee filter lined mesh strainer reserving liquid. For this recipe I used dried porcini, oyster, shiitake and yellow bolete mushrooms.

Pulse all the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cook until shallots are soft. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a few minutes.

Now add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to brown. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved mushroom water and cook off until it is evaporated. Take off the heat and add the lentils, cream cheese, whipping cream, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a bowl lined with plastic wrap with enough to cover the surface. Refrigerate a few hours until firm.

Allow to warm to room temperature to serve. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh thyme.

Great with a nice crusty baguette.

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Nutmeg Disrupted

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Category: Competiton

Red Lentil Bacon Corn Fritters

February 22, 2015 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

Lentil Coconut Shrimp Tacos

February 16, 2015 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

Crispy Maple Lentil Crème Brulee

February 10, 2015 Redawna Comments 6 comments

Midnite Mass The Great Collaspe 2007 Festival Of Trees Grande Prairie.

September 28, 2014 Redawna Comments 0 Comment

Lentil Mushroom Pate

March 30, 2014 Redawna Comments 1 comment