Dal and a GIVEAWAY!

The good people at Red Pack contacted me and asked if I would like to do a giveaway and a review.  Now, if you follow my blog, you know that I can my own tomatoes.  That is not to say that I have never had the occassion to buy my tomatoes.  Matter of fact I have bought jarred sauce too.  Shocking I know but hey I like a quick meal once in a while too.   Quite honestly I have bought Red Pack before and have previously been very happy with the product, affordable and good tasting.  I was quite pleased to do a review and of course happy to pass the good fortune on to you. 

I tasted the tomatoes before dumping them into the pot.  They had a tomato-ey taste.  They were far better than "fresh" supermarket tomatoes that you get in the produce section in the winter.  I received a can of whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.  The whole tomatoes were much firmer than my canned tomatoes.  You could actually chop them up and make some salsa.  I think Red Pack has a very fine product.  Certainly it is something I have purchased before and will continue to purchase.

Dal

Adapted from this recipe at Food Network

1/4 cup ghee or clarified butter
1 1/2 cups diced onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 jalapeno peppers, cored, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
2 cups orange lentils
2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
2 tablespoons Garam Masala
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bay leaf
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
8 cups water

In a large pot, heat the ghee and stir-fry the onions just until transluscent. Add the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, lentils, ginger, curry powder, salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaf. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes, until the herbs and spices become very aromatic. Add the tomatoes and vinegar. Add the water, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with cumin, salt, pepper and sugar.

Rules for Giveaway:

1. You can only enter once.
2.  You can enter twice if you blog about my giveaway on your blog or if you mention the giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.
3.  Giveaway drawing will take place on Saturday 2/26/11 after 12 in the afternoon.  My daughters will draw the name.  The winner will be announced Saturday evening.

Full Disclosure:  Red Pack provided me with a tomato kit for review and will provide one of my readers with a kit as well.  I have paid nothing for these products.