Red Lentil Soup

This soup is so yummy! It's also very quick and easy to make. The lemon and fresh herbs give it such a wonderful fresh taste, I could eat this year round. The picture doesn't do this soup justice, because it's pretty hard to take a sexy picture of lentil soup.

Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper [1]
• 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 6 cups vegetable stock [2]
• 1 1/4 cup red lentils [3]
• 1 cup peeled and diced carrots
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
• Chopped fresh cilantro and/or parsley

Instructions:

• Add oil to bottom of large pot and heat on high until hot.
• Add onion and garlic, saute until golden brown.
• Add tomato paste and spices, stir and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add broth, lentils and carrot. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered on low for 30-40 minutes.
• Using a blender, puree the about soup and add back to pot. You can also use an immersion blender. You want to soup to have some chunks.
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Ladle into serving bowls and garnish generously with fresh herbs.

Notes:

1. Can substitute chili powder
2. You can also use 6 cups of water and bullion. If you prefer, chicken stock can also be substituted.
3. The lentils will loose their redness as they cook

Beef Pho

I love pho, and even thought there are two Vietnamese restaurants within 5 minutes of my house, it's really nice to be able to make at home on a chilly night.   I went a little overboard and made my own bone broth, but you can easily start with pre-made broth. Broth can also easily be made ahead of time and/or frozen. 

Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients or steps. As long as the broth is ready, I can put this together in less than 30 minutes.

Beef Pho

Ingredients:

The Broth:

• 3-4 pounds of beef bones
• 4-6 quarts of water
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 4 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 pods star anise
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
• 2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

The Soup:

• Medium rice noodles (about 1/4 inch wide, not vermicelli or wide noodles)
• 1 to 1 ½ pounds very, thinly sliced steak (such as top sirloin, flank, London broil)

Garnishes:

• Fresh Bean Sprouts
• Fresh herbs such as: Thai Basil. Cilantro, Parsley, Fresh Mint
• Lime Wedges
• Jalapeño slices
• Chopped green onion

Condiments:

• Chile-garlic sauce, such as Sriracha 
• Hoisin sauce

Instructions:

Broth (see Note 1)

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
• Place beef bones on a baking sheet and roast until browned, 30-60 minutes.
• Place onion and ginger on a baking sheet on highest rack in your oven and char on each side until blackened and soft.
• Put roasted beef bones and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer on low from 24-48 hours. The longer you can cook it the more depth and flavor your broth will have. 
• For the last 6 to 8 hours, add the roasted onion and ginger and spices to flavor the broth. I simmered mine for 18 hours and then added the onions and spices for an additional 8 hours. 
• Strain the broth into a pan and set aside  (See Note 2).
• You can freeze any extra broth for future use.

Soup:

• Cook noodles according to instructions drain, and divide into bowls. 
• Top the noodles with the raw beef slices top with the hot broth. Stir and let sit until beef is no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes (See Note 3).
• Set a plate at the table so individuals can add the bean sprouts, the fresh herbs, lime wedges, and sliced jalapenos as they desire. Also provide sriracha and/or hoisin sauce. (See Note 4).

Notes: 

1. If you don't want to make your own broth you can always use 6 cups store-bought beef broth (or chicken or veggie, if you prefer) and add the charred vegetables and spices and simmer for at least one hour, or in a crockpot for 3-4 hours or more.
2. If there is a lot of marrow your broth may be greasy. You may want to cool the broth before serving and remove the hardened fat from the top.
3. For variety, I often add fresh broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. You can place bite-size pieces on top of the beef before you pour over the broth. 
4. This dish should be served with the bean sprouts, herbs, and lime. To me, the are definitely key to the experience. The rest are optional and to taste. I add all listed, because I like mine spicy!

No Knead Homemade Bread--Two recipes

So I've been experimenting with baking bread at home of and on for a few months now. I always thought baking bread was hard and time consuming, and it can be, but have found two no-knead recipes/methods that work well. It's also much cheaper and more convenient. If you are interested in baking your own bread, give them a try and see what method works best for you.

No Knead Crusty Bread
The first is the No Knead Crusty Bread from King Arthur flour. It's great because you always have dough in the fridge--risen and ready to go. You can have a fresh loaf in about an hour. Here is the recipe and method: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-white-bread-recipe

This is one attempt at making it.

4-Hour No-Knead Bread
The second method is very similar to the previous and can be found here: http://www.instructables.com/id/4-Hour-No-Knead-bread/

The recipe says to let it sit for at least four hours. I sometimes will make this in the morning and let it sit on the counter all day so it's ready when I get home.

Here's a picture of the latest loaf I made.

Baba Ghanoush

I love eggplant, and I love baba ghanoush, a lovely dip served similar to hummus, but with eggplant instead of chickpeas. It's also smoky and garlicky and just delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed
• 1 bulb, plus 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• salt, to taste
• oil olive
• chopped parsley

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place a bulb of garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly so that no oil can escape. Place into oven.
• Pierce the skin of the eggplants 4-5 times with a fork.
• If you  have a grill or gas stove, roast the whole eggplant, turning so that the skin turns black. If not, go to next step.
• Prepare a sheet tray by lining with foiling and coating with olive oil 
• Slice eggplants in half length-wise and transfer eggplant to baking sheet, cut side down
• Roast in oven until completely soft, about 20-30 minutes depending on size.
• Remove and let cool slightly. Scope out the roasted eggplant, discarding the skins, and place in a bowl.
• Using a fork, immersion blender, or food processor mash the eggplant.
• Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin and mix. Add more tahini and lemon juice as needed.
• Drizzle with olive oil and chopped parsley. 
• Serve with pita chips, baby carrots, or sliced cucumbers.

Note: I like to make this at least a few hours ahead of time, or even the day before, so that the flavors have a chance to mingle. 

OMGarlic Scapes!!!!!

So in my CSA share last week, I got 10 garlic scapes. If they hadn't been labelled, I wouldn't have even known what those green swirly things were. I didn't feel bad though, I split my share with my friend, she went to culinary school. A few days after we got our share and she asked me what I did with mine.

Luckily, I had already hit the Internet and discovered that garlic scapes are the green tops of the garlic plant. They're similar to green onions or chives; however, they they have a lovely mild, sweet taste of garlic.

I LOVE garlic and always have it around. What self-respecting Italian-American lives in a house where there is no garlic in the kitchen? Exactly. So, I was super-excited and have been enjoying them all week! I put them in an omelet. I whipped them into some cream cheese to schmear on a bagel. I made brushetta. I sauteed them with some zucchini. I tossed them in a salad. I put them in a chicken marinade. I made salad dressing.

I had my garlic and it was lovely. Because the taste was so mild, I used garlic in ways I normally wouldn't. Sometimes, my beloved garlic gets a little overpowering, especially when you don't cook it. I would never have mixed crushed garlic into cream cheese for my morning bagel. I would be unkissable for a day!!! The brushetta was my favorite--it just made it taste so fresh--and I don't usually get to enjoy the flavor of garlic in a salad, so that was very enjoyable. So I learned about another new vegetable and maybe now you have too!

I hope they put some more in my basket next week.

Sweet and Sour Collard Greens

OMG!!! These are so delicious. Of course they are--they have bacon. Because they are a superfoody, green leafy vegetable, they kind need the flavor, but overall they are still pretty healthy.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. white flour
• 1/3 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• pinch of salt
• 2 c. collard greens, chopped with stems removed

Instructions:

1. Fry the bacon in a large frying pan, until crisp. Remove from pan, cover and set aside. Do not drain the bacon grease from the pan.
2. Combine the water, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper and salt and set aside.
   
3. On medium heat, whisk the flour into the bacon grease. Add the liquid mixture
4. Reduce heat to low and add the greens a handful at a time. Cover and steam for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

Vegetable Curry Rice

This is an easy one-pot meal you can make on the stove or in a rice cooker. Just put all the ingredients together and in about 20-30 minutes, it's done. I really like this dish for potlucks, because I can make it in my rice cooker in about 30 minutes, so it's hot and fresh. It's also vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, so it basically will be edible by everyone, unless of course they don't like curry.

Vegetable Curry Rice

• 2 cups white or brown rice (I prefer basmati or jasmine)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas (I prefer fresh)
• 2 Tbsp. curry spice mix (use a pre-made blend or see below)

Curry spice blend:

• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• garlic powder (optional)

Fill a pot with the proper amount of water according to directions (soaking brown rice if instructed). Bring to a boil. Add the rice, vegetables, and spice and cook rice until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

If using a rice cooker, you can soak the rice in the cooker and when ready, add the vegetables and spice and turn the rice cooker on. It should be ready in about 20-30 minutes depending on your rice cooker.


Notes:

1. To save time chopping vegetables can buy Mirapoux (diced celery, carrots, onions) at Trader Joe's in their vegetable section. They also have fresh English peas that work well.
2. You can also toss in chopped roasted or baked chicken.

Crunchy Asian Cole Slaw

This one is always a hit. There are tons of versions of cole slaw with ramen noodles, but this is my favorite. The toasted nuts and seeds give it an extra crunch and combined with the sesame oil, it has a real rich toasted flavor. My family thinks the recipe is a secret since I'm always forgetting to email it when they ask. So, here it is for the whole world. Enjoy!

Crunchy Asian Cole Slaw

• 1 lb. shredded cabbage or a bag coleslaw mix
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 c. toasted almonds
  
• 1/3 c. sunflower seeds
• 1 pkg. Top Ramen noodles (Oriental flavor), crunch into sm. pieces
  
• 1/4 c. sesame oil 
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. rice vinegar (do not substitute)
• Top Ramen season packet
• 3 tbsp. sugar

Place sunflower seeds and almond slivers in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes until a light golden brown. Be careful not to over toast.

In a small bowl whisk together the oils, rice vinegar, seasoning packet and sugar. 

In a large bowl, combine cabbage and green onions. Add crushed ramen noodles, sunflower seed, and almonds and toss with dressing.

Serve immediately.  

Note:
Top Ramen brand ramen noodles are vegan, Manuchan brand have beef flavoring are NOT vegetarian. If you don't care, I know people that use Chicken flavor and it tastes yummy too.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

These are not the Brussels Sprouts you were made to eat as a kid, sitting in your chair until it was time for bed because you refused to eat them... Now, these are also certainly not the steamed veggies your nutritionist recommends but they aren't all bad at about 120 calories and 4g of fat per serving. Added bonus, every time I cook bacon my fire alarm gets tested. Safety first in the kitchen, I say! This is also a pretty dish since the sprouts turn a lovely brilliant green that glistens in the bacon... mmm... bacon! Oh, and please don't judge my dirty stove top, I just cooked bacon... mmm... bacon!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

• 2 lbs. Brussels Sprouts
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/3 c. chopped onion
• 1 cup chicken broth
• black pepper

Remove the stem part of the Brussels sprouts, rinse in cold water and drain. In a large frying pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel. Drain the bacon grease from the pan, but don't wipe out the pan, you'll want some fat to fry the onions. Add the onions and saute for about 2 minutes, then add chicken broth and Brussels Sprouts and season with black pepper. Cover and simmer on low to medium heat for about 10 minutes until sprouts are tender. If there is any remaining broth, remove from pan with slotted spoon. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Sweet Potato Kale Soup

My body was craving something fresh and hearty and healthy. So I came up with this. It's a Maria original and I'm quite pleased with the results. I love me some kale and it's soooooo good for you, low in calories and high of antioxidant vitamins, and phytonutrients, as well as tons of fiber.

Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chopped kale
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 quarts stock, vegetable or chicken
1 can garbazo beans, drained
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. red pepper (optional)

Put all the ingredients in a crockpot for 4-6 hours on HIGH or 8 to 10 hours on LOW.

On the stove, put all the ingredients in a stock pot, bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

Pepper Steak

There are some recipes your Mom, grandmother, and aunts make that you just can't seem to master. My aunt and my Dad each make a killer Pepper Steak that you would swear was take out from the Chinese restaurant. I haven't mastered it, but I made an attempt and my dinner was quite yummy and I think you'll like it too. Of course, I could just ask for the recipes I guess, but I'm stubborn like that!

Pepper Steak

1 lb steak (sliced thin--see Tips and Tricks below)

2 green peppers, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin strips

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced into thin strips

1 small clove garlic, minced

Sauce:

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ginger

3 Tbsp. corn starch

black pepper

In a wok, or large saute or frying pan, add the sliced steak. Stir for the first few minutes so each slice is separated. Add the onions, stir. Then add the peppers and mushrooms, stir. Cover for 5 minutes to let all the ingredients cook. Uncover, add sauce, and let simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce started to thicken and vegetables are cooked, yet still firm.

Serve over rice.

Tips and Tricks:

• If you put the steak in the freezer for about an hour, it will firm up enough to be able to get those evenly cut, ultra thin slices.
  
  
• Slice the peppers and onions into long strips. It's easier too eat with chopsticks.
  
  
• You can use any kind of rice, however, my absolute favorite for any kind of Asian dish is Thai Jasmine rice. It's an aromatic rice that's just a little sticky. I could eat bowlfuls of stuff.