July 28, 2015

Canadian Lentils…at Blogger Bash

Last week I attended the Blogger Bash in New York City.

As an AMBASSADOR.

My first foray into the mom/lifestyle blogging event, and I was lucky enough to be chosen not only as a VIP, but as an AMBASSADOR. This roll came with lots of wonderful opportunities, some behind-the-scenes adventures, some great meals, some NEW FRIENDS, Twitter Parties, and…a TIARA.

True story. We had tiaras.

And while I opted not to wear mine 24/7, I was still the resident Food Blogger Princess, and therefore, the closing party was mine for the taking.

Closing Party sounds so mundane, though, doesn’t it? Especially since it was a CARNIVAL.

Hosted by the team from Canadian Lentils, the carnival was a full on feast for the eyes AND the belly. Burgers (made with beef & lentils, of course), fritters, cupcakes, soft pretzels and more, ALL made with lentils, graced the food tables. A full bar. Acrobats and contortionists. Fanciful champagne ladies hanging from chandeliers. A giant hammer slinger, muscled and gorgeous to the point that if YOU swung the hammer and tried to ring the bell, you couldn’t because…Giant Hammer Slinger was there. There were carnival games and all sorts of dancers. There was a band and singers, there were unicycle riders.

INSIDE. All of this was INSIDE!

It was a magical experience, and the Blogger Bash crowd enjoyed every minute.

By that time of the evening, my poor iphone was dying, and some of the pics I grabbed were lackluster. But luckily, you can see that it was a riot, and so much fun!

And, I also want to share one of the fun Canadian Lentil recipes with you as well…I wish I could claim it as my own!

Crispy Lentil Fritters

recipe and photos courtesy of Canadian Lentils & Chef Michel Smith

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) split red lentils
1 cup (250 mL) water
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 freshly minced onion
1 Tbsp (30 mL) peeled ginger root, finely chopped (about 1 inch)
1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly chopped cilantro
3 cups (750 mL) vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Stir raw red lentils, water and salt together. Cover and soak them for an hour or two. They’ll rehydrate and soften considerably as they absorb almost all of the moisture.
Transfer lentils, water and onion to food processor and puree them until they’re smooth. Add ginger and cilantro and process just long enough to stir the works together. You can make this batter in advance and refrigerate until needed. The batter may seem wet but it will hold together as you fry it.
Pour about 3 inches of oil into a large soup pot or shallow skillet and bring to a steady 365° F, using a frying or candy thermometer to accurately judge the temperature. Alternatively, fire up your countertop deep fryer.
Using two spoons – the first to scoop, the second to release the batter – gently drop dollops of batter into the hot oil. Stir gently until fritters cook through and are lightly browned. Remove fritters from oil, strain and rest them briefly on folded paper towel to absorb extra oil.

Yield: 12 fritters

For more information on Canadian Lentils

There are SO many recipes and uses for lentils that I had NO idea about until I co-hosted a Twitter party with the Canadian Lentils team. And then, at the Blogger Bash Carnival, I got to sample soooo many things. If you’d like to try them yourself, here is a link to several of the recipes we got to indulge in: