Soothing Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

It's raining! I put on my bright pink rain boots, we got Owen dressed in his yellow rain gear and went puddle hunting this afternoon. I played for about 20 minutes or so before it was time to come in and get a warm dinner started for my boys.
I was just waiting for the first storm of the season to try this soup out. I tried it, loved it and will be making this again and again in the future. Forget that plain Campbell's sodium loaded tomato soup, this is a hearty easy meal that leaves you pondering all the flavors that marry in your mouth instantly! The lentils give this soup a nice texture, while adding a good source of protein. The coconut milk and cilantro add a refreshing twist to the regular tomato soup you are probably used to.

Soothing Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

Recipe adapted from www.sense-serendipity.blogspot.com

1 tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 large onion

1/8 tsp ground chipotle pepper (optional)

2 tsp garam masala (found in most super markets, Cost Plus has a great one)

1 cup red lentils,rinsed and drained

2 cans (400g) whole tomatoes, pureed

3 cups chicken or vegetables stock

unrefined sea salt, to taste

1/2 cup coconut milk

cilantro leaves

Process tomatoes in the blender or a food processor until roughly pureed. Then, quickly rinse the lentils and drain well.

To start the soup, first peel and finely dice the onion. Then heat a heavy-bottom soup pot over medium high heat. Add the oil, followed by the onions. Season the onions with sea salt and cook until the onions are soft and tender. Add the chipotle pepper and garam masala and cook for another one minute. Then add the red lentils, tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover, lid slightly open and simmer the soup for about 20 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender.

When the lentils are already tender, chop some cilantro leaves. If the soup is too thick, add more stock. Season the soup with sea salt to taste. To serve, ladle the soup onto soup bowls, then garnish with coconut milk and chopped cilantro.

Lasagna Rolls

Once again, I found this awesome recipe through http://www.weelicious.com/. Each roll serves one, it's super easy and very tasty! This is great for toddlers, and for guests as well. It serves up nicely.

Lasagna Rolls Adapted from www.weelicious.com
9 Lasagna Noodles (I cooked 1 extra in case they tear while boiling)
1 Egg
16 Oz. Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup soaked sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped (or 1/2 cup oil packed, drained and chopped)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp Salt
1 Cup Spinach or Broccoli, cooked and finely chopped (I used frozen, thawed and drained well)
1 1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1. Cook lasagna noodles in salted water 2 minutes less than package directions call for and rinse with cold water.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a bowl whisk the egg, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and broccoli or spinach to combine.

4. Place 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×11 inch baking dish.

5. Spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture on each lasagna noodle, covering the sheet and roll up jelly roll style.6. Place the lasagna rolls seam side down in the baking dish and top with remaining marinara sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

7. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

8. Uncover and continue to cook an additional 15 minutes.

9. Serve.

* You can also prepare the dish through step 6, cover and freeze. When ready to eat, bake for 45 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

Mamma's Veggie "Meat"loaf

OK, though I don't eat red meat now, I did as a kid. Like most Americans, I still have fond memories of my Mom's meatloaf. I wanted to find a way to get a similar texture and flavor, but with out the meat. Through the use of lentils and oats and lots of seasoning, I think I got this one down. I have made this countless times for Owen (it's his favorite meal), and make it slightly different each time. I think tonight, I got the right amount of all the ingredients and the texture turned out perfect! Now I hope my memory doesn't fail me and I can write this down exactly how I made it.

I used to make this in one regular sized loaf pan, but tonight, I got the idea of making individual servings in muffin tins instead. It cut down on the cooking time and turned out great! This made 14 mini loaves, so there is plenty of left overs and some for freezing when you need a break in the kitchen one night!

Mamma's "Meat"loaf
1 1/4 cups lentils
2 1/2 cups water, veggie and or chicken broth
1 small onion, finely chopped in the food processor
1 carrot, finely chopped in the food processor
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup quick steel cut oats
1/3 cup cooked cous cous (millet, rice or quinoa would probably work fine as well)
3/4 cup grated cheese (mozzarella, pepper jack, Swiss, cheddar)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup jarred chunky spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt (I use Emeril's Essence)
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 350

Rinse lentils and take out any stones you might find. In a medium sauce pan, heat the water or broth and lentils to a boil. Place a lid on the pot and turn down heat to a simmer for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are soft. Drain any excess water and partially mash lentils with a potato masher and set aside.

While lentils are cooking make cous cous according to the box. Alternatively, if you have any left over grains in your fridge, just use a 1/3 cup of that instead.

In a food processor, pulse onion, garlic and carrot until finely chopped. Put 1 Tb. oil in a skillet and saute the mixture until soft (about 5-7 minutes). In a large bowl, mix the onion mixture, oats, cous cous and the lentils until slightly cool. Add the eggs, cheese, spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, worcestershire and seasoning salt. Mix until combined.

Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and fill each cup to the top with the mixture. Cook for 20 minutes and take out of the oven, making sure the top is firm and slightly brown. Evenly spread a dollop of ketchup on top of each mini loaf and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes. When done, let cool for a few minutes, take out and serve with a side of steamed veggies or better yet, homemade mashed potatoes!

Black Forest Biscotti

I was never much of a biscotti fan until I had it homemade from my friend Eriko's house (who is an excellent cook, especially when it comes to sweets!). It's slightly more soft then what you would buy at the store or a coffee house. As I was thumbing through my Moosewood cookbook one day I found two biscotti recipes that looked great! I have made almond biscotti a few times, which was delicious, but last night I thought it was time to try the black forest! It is super easy and looks exactly the way it should!

Black Forest Biscotti
Recipe from Moosewood Restaurant, New Classics

1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter, at room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure almond extract
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups plus 2 TB unbleached white four
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, heat the cherries and water just to boiling, and then remove from the heat and set aside. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and well combined. Blend in the eggs and almond and vanilla extracts. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drain the cherries, place them on a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture, and then stir them into the egg mixture.

In a separate bowl, sift together the four, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. With a rubber spatula, fold in the wet ingredients until the dough is uniform and holds together when pressed with lightly floured hands.

Use the spatula and your floured hands to scoop the dough onto the oiled baking sheet. Form the dough into a 12 inch x 3 inch diameter log shape; then press down on the log, flattening it to a thickness of about an inch. The length and width of the flattened log should be about 14 x 4 inches.

Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the dough is firm and just lightly brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the log to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, slice crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces. Lay each biscotti cut side up on the baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes on each side, using tongs to flip them. Cool completely on a rack and then store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

La Ribollita

When I was in my mid 20's I back packed solo through Europe for 6 weeks. Italy was one of my absolute favorite places I visited. I spent some of my time in Tuscany and spent a wonderful day in the quaint little town, San Gimignano. It was pouring rain when I got there, so I found a local restaurant to wait out the storm. I sat down and wrote in my journal while I had one of the most incredible soups I have ever had! I made a note of it and came back to New York looking for the exact recipe of what I had. "La Ribollita" is Italian for reboiled and "refers to the fact that in the old days the soup was reheated and served day after day."

Though I call this a soup, it is very hearty and more like a thick stew just to warn you. I make this several times a year, and this recipe is as close as I have gotten to what I had on that rainy day in Tuscany. Tonight is a little chilly, so we have a fire going, sweaters on and I thought this would be the perfect soup for dinner tonight.

La Ribollita Adapted from Complete Italian, by Hamlyn

1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

4 Tb. pureed Italian tomatoes

6 Tb. olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 large leek, chopped

2 carrots, thickly sliced into rings

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

2 potatoes roughly chopped

1/2 cup fresh corn (optional)

1 medium Savoy cabbage, finely shredded (I used Napa Cabbage, couldn't find Savoy)

4 cups water

1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1/2 Tb. fresh, chopped)

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, (or 1 tsp. fresh, chopped)

4 slices stale white bread (I used 12 grain from La Brea bread company)

salt and pepper

Drain and rinse cannellini beans. Blend half of the beans and the tomatoes in a food processor.

Heat 4 Tb. olive oil in a large soup pot, add the vegetables and cook gently, stirring frequently for 10 minutes until soft.

Add the pureed tomatoes and beans and stir well to mix, then add the cabbage, water, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. ring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Tear the bread into the soup and add the whole beans. Stir well to mix, then simmer for 10 more minutes. Check the seasoning, serve hot, drizzled with the remaining oil.

Note: this is a pretty versatile recipe, feel free to add any other veggies you have lying around. Green beans would be a nice addition, or substitution as well.

PS, Owen absolutely LOVED this dish and it's full of good stuff which makes us both happy : )

Banana "Ice Cream"

I had some fairly ripe banana's that I wasn't ready to use up, so I peeled them and stuck them in the freezer for a later use. I remembered seeing on a raw food/ vegan blog recently about blending a frozen banana and eating it as ice cream. So I tried this and added a little, yogurt, peanut butter and one pitted date for more protein, fiber and minerals. DEEELISH!!! I have given this to Owen twice this week and he loves it! This is so easy and healthy, I highly recommend this for your little ones....or yourself : )

Banana "Ice Cream"
1 frozen banana
1 Tb. peanut butter
1 pitted date (optional)
1/4 cup plain yogurt (optional)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
Enjoy!

Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad

Nanna, Pappy, Owen and I had a great day at the avocado festival today in Carpinteria. For dinner I decided to make a meal that included these creamy nutrient packed local fruits. I found a recipe on http://www.everydayhealth.com/ for sweet potaotes with savory spices and black beans. It called for a sour cream and cilantro garnish, which to me, screams, "Add Avocado!" Depending on the size of your sweet potatoes, this meal could be very filling on it's own. I, however always make too much food and we had some small potatoes, so I made a side of quinoa with broccoli and tofu in a home made almond vinegrette dressing, which was a very protein loaded nutty flavored dish. Which was good, but not necessary as I am pretty full typing this right now!

Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad

4 potato(es), sweet
15 ounce(s) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium tomato(es), diced (I used 1 large heirloom tomato)
1 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup(s) sour cream, reduced-fat
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 avocado, diced

Preparation

1. Prick potatoes with a fork in several places. Place in a baking dish and bake at 425 degrees F until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour. If you are in a hurry you can use a pressure cooker for 10 minutes, like I did.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine beans, tomatoes, oil, cumin, coriander and salt. until hot.

3. When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and spoon the bean mixture into the well. Top each with a dollop of sour cream (or plain yogurt), a sprinkle of cilantro and top with diced avocados.