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 am always looking for more vegetable inspiration-this looks like it would be a great addition to my collection 🙂
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I’ve been trying to go vegetarian again, sort of. This could help!
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Sounds like a great resource!
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Enjoying your blog and the inspiration provided! Would love to ogle all the recipes in the book; the examples you cite sound fabulously scrumptious!
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Extremely lazy vegetarian checking in, I NEED inspiration!
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Your evening routine sounds like mine, except the cause of my exhaustion is my teaching job, not a baby. I would enjoy the ideas in this book a great deal.
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I recently discovered that I actually like celery root! I’m excited to try this and would love the cookbook too!
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The last thing I need is another cookbook but I would love this one.
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I just want you to know that I found your book, “My Berlin Kitchen” at the library and read it over the weekend. What a delight! It led me here to your site today and I read about your give away. I just started moving towards a vegetarian diet so that would be fun. Win or no, I want you to know that I woke my husband up because I laughed so loudly reading about your mother and the mustard/jelly donut. Thanks so much!
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This book actually sounds like it would just hit the spot right now. I’m having trouble eating meat these days and am sorely lacking in veggies (weird pregnancy appetite).
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Wow! This sounds so good. I would love to win this book, thanks for the great giveaway!
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My favorite rootveggie is celery root!
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Pick me and I’ll thank you with beautifully gently used baby boy clothes
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the eggplant and chickpea soup sounds awesome.
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Yes to the meatless. Yes, yes, yes.
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I would love this cookbook! I’ve been trying to eat more vegetables and I could use some more ideas!
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i’m a vegetarian, always desperately looking for new recipes. this would be amazing!
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I totally understand you! My son is four and even now I find it difficult sometimes to get in the kitchen (even if I did yesterday and prepared the wonderfull Nigel’s banana bread !)
I’d love to get more inspiration from that lovely book!
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Hi! I am trying to eat less meat so this book looks perfect!
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I’ve been so looking forward to peeking at this book!
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Looks good!
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I always have at least one meatless dinner a week, if not more. I could use some inspiration.
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I must be out of the cookbook loop–didn’t even know it was out yet.
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We are trying to eat less meat at our house, and often run short on time and ideas for dinner. This would be a great help!
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I’d like to see the chickpea and eggplant soup recipe. I make soup every night for our guests at the wilderness lodge I work for, and I’m starting to run out of ideas- and there is still plenty of winter left!
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The roast eggplant and chickpeas sound best to me!
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The recipe looks great. I have started a meatless diet as well…trying to eat healthier this year!
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At least I generally keep hummus and pita around. No need for cheese sandwiches.
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what would you recommend as a celery root substitute? not a huge fan of this root vegetable, but LOVE the simplicity of this recipe!
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Sounds yummy – a perfect book for our meatless Mondays!
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Great for meatless Monday!
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Lovely, as always!
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Roasted celery root! I did not even know that was something that I could DO. Yes, yes, yes, please.
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This post totally echoes my life! Would love some new inspiration in my kitchen 🙂
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Thank goodness, a use for all of my za’atar! Happy healthy eating to you!
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Looks yummy!
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These recipes sound good enough to want to give up beer and potato chips on the couch! I remember those days and they get better!
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Eggplant and chickpea soup? Sign me up!
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I have been desperately trying to find meatless main course that aren’t just beans… this sounds awesome
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Sounds delicious!
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Yum! These recipes sound yummy. I eat very little meat and I am always in search of new vegetarian recipes to try. I’d love a to win this book!
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I want one!
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I love lentils! I’ve been making plenty of lentil soups, but I always forget about lentils on their own. And they looks so lovely (if so thankfully humble) in that bowl up there. The celery root is really an added bonus; it makes everything taste better. I like the idea of cooking more meatless dishes. Lately things have been feeling a little tired around the kitchen table over here; more inspiration is always welcome.
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So excited for this! My husband is a vegetarian and always love new recipes to try.
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I would love some cooking inspiration!
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I just ate a bowl of instant ramen perked up with swiss chard and peas. Please send inspiration.
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this book is on my wishlist! fingers crossed!
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This book sounds like the perfect cooking companion for moms. Thank you so much for sharing! Also, I read another blog of a new mom who’s finding her way back to healthy creative cooking and prepping for the week. She shared a great post about it recently, although of course it focuses on feeding the little one first as we moms understand. http://www.dailygarnish.com/2013/01/weekly-meal-prep.html
Thanks so much for all you do and don’t wait too long for another Hugo update. He’s so precious!
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this book is on my wishlist! fingers crossed! 🙂
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Za’atar and recipes from Meatless — both have showed up more than once recently in the blogs of cooks I trust. Hmm… maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.
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