For the first time in my cooking life, I'm finding it hard to cook good food for myself. The accumulation of sleep deprivation over the past 8 months means that now, when Hugo goes to bed and I've finally got a few minutes to myself in the evening, I collapse on the couch and wish someone would just bring me a cold beer and a bag of potato chips for dinner. After a few comatose moments, I'm usually able to drag myself into the kitchen to fix a cheese sandwich and a bowl of yogurt for dinner, but my vegetable consumption has been pathetic lately. It's not like there isn't anything in the house – I buy plenty of vegetables to experiment with for Hugo – it's just that I'm all out of beans at night, when it's time for me. And these dark winter days mean that I need more than just a bowl of steamed broccoli to make me feel good.
But the other day, the nice people at Clarkson Potter sent me a copy of the latest Martha Stewart Living cookbook, Meatless, and suddenly things are looking a lot brighter over here. First, there were roasted cubes of celery root and onion tossed with boiled lentils and dressed with nothing but lemon juice and olive oil. I would never have thought to combine celery root and lentils, but the combination was delicious. I prepped everything while Hugo was hanging out with me in the kitchen; then, when he'd gone down for his nap, all I had to do was toss it together before digging in. It was so full of flavor and so filling. This is my new favorite lunch, I proclaimed to myself. (The original recipe has you add parsley, but I used some za'atar, since I have an industrial quantity of it, and it was amazing.)
Then I got distracted by a soup that has you roast eggplant and chickpeas in one pan together (so easy!), before mashing them together with some broth and garlic and onion, finishing each bowl off with oregano and a dollop of yogurt. There was fried rice made with leftover brown rice (I finally cracked the perfect brown rice code in my rice cooker!) and shiitakes, and crisp little patties made out of mashed white beans that I ate with tomato sauce and basically, what I'm trying to tell you is this book is so full of inspiration and good food that I haven't really come up for air since.
Happily, Potter was kind enough to send a second copy along for a giveaway! So, for a chance to win a copy of Meatless, please leave a comment below and I'll pick a winner at random tomorrow. Good luck!
Update: Martha is the winner and has been emailed. Thank you all for participating – comments are now closed.
Lentils with Caramelized Celery Root
Adapted from Meatless
2 cups water
3/4 cup green or brown lentils
1-2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 onion, chopped
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Za'atar, to taste
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring the water and lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer gently, partially covered, until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
2. Toss the celery root and onion with the 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt to taste and put in a roasting pan. Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until caramelized.
3. Add the celery root and onion to the bowl with the lentils. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper, za'atar and remaining olive oil to taste. Serve.
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472 responses to “Tuesday Giveaway!”
Super tolles Kochbuch!
Vielleicht könnte ich so endlich meinen Freund davon überzeugen weniger Fleisch zu essen! 🙂
Viele Grüße aus Berlin!!
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I don’t know if the giveaway is open to UK readers, but this book looks right up my street so I’d love it! 🙂
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I sure would like to win, I need to reach those 5 portions of vegetables a day! 🙂
Thank you for the contest!
Laura from Italy
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This would be great! I could use inspiration!
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My solution to not having time or energy to cook in the evenings has been to cook A LOT on weekends and then primarily eat leftovers during the week. This affects what I cook (I haven’t made a souffle in years; more prosaically, brussels sprouts are a rarity in my kitchen as they really don’t do well as leftovers), and some dishes aren’t as good the next day — but some are even better! Soups, stews, most legume-based dishes …
I haven’t ever made anything a Martha Stewart cookbook, but I haven’t been wowed by her recipes online; however, the ones you described sound creative and delicious, so I’m willing to give her another chance – especially if the cookbook is free :).
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I feel guilty. I’ve made “your” (“my”) Letizia’s Meatballs for the zillionth time, once for company last week and again on Sunday night, and last night I made Luisa’s Raj Curry. If I could get my hand on good tomatoes, I’d make those rice-stuffed tomatoes too, but for that I’ll have to wait.
I wish I could come over and cook you dinner.
Nevertheless, I’m glad you’ve got your groove back. Sounds good too.
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wow! that’s great! I’d love a copy!
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I’m in a rut with cooking lately. I’d love a copy of “Meatless”!
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I just made smittenkitchen’s lentil soup recently so this is a good way to use up more of my brown lentils. vielen dank!
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Yummy vegetarian food is so rare to come by. Seems like a winner.
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How nice! Would probably provide some great ideas for our “meatless mondays” : )
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Ooh! Sounds good!
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Yes please! 🙂
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I would love to have a copy!
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Eating well when you have children in the house is a constant struggle. I found it helped when I stopped making us separate meals and we all ate the same thing. Now there are a few less chilis in my serving, but on the plus side both my kids (3 & 1) love za’atar.
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Hi Luisa,
I am also living in Berlin, and have a mixed-bag of geographic and cultural loyalties from my family background… reading your book right now and finding it comforting to hear of your experiences in being pulled in different directions and missing the places where you’ve left pieces of your heart. I know the feeling.
I’m glad to find your vegetarian recipes as I try to cook meatless at least 2 to 3 times during the week, and would do more if I had more ideas. Celery root is always in my crisper, and lentils in the pantry, so I will definitely try your current suggestion. Would love to have a copy of Meatless to find more!
All the best to you – thanks for sharing your stories and your positive energy.
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Hi there! I would love to win a copy. Trying to figure out more things to do with beans and lentils because they are so cheap and healthy. I used to live in Berlin but am now in Switzerland, where even the lentils are more expensive!
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I find myself eating meatless more often. Thanks for the opportunity and good luck with the little guy!
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I’ve been eating more vegan and vegetarian meals lately… love the idea to combine celery root with lentils! Definitely trying this recipe this week!!!
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Sounds like a great book, based on that picture alone! I love vegetarian dishes that are substantial and full of flavor but still easy to prepare.
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Do you have “Everyday Veg” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall? It’s my favourite vegetarian cookbook, since last year. It’s amazing and brimming with great vegetable meals. I recommend it to everybody you loves vegetables and isn’t afraid of an english cookbook ;).
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I have a three-month-old and just recently started a “meatless” diet so you blog speaks to me (and let’s me know there is hope)! Thank you!
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That eggplant and chickpea dish sounds esp good – I can’t wait for summer when we have eggplants in the garden! Great find – thanks for sharing 🙂
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That book sounds amazing and I could do with some new inspiration myself! Good luck with everything!
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This book sounds amazing! My favourite vegetarian restaurant is Cafe Paradiso in Cork, Ireland. I had one of the best dinners of my life there, with my vegetarian brother and sister-in-law, before heading off home to Australia. Truly memorable vegetables!
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My sleep deprivation has been accumulated over the past 10 months so the chance to win something to make things look brighter, something for me rather than the kids is too good to pass on.
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I find myself moving more and more toward vegetarian meals – sounds like this book might be just what I need to make the jump to all vegetarian… oh, sigh, that would mean no more of your amazing pork chops ….
That Hugo is one adorable baby.
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I’m a sahm with a 4 month old and 5 year old. We can always use some veggie inspiration in this winter cold gloom.
I’m especially interested in your Hugo food creations and experiences.
Thanks!
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The lentils sound amazing and so easy – I will definitely try them. Martha’s “Meatless” is on my shopping list, as a vegetarian I’ve been looking forward to this book for a while now.
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Lentils with Caramelized Celery Root . . . now I finally know how to put to work that celery root that has been hanging out in my fridge for a while now.
All these flavor combinations sound so good! My thumbs are pressed.
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I’m a sucker for caramelized anything, and I can’t wait to try your recipe.
p.s. Hugo is absolutely gorgeous!
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I have been making the jump from meat to meatless this past year and I would love to get my mitts on this book for more inspiration…. : D
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Yes, please! Sounds lovely!
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The celery root and lentil combo sounds great. We tend to eat mainly vegetarian food during the week which at least once a week means roasted broccoli with fried eggs and a grain but one of our other standby favourites is baked sweet potatoes with feta, scallions, parsley and sumac which we usually eat with a mountain of green salad – hardly any preparation or washing-up and you feel like you’re just eating good stuff!
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What a fantastic book – thanks for sharing the lentil recipe 🙂
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I would love to win this for one of my best friends – an American – who after living in Stuttgart for the last five years recently settled in Berlin… she’s vegetarian and it’s always a challenge in a country so dedicated to its sausages and schnitzels. She tried to attend your reading in Berlin, but apparently rsvp’d too late – we didn’t realize there was a deadline.
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Phew, it’s still Tuesday! If there’s something I need more of it’s more veggies and less meat. 😉 Would love to try out some of the recipes in this book, especially since you make them sound so easy!
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This book looks great!
I’ve been making a spicy tomato soup with cubes of celeriac and lentils, but somehow never thought of roasting celeriac. Sounds delicious…
I thought it was fried halloumi with lentils in the photo, which also sounds delicious.
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My little peanut just turned 5 months old so I can totally relate to cheese sandwiches for dinner. We could do with a little veggie inspiration around here. Thanks for the giveaway!
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I would be thrilled to find some new meatless recipes! This book sounds fantastic.
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Delicious! Délicieux! Bon appétit!
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I have the same problem with winter! I am always tired, regardless of the amount of sleep I get and I certainly don’t want to cook. I have taken to green smoothies in the morning to get my veggies.
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I’ve had a celery root that I couldn’t decide what to do with. This looks perfect!
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I’ve never had celery root. This recipe sounds like a great way to try it.
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I have a 7 month old and can definitely relate to the exhaustion and lack of energy for cooking. I told my husband the other day that when she stops nursing I’m checking into a hotel to catch up on some sleep.
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a recent transplant to belgium from new england i am spoiled for choice with fruits and vegetables. blissfully unaware of “the season” with every trip to the open air market i am a new born chick—will it be a riot of peppers? pointy or squat persimmon? oh and how many kinds of potatoes are there? my belgian partner is mostly amused altho’ slow to come ’round to a”VegeMore” (sounds less punishing than meatless) way. happy to take a chance on the book, but already feel like a winner for having just discovered your blog. take care.
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Just in time…I’ve been experiencing the same veggie doldrums. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Oof! That eggplant chickpea soup sounds brilliant. Even if I don’t win this I may need to crack that recipe.
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I want to add more meatless meals into the rotation ….this book would be such a help!
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That looks delicious! I would love a vegetarian cookbook – our new year’s resolution was to eat less meat, so this would be perfect to help us along!
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