What's for lunch 11/12/13

Applegate® Hot Dog
on
Whole Wheat Bun
Sauerkraut
Carrot Sticks
Oven‐Baked Potato Wedges
Fresh Fruit



The hot dogs are from Applegate Farms - so they are far better than many hot dogs but are hot dogs nonetheless. They have 8g of fat and 330mg of sodium. The ingredients are just: beef, water, sea salt, less than 2% of the following: celery juice, sodium lactate (from beets), lactic acid starter culture (not from milk), onion powder, spices, garlic powder, paprika. They have 6g of fat(2.5g saturated) and 380 mg of sodium. They are dairy-, casein- and gluten-free. They promote it as nitrate-free but this NYT article indicates the nitrate issue is tricky - and cites the company saying their bacon has the same level (naturally) of cancer-causing nitrates as conventional brands.  You may also not want your kids growing up thinking hot dogs are a good lunch given the potential link between processed meats and cancer. The bun is whole wheat.  

Still not sure what is in the sauerkraut but it is either from a can or plastic bag.  This is not homemade. The" homemade" potato wedges are government commodity potatoes. They arrive frozen and we do add some seasoning, I believe they are probably not what you would call homemade, though - hence my quotation marks. Still, perfectly respectable AND markedly better than last year's potatoes which came out of a can (yes, a can - they apparently can come that way.). That's almost never good.

The salad bar and sandwich bar are open. 

This weekend one of my daughter's friends came and spent the night.  She is a vegetarian. My husband made this delicious dish below.  Kind of time consuming but so worth it ! 

INGREDIENTS

TOPPING

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled
• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
• Kosher salt

FILLING

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• ¾ cup brown or French green lentils
• 6 garlic cloves, divided, plus 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cups coarsely chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free white miso or 2 tsp. gluten-free tamari soy sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups ½-inch pieces peeled fall vegetables (such as squash, turnips, carrots, and parsnips)
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed, halved
• 2 4-inch sprigs rosemary
• 2 cups bite-size pieces mixed fresh mushrooms
• ¼ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and sage)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

1 serving contains:

• Calories (kcal) 660
• Fat (g) 19
• Saturated Fat (g) 8
• Cholesterol (mg) 30
• Carbohydrates (g) 105
• Dietary Fiber (g) 15
• Total Sugars (g) 18
• Protein (g) 16
• Sodium (mg) 820

PREPARATION

View Step-by-Step Directions

TOPPING

• Preheat oven to 450°. Bake potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then peel. Press potatoes through a ricer, food mill, or colander into a large bowl. Add butter; stir until well blended. Stir in milk. Season to taste with salt.
• DO AHEAD: Potatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool, press plastic wrap directly onto potatoes, and chill.

FILLING

• Soak dried porcini in 3 cups hot water; set aside. Combine lentils, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp. salt, and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not mushy, 15–20 minutes. Drain lentils and discard garlic.
• Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is caramelized, 2–3 minutes.
• Add bay leaves and wine; stir, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in porcini, slowly pouring porcini soaking liquid into pan but leaving any sediment behind. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth and 
cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 45 minutes.
• Strain mixture into a large saucepan and bring to a boil; discard solids in strainer. Stir cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to dissolve. Add cornstarch mixture; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in miso. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 450°. Toss vegetables and pearl onions with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, 5 garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast, stirring once, until tender, 20–25 minutes. Transfer garlic cloves to a small bowl; mash well with a fork and stir into sauce. Discard rosemary. DO AHEAD: Lentils, sauce, and vegetables can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.
• Arrange lentils in an even layer in a 3-qt. baking dish; set dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Toss roasted vegetables with fresh mushrooms and chopped herbs; layer on top of lentils. Pour sauce over vegetables. Spoon potato mixture evenly over.
• Bake until browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.