Hearty Lentil Soup

This is our standard soup that we must make about once a week in the winter, to the point where I have it memorized. It's a good recipe because you usually have all the ingredients on hand when you're looking for dinner without too much thought. And, it fills everyone up and my kids love, love, love it. Actually, I do too. It always goes with a nice crusty loaf of bread and some orange slices for dessert, come mid-winter orange season.

Hearty Lentil Soup (from the Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe)

3 slices bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped medium

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves

1 cup (7oz) lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 tsp salt

ground black pepper

1/2 cup white wine*

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

3 tsp minced fresh parseley

*Usually I use a dealcholized wine that you can buy at most grocery stores or Trader Joes. However, I've also omitted this on occasion and the recipe works out just fine as well.

1. Fry the bacon in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the vegetables are softened and the lentils have darkened, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Uncover, increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken broth and water, bring to a boil and cover partially, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes; discard the bay leaf.

3. Puree 3 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth, then return to the pot. Stir in the vinegar and heat the soup over medium-low until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 Tb parsley and serve, garnishing each bowl with some of the remaining parsley.

Variation: Hearty Lentil Soup with Spinach

Follow the above recipe, replacing the parsley with 5oz baby spinach. Continue to heat the soup, stirring frequently, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes; serve.

Winter Vegetable Soup

This has been a fav since the first time I ate it.  I sometimes add other veggies if I have them or eliminate some if I don't.  It is forgiving and one that can be played around with.

2 Leeks; cleaned and chopped
2 lg Onions; chopped
6 ea Carrots; chopped
1 bunch Watercress; chopped
1/2 lb Butter, unsalted
4 lg Tomato; blanched, chopped
2 large potatoes peeled and chopped
1/2 c Mushrooms; sliced
1/2 c Cream, heavy
Salt; to taste
Pepper, black; to taste
Pepper, white; to taste

In a large saucepan, combine the butter, leeks, carrots, onions, potato,
and spices. Cover with water and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
When vegetables are tender, place 3/4 of the contents of the saucepan
into a blender and puree until creamy (or use an immersion blender, a kitchen must have to puree). Pour contents back into the
saucepan.
Add cream, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms. Season to taste
with salt, black pepper and white pepper.  Simmer about 5 more minutes.  Add watercress just before serving.

Serve with french crusty bread and enjoy!

Rhotkhol

Remember how we need to eat more red cabbage.  This is a family favorite, courtesy of Uncle Stephen.  (Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.)

1 large head red cabbage, cleaned, cored, and shredded

Saute that in a dutch oven with 1/4 c. butter for 5-7 minutes

Add 1/4 c sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 c cider vinegar, 1/2 c water.  Toss and stir until well mixed.  Simmer one and a half hours in covered dutch oven over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally.  Cool.  Stir and reheat to serve.

Soup Season

Okay everyone, here we go into soup season. I am always looking for some really good new soups. So, if you have a great recipe, please post. Challey

Another Pasta Dish

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. pine nuts
1 c. sun dried tomatoes (no oil)
1 c. boiling water
5 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (if you want it to have a kick)
1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 lb. fettuccine noodles
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Boil the fettuccine.
2. Heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add pine nuts. Cook, stir often until lightly browned. Set aside on paper towels.
3. Place sun dried tomatoes in bowl and pour the cup of boiling water over them and let them stand until tender. Then drain them, but keep the water. Coarsely chop and set aside.
4. Heat other olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili flakes, basil and thyme. Cook, stirring often until garlic is lightly browned-about 3 minutes.
5. Add the water to the pan and reduce slightly, about 1 cup of sauce.
6. Toss cooked fettuccine with sauce.
7. Garnish with pine nuts and cheese.
(I skipped step 3 and used sun dried tomatoes in oil and then just cut back on the olive oil. I then used plain water for the sauce.)

Good Old Mac & Cheese

This is very good. Heavy and fattening, but pretty easy to eat. Stratton would eat this every night for dinner if it was up to him.

Homemade Mac & Cheese
1 2/3 c. Cooked Macaroni
1 1/2-2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. corn starch
1 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 T. butter
1/4 tsp. pepper12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 c. water
Mix all ingredients except for noodles and cheese. Boil for one minute. Then stir in 1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese. Put in greased 9x9 or similar size pan. Top with 1/2 c. cheese (it's fine without more cheese on top). Refrigerate or bake immediately, 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

I made this last week for dinner. We had talked about going out to eat, but I just really wanted to stay home and eat some of our yummy tomatoes. My kids even liked it. I think I got it from Rachel Ray.



Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

ingredients:

1 pound pasta cavatappi or orecchiette

Salt

2 pints grape tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, grated

A few drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Freshly ground black pepper

20 leaves fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano



preparation:

Preheat oven 425°F.Place a large pot filled with water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the pasta. Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve about a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before draining the pasta.While the water is coming up to a boil to cook the pasta, place the tomatoes on a cookie and grate the garlic over them.Drizzle with some EVOO and season with some salt and pepper. Transfer cookie sheet to the oven and roast tomatoes for 8-10 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. Remove from the oven, discard the garlic cloves and transfer roasted tomatoes to a large serving bowl. Add the reserved pasta water and, with a potato masher or a fork, lightly smash the tomatoes. This is a great job for a K.H. (kid helper)!Add basil, drained pasta and Parmigiano cheese and toss to coat.Toss to combine, taste and re-season with some salt and pepper then serve.

Yields 4 servings

The Food Issue

That Michael Pollan is at it again. Here's another NYTimes Magazine article that he wrote about the politics of food and why it should be the next big issue. Very interesting. Click here for the article.