lentil soup is for champions!

Here is a recipe that is a favorite of mine. My father use to make this when I was younger (I am so young now so it was not that far off). This soup freezes well and there are so many variations; you can please a meat eater or vegetarians and still keep it healthy. Between Dan, myself and some family friends we cleaned up a double recipe in 3 days and Dan actually enjoyed it (without pig parts…again, no meat in this version).

Did you know?
. . . that if you love beans they will love your heart and bowels back? They are packed with soluble and insoluble fiber that sucks up gunk as it moves though your body and keeps all of your pipes clean. Lentils also help stabilize blood sugar levels and gives a slow burn while keeping you feeling full. Lastly, lentils are high in iron, incidentally so is red meat, which is also high in cholesterol (the same gunk you are trying to remove by eating more fiber rich foods).

So folks, pair this soup with the antioxidant rich tomatoes (processed tomatoes are more concentrated in antioxidants than fresh) and you have a crowd pleasing, super food cocktail!

This recipe will make 4 lbs of soup and is just the basic mix

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup lentils, dry (I love to use French lentils as they stay firm but green lentils work well)
• 1 quart broth
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf (dad’s secret ingredient..maybe)

If you are feelin' funky add:

• 1 small can of tomato sauce & 1 14 oz can of diced tomato (my favorite addition, just like dad’s recipe)
• sun dried tomatoes
• rice / quinoa / kamut / spelt berries
• fennel
• spinach / kale / swiss chard
• sliced kielbasa or sausage (try to be aware of the sodium content)
• ham (did you know that pigs are as smart as dogs? www.rps.psu.edu/probing/pigs.html )
• red pepper flakes
• dash of cayenne
• tofu sausage

Saute the veggies over medium heat with olive oil for about 8 minutes adding the garlic for the last minute. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

eat more beans ... killer HUMMUS

what a tasty way to incorporate heart healthy beans into your diet. I should take some of my advice. I made my hummus last night and for lunch spread it on some whole wheat naan and toasted for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven then topped with feta. Crazy good! sometimes when we keep it simple... Again, get creative and use specialty ingredients that tickle your fancy to made this hummus your own.

- roasted red pepper

- black beans & chipotle

- sun dried tomato & oregano

- roasted eggplant & garlic

so, you have the hummus, now what? Sure you can

• serve it with whole wheat pita/naan
• but why not put it on the pita/naan and toast it
• then top it with a fresh tomato, basil & mozzarella (smoked mozz yum...)
• or try a feta and dill with a squeeze of lime juice

Basic killer hummus recipe

• 3 c chickpeas
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped (start with 2 cloves and taste as you go)
• 2T sesame seeds, powdered in a coffee/spice mill
• 4 splashes tamari/soy sauce
• 3T lemon juice
• pepper
• cayenne, to taste
• olive oil and/or water to thin (use more water and less oil if you want low fat)

whiz all the ingredients in a food processor. I like mine with a bit of texture but not as thick as spackle. I add olive oil, maybe 1/4 cup, as it is blending then use water (to cut the fat) until the desired texture is achieved.

mango & lime couscous salad

This is 4th of July side dish, for a friend's picnic and fire works, was born of fresh veggies already in the fridge. Costco has been carrying champagne mangos for a few weeks and if you have never had one you really are missing out. They are silky smooth and buttery sweet. This golden mango is smaller than the traditional soft ball sized mango in the grocery store. If you are a sugar junky, like me, you will be eating the flesh off the stone because just slicing off the fruit is not enough.

So, back to this salad . This is a beautiful jeweled salad and refreshing for the summer heat while being a breeze to prepare. Don't follow my recipe to the "t", you can creatively substitute ingredients based on what is in your fridge or pantry (couscous for rice, bulgar wheat, orzo pasta...black bean for kidney beans, garbanzo...)

1/2 dry, whole wheat couscous
1 cup water

• Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. If you want to flavor the couscous add, to the water, a tad bit of bullion, sazon seasoning or dried cilantro/thyme. When the water is at a boil add the couscous, cover and remove from heat. DO NOT open the lid for at least 10 minutes. After 10 remove the lid and fluff the cooked couscous with a fork and set aside to cool.

1 can black beans (low/no sodium...otherwise rinse the beans well to remove some sodium)
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced (red onion or sweet)
1 champagne mango, chopped (or regular mango)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 corn on the cob, kernels removed (optional, it is just seasonal now in our neck of the woods)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 scallions, sliced (green & white included)

• gently mix these pretties with the couscous.

2 limes, zest and juice (at least 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or through press
1 tsp agave
1/2 tsp salt
pepper, to taste

• whisk this up and add to you glam salad

Butternut Squash-Leek Soup & Savory Harira Soup

a frozen mirror of ice is covering our most recent snow. it is the perfect time to warm the house with the stove and some savory soup and I have 2 recipes I have been chomping at the bit to try, Butternut Squash-Leek Soup ( Cooking Light from about 6 years ago) and Harira (Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Recipes).

Butternut Squash-Leek Soup
I picked up some locally grown squash a few weeks back that has kept well on the back porch. I also used and some frozen acorn squash that I had roasted, puréed and froze. This recipe was very easy to whip up. I have to admit my soup looks deceptively like split pea not squash... the leeks won out in the coloring! My recipe is photo coped so I have no idea if I am close to what it should look like.

1 whole garlic head
4 tsp olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced leek (about 4 large)
4 cups cubed and peeled butternut squash (about 1 med) *I used locally grown acorn and potatoes
2 cups water
2 cups broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (I prefer white)

-preheat the oven to 350
- remove white papery skins from the garlic (do not peel or separate the cloves). slice the tops off, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil and bake for about 1 hour. cool at least 10 minutes
- heat olive oil in pan over med-high head. Add leeks, Sauté about 5-8 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic (squeeze the roasted garlic from the head), 2 cups water, squash, broth, salt, and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 10 minutes until the squash is tender.
- use a blender or a hand held mixer to puree the ingredients. Be careful NOT TO BURN yourself.

4-6 servings (1cup) approx 167 calories, 3.5g fat, 5g fiber, 3mg iron, 144mg calcium

Harira
so says moosewood... "harira is traditionally served in North Africa at the evening meal during Ramadan, the Muslim month of daytime fasting." This soup is very fragrant when cooking and wonderfully balanced when served. I am not use to cinnamon in soup and thought this had an amazing scent while cooking although I was hesitant. Actually, I was sure I just wasted my time and food preparing this. Dan (my chocolate chip eating husband) surprisingly preferred this soup to the squash-leek. This is an wonderful soup with a lovely balance of flavors. I did not experiment much with this recipe but next time may use healthful sweet potatoes instead of the white.

1 cup chopped onion
4 cups stock (I used 5)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1/2 cup celery (I omitted with no regrets)
1 cup undrained canned tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
pinch of saffron
1 cup cooked chickpeas (1/2 or 1/3 cup dried)
1 cup cooked lentils (1/2 or 1/3 cup dried)
1 to 2 T chopped cilantro
1 T fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

- in covered soup pot simmer 1 cup broth and onions for 10 minutes.
- combine ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne in a small bowl and add 2-3 T hot broth to make a paste
- stir the paste, carrots, celery, and the remaining stock. Bring to boil
- lower heat and add the tomatoes and potatoes and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- crumble in saffron. stir in the beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

suggested to serve with lemon wedges.
4-6 servings
approx 186 cal, 9 g protein, 1.6g fat, 8g fiber