Lentil soups and....

Lentil Soup Recipes and other recipes using lentils

My mom used to make lentil soup almost once a week.  It made me happy when my own kids said they missed lentil soup while in college.  The cafeteria doesn't make it.  Usually you use brown lentils but I have tried red lentils and it turned out great.  

My mom would make extras and give some to me in a tupperware container.  She would always say:  add a little liquid so it isn't so thick.  I read that in a recipe too.   Also, it tastes even better then next day.   

This is a Lentil Soup made with tomatoes, curry and the optional bulgur.  Instead of curry I have used thyme, or oregano or summer savory.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium onions chopped

3 stalks of celery chopped

3 to 4 garlic cloves

2 tsp. curry powder

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

1 cup lentils or more, rinsed and drained

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth.  I usually use a bullion cube.

1 bay leaf

Optional:  1/2 cup bulgur wheat

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup sliced green onions or some chopped parsley 

1.  Saute the onions and celery in the olive oil in a large soup pot.  Add the garlic. Stir in the curry powder and cook stirring for about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.  Stir the lentils into the pot.

2.  Add the broth and 3 cups of water, and bring to a simmer.  Add the bay leaf, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.  

3.  Stir in the bulgur wheat and continue to simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender and the bulgur is tender-firm, about 10 minutes.  Season generously with salt and pepper.

4.  Stir up to 2 Tbsp. lemon juice into the stew and serve it in bowls or in a warm terrine.  Stir the sour cream to liquefy it slightly and drizzle about 1 Tbsp. over the top of each serving.  Give each a good grind of pepper, sprinkle with scallions, and serve very hot.  

Options:

You can add carrots and parsley to the onions and celery.  

You can also use other spices instead of curry.

You can also start the soup by sauteing bacon in place of sauteing the vegetables in olive oil.  

Some people say this soup tastes even better when cooked a day ahead. 

My mom used to make lentil soup every other week.  She would put cut up sausage in the soup.   We lived in the county on 5 acres and one year we had so many mice outside and a few made it inside the house.  One mouse jumped in the lentil soup.  My mom found out when she ladled the soup.  She thought to herself:  I don't remember having put such a big piece of meat in here.  She figured out it was a mouse and I am sure she threw out the soup.    

Warm Lentil Dip

We brought this dish to my annual birthday picnic and hike and ate it kind of like a
dip with with crackers and bread.  

I would use red or yellow lentils.  The brown ones will make the dip look like a mud dip.

Cook dry lentils according to the package directions. Some stores sell pre-cooked lentils but I have never used them.
1 jar of curry simmer sauce
1/2-1 can of coconut milk (to taste - I have used light coconut milk, but regular coconut is better.)
Minced cilantro to taste. I think the more you add the better it tastes.

Mix all the ingredients together. This dish tastes even better if you let it sit at least an hour before serving so the flavors blend, but it is not necessary to wait to eat it. This dish keeps well in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days. You can serve it hot or warm. I prefer room temperature. It is great as a side dish or mixed with veggies. It is also delicious all by itself.

Overnight oatmeal and overnight Grape Nuts cereal

Overnight Oats taste great and easy to make.

Stir together :
1/2 cup of old fashioned oats
6 oz. of Greek yogurt
1/2 a banana mashed
some skim or almond milk

Top with sliced almonds or walnuts.
Top with chia seeds or flax seeds.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

I also make and eat overnight Grape Nuts cereal.  1/2 cup Grape Nuts mixed with milk.  I like to top with walnuts, wheatgerm and raisins.

My mom had a German friend that would comment that the food manufacturers take the wheat germ out of the wheat and then sell it separately in a jar.  They then take the wheat that has been robbed and bake it into white bread.  The wheat and germ should be kept together.

I like quesadillas better than grilled cheese sandwiches

I fill my quesidillas with mozarella cheese, browned onions and refried beans.  I sometimes add tomatoes and/or avocado. 

This is the basic recipe I got from an Alice Water's cookbook for kids.
12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella cheese
16 corn or flour tortillas
1 cup tomato salsa

Grate the cheese.  Put a lightly olive oiled cast-iron pan on the stove over medium heat.
Lay out 8 of the tortillas on a table and spread the grated cheese over each one.  Spoon some salsa on the cheese and then top with the rest of the tortillas.
Use a spatula and slip the tortilla "sandwich" into the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until the cheese is melted.  Remove with the spatula, cut into quarters, and eat right away.

Apple Strudel photo and recipe

My mom got this recipe from her friend Erika.  Erika was born and raised in Germany.  The filling is made with apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, almonds, raisins and bread crumbs.

Filling:
4 Tbsp. bread crumbs
125 g butter
3 kg sour apples like Granny Smith
75 g raisins
75 g chopped almonds
100 g sugar
cinnamon
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar (optional)

For the crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter
a little salt

Cut the butter into flour like you would do to for  a pie crust.  Add the sour cream and mix together.  Put the dough in the refrigerator overnight.  The next day, roll the dough out the length of a cookie sheet.  Place the filling on the dough and smooth the filling out to about an inch of the edges of the dough.   Roll up the dough and pinch the edges together.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

The very best tofu recipes

Baked Tofu 

Drain firm tofu and slice in rectangles.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.


I found a Baked Tofu Frittata recipe online at www.vegikitchen

http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/baked-tofu-frittata/

It had olive oil, red onion, zucchini, mushrooms, tofu, nutritional yeast, non-dairy milk (I used eggs to bind the "quiche" together instead of the non-dairy milk and cornstarch, basil, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, tomato, scallions, kalamata olives.



Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomato (from the Garden Grazer)  The author loves Yellowstone like Joe too!   A similar recipe is in Melissa's cookbook called Vegan for Everybody

Ingredients
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
2-3 roma tomatoes
1 lb. extra-firm tofu
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Large handful baby spinach (or more)
Salt to taste

Directions
Dice onion and mince garlic.
In a large pan over medium heat, saute onion with a little salt for 7-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble tofu and dice tomatoes.
Add garlic to the pan, and cook for 30 seconds. Add crumbled tofu and tomato. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Some may stick on the bottom but that's normal.)
While the tofu is cooking, put the cumin, paprika, and turmeric in a small bowl. Add 1-2 Tbsp. water, and stir to combine.
Add seasonings and nutritional yeast to the pan. Stir well to combine.
Add spinach and cook another 3 minutes.

Maria's roasted tofu 


I had a student who was a vegetarian and she gave me this recipe after I asked her for her favorite tofu recipe 

Tofu Frittata

1 pound extra firm tofu

2-3 eggs

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1  tsp. Dijon mustard (or yellow mustard)

2 tsp. olive oil

some crushed garlic

some crushed thyme

some turmeric (or another spice you like)

salt and pepper

1 – 2 onions

1 to 2 cloves of garlic

3 to 4 stakes of celery (or another vegetable you like)

sun dried tomatoes (or your choice of a vegetable mixture  )

1. Crumble tofu to look like cottage cheese.
2. Mix in the soy sauce and the mustard and set aside.
3. Sauté onions, celery and garlic in olive oil.  Add thyme and other spices you like.
4. Beat 2 to 3 eggs in a bowl and then add to the tofu mixture.
5. Add the sautéd vegetables to the tofu mixture. 
6. Bake the frittata in a 400 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes until it is firm like a quiche.

Frying pan tofu triangles with vegis

1lb. medium firm tofu
3 Tbsp. grape seed oil

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

1 cup mushrooms or other vegetable
1 cup red pepper, sliced into strips
chopped onions
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
3 green onions, sliced

1.  Cut the block of tofu in half length-wise, then cut each half diagonally into 2 large triangle-shaped pieces.

2.  Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet.  Add tofu and lightly brown until crispy, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove tofu from skillet.

3.  Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in skillet.  Add sliced peppers and mushrooms to skillet.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic, cook another 2 minutes.

4.  Add half of teriyaki sauce to vegetable mixture.

5.  Serve tofu on top of vegetable mixture and drizzle remaining teriyaki sauce to taste.

Bar cookies that celebrate brown sugar

My mom had a recipe from her South Carolina friend called chess cake.  I thought that cake was so amazing.  Brown sugar clumped together was such an awesome taste to me as a kid.

Here is the chess cake recipe

2 sticks oleo
1 box brown sugar=2 cups
1 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites
powdered sugar for dusting finished cake before serving

Melt margarine, add both sugars and blend well.  Add egg yolks and beat well.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture.  Fold in nuts and vanilla.  Beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold into batter.  Spread batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.  When done sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

This is another bar cookie that celebrates brown sugar
1 lb. box of dark brown sugar = 2 cups
2 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 eggs
dash salt
1 cup nuts (optional)
12 oz chocolate chips (optional)

Melt butter in a 10 x 13 pan and spread the butter up the sides of the pan.  Pour the remaining butter into a bowl and add the brown sugar.  Stir together and cool slightly.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Mix eggs and vanilla into brown sugar mixture and then add the dry ingredients.  Stir in chocoate chips and the nuts if you are using them.  Bake for 25 mintues at 350 degrees.  Cool before cutting.  Makes 48 bars.

These peanut butter cookies always turn out looking and tasting great

These cookies are also known as "Ruthie's Never too many Peanut Butter Cookies."  I like that they always turn out looking and tasting good.

1 cup sugar (or less)
1 cup brown sugar (or less)
1 cup shortening (I have used solid vegetable oil and also coconut oil successfully.)
2 eggs
1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp salt

chocolate chips to decorate

Mix sugars and shortening until fluffy.  Add eggs and peanut butter and beat again until fluffy.  Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Shape into 3/4 inch balls.  Pace 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Place 3 to 5 chocolate chips on each one.  Bake at 375 degrees until set (approximately 10 minutes).  Have the cookies cool on the cookie sheet to retain their shape.  Remove. Enjoy.