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!”
I found it quite difficult to cook good food for probably a year after having my son–and even now, it’s really changed my approach to cooking. I try to keep things simple so have upped the quality of the food I buy–a bit of good cheese makes it easy to prepare a tasty, easy dish, and fast! I also do big batches of everything now. If I’m making some beans, I’ll make triple what I used to just so I have something upon which to build for the next few days. It’s lovely getting into a rhythm and even more now that my almost-three-year old has started to help 🙂
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Looks fantastic! I would happily add this one to my collection. Loving your recent posts, Luisa!
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Have you read either Plenty or Jerusalem by Ottolenghi? They have both been cookbooks that I absolutely can’t put down — we make at least two recipes per week out of these books and have plenty more to g! I think there’s a lentil and celery root salad in Plenty (Plenty is all veggie, Jerusalem has meat too). Please enter me in the giveaway, I’m definitely intrigued.
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Though I think your beer and chips idea sounds great, I can understand the need for more veggies.:) Thanks for offering this giveaway!
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I love how the cubed pieces of roasted celery root look in that photo!
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I’ve been eyeing this book for a few weeks now. I have recently transitioned to a mostly meat-free diet (I still eat fish), and I am looking for inspirational, nutritious, but most importantly, yummy recipes. This book looks like it’s full of them, and the photographs are gorgeous.
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Yummy! After I gave birth, I craved vegetables so much but had no time to cook them. Such an irony!
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Yum! We eat meatless about 1/2 time and I’d love some new ideas.
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Looks divine! Would love that book!
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That book looks great, but I would expect nothing less from Martha. As a longtime vegetarian, I’m intrigued by what innovations her staff has come up with.
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Looks like exactly what I need! Excited to try the lentil/celery root recipe.
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I was wondering if that book would be good, and you can always bring me around.
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This looks like a great cookbook. I’ve heard wonderful things about Martha’s Power Foods cookbook too!
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I would love this! I’ve been “meatless” for about 20 years now, but am always looking for new inspiration. Thanks!
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That book looks great! I just wrote on my blog about trying to incorporate more meatless meals; it can be tough sometimes.
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This book is already on my wish list…would love a copy!
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I tend to cook vegetarian, so this book would be great! Also, I love your posts about Hugo, he’s so precious 🙂
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This sounds great, I’d love to give it a try!
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Would love a copy of this cookbook! Always looking for ways to incorporate more meatless dishes in my menu planning!
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This cookbook looks great!
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yes, please. veggie intake defo needs a mighty boost over here too. no baby to blame (sorry; P), I just blame meteorology in general…
cheers,
ninja
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We are doing Meatless Mondays this year, and I’d love some inspiration!
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I’ve been waiting for this cookbook to come out for SO LONG! Gotta love Martha.
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Those sound like great ideas…school has narrowed my dinner inspiration to variations on kale and brown rice.
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YES please! I having been looking for some veggie heavy recipes!
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I’d love some inspiring meat-free recipes!
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I too have an 8-month old, so boy can I relate! I’d love to try some of these recipes..
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Oh, oh, das hätte ich gerne. Wir haben so viele Vegetarier im Freundeskreis, da möchte ich mal etwas Neues zaubern. 🙂
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This looks amazing. I love your site!
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Totally in the same place as you, 9 month old son. He eats great. Mom eats cheese.
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I have lentils and I have celery root…I think I’ll join you!
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Zatar – the spice for those fed up with wet European winters . I sprinkle it on my oven baked croutons for endive and baby spinach salad.
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Sounds delicious!
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Sometimes when I miss the veggies too many times in a row, I feel a bit foggy. I think I need to curb my toast consumption. The recipes you mentioned sound simple and healthful!
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All the recipes you mentioned sound like delightful ways to eat more veggies. I’m not personally vegetarian but I’m not a big meat cooker during the week – it always seems like such a hassle (pat dry, sear, roast – enough!).
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I would love to have a copy!
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This would be perfect for my ‘Meatless March’ resolution! (I’m using February to steadily reduce consumption so it won’t be such a shock!)
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Yes, I could use the inspiration!
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I am always on the lookout for veg-forward recipes. I love meat, but dont make it for myself at home too often, so it would be great to have more vegetarian ideas for home cooked meals.
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Oh I really need a fresh start and this sounds like the perfect cookbook for it!!
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i checked this out from the library and would love to own a copy!
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I just found your blog the other day through DALS – and I love it! Thanks for all you do!
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I am in serious need of some bright veggie inspiration to pull me from the winter doldrums! Thank you thank you for posting this!
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That looks like a great cookbook! I’d love to check it out.
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I’m so excited to hear more about your experiments for Hugo!
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Yes! Want! Please? Thank you:)
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I’m always looking for good meatless recipes that can be thrown together quickly and are satisfying for dinner.
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Wow! We are omnivorous around here, but I mostly cook vegetarian, and I’m always looking for ways to make it easier and more inspiring for me and my girls, who, it should be said, turn up their noses at certain kinds of veg — I’m looking at you, eggplant. Anyway, the lentil and celery root recipe is inspiring! (Not unlike one from Plenty which has fennel instead). Thank you.
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Celery root has been languishing for months in our refrigerator (it keeps getting passed over in favor of its prettier root vegetable cousins). This recipe looks simple enough to tackle through my own fog of sleep deprivation (our second son is six months old tomorrow–I feel your pain). Thank you!
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That eggplant and chickpea soup sounds amazing! AND I have been in such a cooking rut lately. Would love to see some of these recipes!
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