Go forth and cook, you all.

I was watching "24 Hour Restaurant Battle" this weekend, and one of the critics was complaining that the cook didn't add a fresh note to a lentil stew by drizzling some olive oil and/or lemon juice over each serving to freshen the flavor. Sounds like something to try for these recipes.

They are from "The Best of South Louisiana Cooking" by Bootsie John Landry. Sittee means grandmother.

Sittee's Lentil Salad
1 pound lentils, cooked and drained
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
3/4 cup chopped white onions
1 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

Toss all ingredients together lightly. Refrigerate. Toss again before serving.

Fattush Lebanese Bread Salad
1 package pita bread, torn into pieces and toasted in the oven
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Salt and red pepper to taste
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 bunches green onions, chopped medium fine
1 basket chopped cherry tomatoes
2 bunches parsley, chopped medium fine
2 cucumbers, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mint
In a salad bowl, crush the garlic and mix in the salt, pepper, and lemon juice, blending well. Add all the chopped vegetables and mix lightly. Add the olive oil and crumbled bread. Serve immediately.

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The amount of mint seems excessive, doesn't it? Use your judgment. I've heard people rant about how they hate to see the term 'to taste' in a recipe because they don't know how much that means. I tell them 'it means to taste it and see if it needs more.'

String Beans and Cubed Beef
2 pounds fresh string beans
1/2 pound cubed beef or lamb
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small chopped onion
2 cans beef broth
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder

Prepare the beans by stringing them and breaking in half. Wash and set aside. Saute the meat in the oil, add the onion and cook until wilted, scraping the browned pieces from the bottom. Add the string beans and continue sauteing for 15 minutes. Add broth and seasonings, lover the heat and cook about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not overcook. Serves 6.
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Don't you love the 'don't overcook' in the context of simmering those fresh green beans for an hour?

Here's my little rant: I hate recipes that don't list the ingredients in the order added, and that appears to be Bootsie's weakness, she lists them willy-nilly so I had to rearrange them according to the instructions.