Lentil burritos with "cilantro"-flavored yogurt

So I finally decided to take the plunge and become one who blogs (I hesitate to self-identify as a "blogger" just yet), which was inspired by a few different things. First, ever since my friend Ken gave me the link to his cooking blog, I've been stealing his recipes left and right. I also admit to having burgled (I love that word!) quite a few from "Heidi", a random lady whose blog keeps popping up in my Gmail news feed. And I guess I figured it was time to give back to the public. :-) Second, I've been cooking for about 5 years now - ever since I had my own kitchen - and still can't name what my "specialty" is, if any. Just a few days ago another friend asked me about my cooking style, and I fumbled around for awhile before offering my usual response: "Well, a little of everything." (He then proceeded to give me a point-by-point description of how he makes the perfect omelet, which made me feel both very hungry and like a culinary impostor!) So perhaps this foray into the blogging world can help me situate myself in the world of cooks. For all you trained social psychologists out there, this is something of an exercise in symbolic self-completion theory. I am such a dork.

Anyhow, below is my first recipe, an old standby adapted from the magazine Cuisine at Home. When I first made it a few years ago, BFFT (a pseudonym for my hubby - long story but not his real initials) said it was the best thing I'd ever cooked. We have it every 1-2 months on average, and to this day he maintains it is delicious. Oftentimes I depart from the recipe as originally written, which keeps both of us from getting bored with it. The first departure is the "cilantro." I use parsley instead because I hate that blasted herb. (Funny how just about everyone I know either loves it or has an extreme aversion.) I wasn't always this way... it started out in the middle of my freshman year in college, the evening that a guy I was dating dropped a much-unanticipated bomb that he "didn't think it would work out" because "our personalities [were] different". After crying on my dear friend Jess's shoulder and complaining about what a jerk he was (though in retrospect his decision may have had something to do with the fact that I was painfully shy and all I could do was cackle nervously at his jokes, which I didn't quite get in the first place), we went down to the dining hall, where they were serving burritos with cilantro rice and cilantro tortillas. Despite not being hungry at all, I wolfed down the whole thing... and went from finding cilantro tolerable to absolutely vomitrocious. (I love that word too. I first read it in the Arthur children's book series - what was Arthur anyway? an anteater? - and don't think I've seen or heard it since then.) Who knows why it still persists after 8 1/2 years; in any case, parsley is a great substitute. All right, at long last, the recipe I promised with my personal notes in italics:


For the filling:

1 T vegetable (I like canola) oil
1/4 c onion, diced
1 t curry powder
1 t jalapeno, minced (I add way more because I love spicy)
1 1/2 c vegetable broth
1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c red potatoes, cubed
1/4 c brown lentils
1 bay leaf
1/2 c frozen chopped spinach (tonight I tried green bell peppers; collard greens also work well, as does fresh spinach as long as you allow enough time for the liquid to be absorbed)

Saute onion, curry powder, and jalapeno in oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 5-8 minutes (closer to 5), stirring often. Stir in broth, tomatoes, potatoes, lentils, and bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Finish lentils with spinach (no need to thaw it first), lime juice, and salt. (If using bell peppers instead, add them 5 minutes or so before filling is ready.)

For the spiced yogurt:

1 c "cilantro" leaves and stems
1/4 c scallions, sliced (white and green parts)
2 t fresh ginger, chopped
1 t sugar
1/4 t ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt and cayenne to taste
1/2 c plain yogurt

Process all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor until minced. Stir herb paste into yogurt; chill until ready to serve.

For the tortillas:

Here's where I improvised the most; the original recipe called for frying the tortillas, but this is a much healthier and equally delicious alternative.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place two 10" (burrito size) tortillas (spinach or tomato are tasty if you can find them) on a baking sheet, sprinkle 1/4 c grated Monterey Jack (I like pepper jack) cheese across the center of each one, and bake for about 3 minutes.

Roll burritos and serve topped with yogurt.


Yay! My first post! I'm sorry I don't have any pictures (didn't realize it was the rule rather than exception until it was too late), but I promise to include one next time I cook this. Which will, if it's up to BFFT, be very soon.

P.S. In case you're curious, here are the links I mentioned in my first paragraph:
Ken's blog
Heidi's blog