Sunday's Soup/Lentil Harvest Soup

I am SOOOO excited!!!

As I've shared many times, I enjoy the blog, Design Sponge. A few weeks back, there was a contest sponsored by Design Sponge to introduce a new cookbook, Coconuts and Collards.

For a chance to win, the challenge was to share what food reminds you the most of home. Here is what I wrote;

When I think of home, I think of my grandmother's kitchen, a rather sparse space in comparison to today's kitchen, a small enamel topped table, a large Hoosier cabinet, a sink that stood on legs, and a massive stove. She loved to make muffins with Malt-O-Meal cereal. She kept them in a pan in the lower section of her Hoosier cabinet, always on hand for that unexpected visitor. Just the right amount of sweet to accompany a cup of tea.

I thought the recipe was lost once she died, but to my surprise, it's on the box, and called Magic Muffins. Such a fitting name.

I do not keep them on hand as she did, but when I need to feel her presence, I make a batch, sit down with a cup of tea, and she is there, if only in spirit. 

What an honor it is to have been chosen the winner. 

Once the book arrives, I will share lots more of what's inside. Can't wait! :)

Today's soup recipe is just a twist on other soups I've shared. When I've had to eat things for a period of time that are a little rich for my diet, be it because of having guests, or traveling, I begin to crave something that's basic and nourishing. That's what this soup is, very basic, but quite nourishing. And then, there's the added bonus of...it tastes really good! I'm calling it Lentil Harvest Soup as there's basically a harvest of garden vegetables, with lentils providing protein.

The recipe is simple and quick enough for a weeknight meal. Be sure to add the sweet potato. Adds just a bit of sweet which is so nice. Leftovers are great for lunches! 

Lentil Harvest Soup
printable recipe

1 cup red lentils
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 large carrots sliced
2 cups chopped kale
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 cups vegetable broth
salt and black pepper to taste

Begin by placing the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and continue to saute for another minute to bring out the flavor, but not burn.

Add lentils, cubed sweet potato, carrots, tomatoes, kale, dried oregano, and 6 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, approximately 20 minutes. The lentils will absorb some of the broth, so adjust once lentils are tender. 

Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy! 

   
When I eat a bowl of soup, I am so bad about drinking the broth out first and then enjoying the vegetables. 

As always, if you decide to give it a try, I hope you enjoy the soup!
Rhonda

Eating For Your Health/Curried Vegtables

 A few years ago, I got sick and tired of finding science projects growing in my refrigerator. You may know what I'm talking about, that little plastic container that's growing penicillin. Well, not really penicillin, but ruined food nonetheless. 

Last week, I shared a recipe for Easy Thai Shrimp Soup. Fabulous soup BTW :) The only problem is that the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of red curry paste and I was left with this,

I hated the idea of wasting the leftover paste, so what to do? Make curried vegetables! This is a great dish. I added tofu to my vegetable mixture, but any meat would work beautifully, sauteed chicken, pork, whatever you happen to enjoy. The addition of tofu or meat makes this a complete dinner.

The spice that I chose to use is garam masala. It's a spice that you can easily make at home as it's just a combination of spices. You can find the recipe HERE. I think that you'll find it to be a perfect accompaniment to the red curry paste and the vegetables.

Curried Vegetables

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

8 oz. mushrooms sliced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 head of cauliflower broken into florets

2 large carrots sliced

1 sweet potato cubed

1/2 lb. fresh green beans  

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon (or more) red curry paste

2 15 oz. cans Lite Coconut Milk

salt and black pepper to taste

Choice of Meat

Cooked Brown Rice for serving 

Heat oil in large pot. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add mushrooms and cook just until tender. 

Add vegetables, red curry paste, garam masala, coconut milk, tofu or sauteed meat of choice. Stir well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cook on low heat until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. 

To serve, scoop up vegetable mixture, making sure to include a nice amount of the sauce and place over brown rice. Top with chopped fresh chives if you like, and enjoy!

We were out to see a play last night. Since I can fall asleep in a minute in a dark theater, a heavy meal is never a good idea. This was the perfect meal for me, tasty, satisfying and yet not heavy. The best part, I stayed awake!

This is a dish that would also work well in a crock pot. Once the onions, garlic and mushrooms have been sauteed, place mixture along with all the other ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low heat. When you come home, you'll have a very satisfying meal waiting for you :)

Eating For Your Future/Sweet Potato and Chickpea Dip

In the spirit of the holidays, and my crazy sense of humor, I thought I would share this little cartoon. It made me laugh, but then, I enjoy corny jokes :)  

I absolutely love it when a recipe is shared with me. After I posted the roasted cauliflower wraps last week, Barbara from Vancouver sent me a recipe that she thought I would enjoy. 

Now that the holidays are upon us, it's difficult to resist all the creamy dips and high calorie hor d'oeuvres that we typically encounter, and serve at parties Not only is this a great recipe for dipping, it will make a wonderful spread for a healthy sandwich or wrap. And to be quite honest about it, it could be served hot as a side dish. So it's really quite versatile. Barbara said that Nigella Lawson, the Domestic Goddess, was recently in Vancouver and this recipe was posted to celebrate her new cookbook, Simply Nigella. The recipes are based on things that can be eaten out of a bowl, as Nigella says, "I rather like the inelegant shoveling of food into my mouth from a bowl." 

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Dip

- 1¾ pounds sweet potatoes 

- 1 head of garlic, whole and unpeeled 

- 2 limes, preferably unwaxed 

- 2 teaspoons smoked sea salt flakes (though regular sea salt flakes or kosher salt will do), or to taste

-  ½ teaspoon paprika 

- 1¼ cups chickpeas, home-cooked or drained from a can or jar 

- 1½-inch piece (2½ teaspoons) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 

- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds 

The minute the sweet potatoes are in the oven, cut the stalk end off the garlic, leaving the tips of the cloves exposed, and then wrap loosely in aluminum foil, sealing the ends tightly to form a baggy parcel, and roast with the sweet potatoes. This should probably be ready in 45 minutes, but I leave it for the hour with the sweet potatoes. 

Add the finely grated zest from both limes, and the juice from one, the smoked salt,  paprika, chickpeas, and finely grated ginger, and then blitz with a stick blender (or use a food processor) to make your dip. 

To serve, top with pomegranate seeds.

*A few notes;

Use a large bulb of garlic. Mine was a little small and it could have used a little more garlic.

I added a little black pepper.

I also added a little more lime juice. Just be careful, as some limes are a little juicier that others. Start with less and increase according to your taste.

The roasted garlic is heavenly.

This is great on vegetables, crackers, or chips. There's no oil or fat in the dish, so you can indulge and never feel guilty. 

For a sandwich, get some really great bread, spread the dip on a slice. Top the spread with your favorite greens and enjoy. 

The lime, ginger and pomegranate seeds make for a taste explosion. Based on this recipe, I think I'll be buying the book! 
Enjoy!
Rhonda