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!”
My 15-month-old has never been a good sleeper, so I can totally sympathize with losing steam after he goes to bed. I’m vegetarian, so I am very interested in this book! Going to see if my library is getting it right now!
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First time at your blog – referred from David Lebovitz – going to Berlin this summer.
My favorite thing to do is go to the farmer’s market where ever I am travelling and at home, too! Always puts me in a great mood.
So many lovely vegetables, but I don’t know what to do with them all. This book would be the inspiration for me.
Thanks!
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This books sounds amazing – I don’t hate meat, but I find myself cooking veggie meals for myself, most of the time!
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I would love this book! I love meatless! I don’t like meat really, though I eat it on occasion, I have a two year old who also wears me out and I’m pregnant (read: extra tired). Also, I really like this site and I love babies and the women who have them. Kudos!
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Celery root and lentils with zaatar sounds amazing! I am sure it’s better than using parsley.
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This book sounds amazing. I am trying to change my diet to eat healthier. This food looks delicious!
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Sounds lovely….
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We are going more meatless in our home….would love a great cookbook to draw from! Six in our family 🙂
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Those lentils look so good… I’ll be trying them tomorrow. I am an “eat more plants” enthusiast, with a few staples, but not enough to constitute a balanced mostly vegetarian diet. This book could help me move beyond salads and black bean tacos.
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I feel the same way — but I have only a new job, not a new baby, to attribute my lack of inspiration to!
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Hugo will grow bigger and you’ll get more sleep. But Meatless sounds like a win sleepless or not!
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Yum! Trying to incorporate more veggies and less meat into my family’s diet. Loved your book and love reading your blog!
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i too am suffering from a lack of sleep & ability to make my weekly menus in advance! i’d love a copy!
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I’ve been seeing this book pop up everywhere and I really want to check it out! What a fun giveaway!
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That books sounds delicious…well, the recipes in that cookbook. I’ve been trying to work more vegetables into my diet and while I am succeeding, I’d love to have more options for dishes!
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Oh my gosh! I’ve been drooling over Meatless ever since Martha Stewart Living did an article with some of the recipes in it. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
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I’ve been wanting to eat more meatless meals so this sounds great!
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I can totally relate. I think for the first six months of my daughter’s life I lived off toast with mashed avocado on it (well, that and toast with nutella and banana). Have you read Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. It came out awhile ago, but I just discovered it.
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That sounds perfect! I’ve been a vegetarian for 12 years and am always looking for new recipes!
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hi luisa,
I have discovered your blog about 6 months ago and love reading it.
And the ‘Meatless’ book would be perfect right now.
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I have too many cookbooks already – so if you randomly pick my comment, pick again! 😉
I think it gets easier to cook once everyone eats together. I also find that cooking for a toddler is a great incentive to eat (and therefore cook) balanced and healthy meals. Most times, at least… Tonight, I made millet patties with tomato sauce. I let my daughter help and she gobbled them up.
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Inspiration is always a blessing – glad you found some. This book looks great.
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As a lifelong vegetarian (and someone whose husband has recently “converted”), I would LOVE some new inspiration. I’m always so appreciative of your veg-friendly recipes too, by the way.
I have to echo an earlier commenter’s suggestion to look at Heidi Swanson’s books– her recipes are so creative and delicious, and surprisingly untime-consuming.
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Goodness, a lot of people are interested in this giveaway. Looks like I have a “snowflake’s chance in hell” of winning, but I shall add my name and give it a go… Thank you for the opportunity!
mb
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I still struggle sometimes to find time to cook with my 15 month old…but it has slowly gotten easier. I’d love some veggie inspiration right now, this is a bit of a “low” point on the farm before spring hits!
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My fiance and I have a goal this year to cook with more vegetables and cook them in ways we haven’t tried before. This book would give us some great ideas to incorporate more variety in our vegetable cooking repertoire. BTW I loved your book, My Berlin Kitchen. 🙂
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I would love a vegetarian cookbook! I’ve given some serious thought over the past year to transitioning to vegetarianism, and would love some easy resources!
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Oh, I’d love the cookbook! I don’t really have a kid, but I have a PhD thesis to write. Almost the same thing, perhaps? 😛
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I’m in the same boat. 10 months of sleep deprivation 🙂
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can never get enough veggie inspiration. i’d love a copy!
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I don’t believe I’ve ever tried celery root ever… let alone with lentils! But I have been on a real vegetable kick and hope to make a raw celery root salad. And the book looks beautiful, thanks for hosting this giveaway.
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These sound delicious! I am always looking for great veggie recipes, and great meatless veggie recipes are a total bonus.
Love love love your blog – and hugo is a doll!
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Sounds perfect for dark European winternights!
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This book would create vegetable heaven for me. (preferably one filled with delicious eggplant, sweet potato, and mushroom recipes)I would love to cook from this book!
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I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate new meatless dishes into the routine to switch it up (I find some of the meatless dishes have the best flavors!) but so far, it’s been one recipe from here, one from there and this would be a perfect collection to help with my meatless inspiration!
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We have been eating mostly veggie for years (1-2 meat meals per week). It is crazy though how even eating mostly seasonally I get into such a rut. And I totally know exhausted feeling that limits the diet to pretty much sandwiches and 5 minute the meals 🙂 It will pass 🙂
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love martha! always have… and have been vegetarian for 8 years now. great-seeming book!
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We have been experimenting with less eat based dishes so this would give me more inspiration. X
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Celery root cubes? Delicious!
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ooh, nice book!
by the way: the event at soho house was great!
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Yum! My husband is a vegetarian, so this would be a great addition to the collection.
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yum! Love Lentils! I have been trying to add more metless options into our weekly dinners… THis would be great!
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This book would be great for me!! I found out last year that I am a type 2 diabetic and I have been trying to get as much meat out of my diet. We used to eat lots of red meat and pork which I’m finding I really don’t like anymore. I plant a big garden every year and I’ve been looking for recipes to use all my fresh produce!
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always looking for more lentil recipes… sounds great.
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Yummy. I’ll throw my name in the hat. Hope it’s not bad karma to comment just for a freebee – I read religiously but don’t take the opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate your photos, writing and recipes often enough. You do excellent, inspiring work.
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Sounds divine!
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Oh those sound like wonderful recipes. I’ve also been stuck for good lunch ideas, thanks for the chance to win.
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The lentil and caramelized celery root recipe looks scrumptious!!! I would love to win! Thank you.
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I keep meaning to make za’atar. This looks like a great way to use it.
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Martha and meatless sign me up
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