Skip to main content

Ras el Hanout-Spiced Lentils and Greens #worksmarter #sharpenyourkitcheniq #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of KitchenIQ. All opinions are my own.

When one of my contacts at KitchenIQ asked if I wanted to do a post featuring a few of their new kitchen tools, I agreed immediately. I am not a gadgety cook; I really don't have a lot of kitchen appliances. But I have received tools from KitchenIQ before and they are definitely my favorite.

The Tools...
KitchenIQ kitchen tools are easy to use, easy to clean, and they do what they claim they'll do! Plus, plus, plus. I love them. I received the Grate Ginger Tool, the V-Etched Spice Grater, and the V-Etched Better Zester! I'm going to do a quick rundown of each of the products, share a recipe that used all of the tools, and - at the end of the post - you'll have a chance to win all three of these tools for yourself. Good luck!!!


The Grate Ginger Tool is one of those tools that I never knew I needed...and, now, I'm wondering how I lived without it. I use fresh ginger all the time, putting into my weekly batch of Golden Root Milk, and this tool helps me easily peel, grate, and juice the fresh ginger. The only part of the tool that I haven't really utilized is the slicer. But I think that I'll try my hand at pickling ginger this summer, so I'll definitely let you know how that works.


We already have a V-Etched Spice Grater. I should say my Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf has a V-Etched Spice Grater. And, if I ask really, really nicely, he lets me use it. But with this shipment, I have my own. Finally. 

I use the V-etched Spice Grater, almost, on a daily basis now. I love its compact design because I can grip it firmly plus it fits easily into a prep bowl to catch any wayward pieces that might fly off of a cinnamon stick. It also has a slide-in container to catch the ground spices so you can measure before adding it to your dish. Additionally, clean-up is a snap. It is hand-wash only, but that works fine for me. For the recipe I'm sharing, I used it for nutmeg, cinnamon, black cardamom, and star anise. What a workhorse!


The V-Etched Better Zester is comprised of over 300 tiny V-shaped teeth that finely zests the outer layer of skin while leaving bitter pith intact. Though they call it a "zester", I would call it a microplane. It's useful for more than just citrus though. If I had to pick only one kitchen tool to take with me, it would be this one!


The Recipe...
When I was trying to decide on a recipe that showcased all of the KitchenIQ tools, I kept circling back to Asian cuisines. But, in the end, I decided to make Ras el Hanout and use it in a dish with lentils and hearty greens.


Ras el Hanout is a spice blend from North Africa that's akin to garam masala in Indian cuisine. Ras el Hanout, in Arabic, means "head of the shop", similar to the English expression "top-shelf", and implies it's a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer. 

I've seen recipes that include ten spices; I've seen recipes that include nearly fifty spices. So, while there is no definitive composition, it usually includes some combination of cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, chile peppers, coriander seeds, peppercorns, paprika, and turmeric. I have seen it with grains of paradise, fennel, saffron, and even rose petals.

For this version, I grated nutmeg, cinnamon, black cardamom, and star anise on my V-Etched Spice Grater. I used an electric spice grinder for the other spices.


Ingredients
Ras el Hanout

  • 2 t cinnamon, ground
  • 2 t nutmeg, ground
  • 2 t coriander seeds, ground
  • 1-1/2 t cumin, ground
  • 1-1/2 t turmeric, ground
  • 1-1/2 t fleur de sel or other flake salt
  • 1 t allspice, ground
  • 1 t black pepper, ground
  • 1 t black cardamom, ground
  • 1 t red chile pepper flakes
  • 1/2 t cloves, ground
  • 1/2 t hot paprika, ground
  • 1/2 t smoked paprika, ground

Lentils
  • 2 C cooked lentils (you can cook them in stock for more flavor)
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 C organic white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 C chopped organic celery
  • 1 C chopped organic carrot
  • 1 T Ras el Hanout
  • 3/4 C vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1" knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used an organic Meyer lemon)
  • 1 t freshly squeezed ginger juice
  • freshly ground salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Greens
  • 2 bunches organic rainbow chard
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 T Ras el Hanout
  • 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used an organic Meyer lemon)

For Serving
  • preserved lemon rind, thinly sliced
  • cooked brown rice

Procedure 
Ras el Hanout
Place all of the spices in a bowl and stir to blend. Set aside.

Lentils
In a large, flat-bottom pan, heat olive oil. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent and beginning to caramelize. Add in the celery and carrots and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in the stock. Sprinkle in the Ras el Hanout; stir in the grated ginger. Fold in the cooked lentil and simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed. Stir in the lemon juice and ginger juice and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Greens
Rinse and dry the greens and trim off the bottom. Thinly slice the stems and chiffonade the leaves.

In a large, flat-bottom pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add the shallots and Ras el Hanout. Cook until the shallots begin to soften, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chard stems and cook until they begin to soften, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the leaves and cook until wilted and tender, approximately another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

To Serve
Place cooked brown rice on an individual serving plate. Top the rice with greens. Spoon lentils over the greens. Garnish with preserved lemon slices. Serve immediately.

The Giveaway...
Open to US residents 18 years or older. The winners will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or any other entity unless otherwise specified. We cannot be responsible for items lost in the mail.
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

You may find KitchenIQ
on the web
on Twitter

*Disclosure: I received complimentary products from the sponsor for the purpose of review and recipe development. I also received the opportunity to giveaway products to one of my readers. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of  the manufacturer of this product. I have received no other compensation for this post.

Comments

  1. My favorite kitchen tool is my whisk. I use it for just about everything!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love kitchen gadgets and want to try them all!

    ReplyDelete
  3. My new favorite tool is one that holds my freezer bags open while I fill them, I would love these gadgets, great post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would have to go with a knife :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have so many favorites, but the one I use most (and really appreciate) is a knife.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have several favorites however my favorite kitchen tool is my tear free onion googles they really do work

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love all of my kitchen gadgets and tools. It is too hard to pick just one

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love my garlic press! I use it all the time!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love my measuring cup lol

    ReplyDelete
  10. My favorite tool would be my rice cooker spoon ~ I use it for everything!!! As for appliance ~ it would have to be my coffee maker LOL

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce