Recipes for April 12th

Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers with CousCous
Roast some peppers or use jarred ones in winter- they taste rather good and are a heck of a lot less messy than making your own...just saying
To roast, char whole peppers in the broiler, over a grill or over/under any live flame, turning regularly- Let it burn & blacken
Put in a paper bag, sitting in a bowl to absorb yummy juices and wait patiently til they cool a bit
Peel skins with your hands- it should be easy-leaving some charred bits
Open and scoop out seeds
Toss measured couscous with olive oil, lemon zest, dried fruits and nuts, S & P, and any spices you want
Use your fingers to coat each grain with the oil- this will prevent clumping
Pour equal amount of boiled water, all at once, on couscous and cover for 5 minutes
Adjust flavors of couscous and scoop some into each whole pepper after having made an opening in it
Snuggle stuffed peppers in a roasting pan
Serve cold with olive oil and lemon juice drizzled on top or put in the oven for 45 minutes with some feta or goat cheese crumbled on top

Red Lentil Soup
Sautee onions, carrotts, celery chopped in small cubes on low heat til soft
Add fewer lentils than you think, along with water or stock, soy sauce, S & P
Cook for 20 minutes or til lentils are soft and expanded
Puree if you can
Adjust seasoning and cook a little longer, covered, with a Bay leaf

Hummus
Boil chick peas til cooked or use canned ones for small batches
Mash with garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, using reserved cooking liquid or stock or water to liquefy the consistency if you like it runnier
Voila!

Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Grate and drain two English cucumbers (they are drier and less seedy)
Mix with a tub of yogurt, S & P, a dash or two of cumin, and mint or parsley
Voila!

Impress Your Friends Bread
Combine 2 c white flour, 1 c wheat flour, 1/2 tsp yeast, 1-1/2 tsp salt, and 1-1/3 cups of cool water
Stir well and cover
Let sit for 12-18 hours or until bubbling
Scrape out onto a floured board
Make a round and put in a cornmeal-dusted clean kitchen towel
Let sit in the towel, in a bowl, in a warmish place for an hour or two
Preheat oven to 475, heating a cast iron pan or pizza stone in it
Carefully transfer risen loaf onto hot pan/stone
Bake for about a half hour or til lightly browned
Yummy and easy!

Thanks to Jillian for her company and assistance.