Cookie 'n Kate Best Lentil Soup

I pretty much switched to cooking with red lentils because the soups come out so pretty. This is a good straightforward green/brown lentil soup.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, lightly drained
1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed
1 to 2 T lemon juice (1/2 to 1 medium lemon), to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. One-fourth cup olive oil may seem like a lot, but it adds a lovely richness and heartiness to this nutritious soup.

Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor.

Pour in the lentils, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.

Use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup to thicken, but don't obliterate the chopped ingredients!

Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 T of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. For spicier soup, add another pinch or two of red pepper flakes.

Becca's Beloved Fried Chickpeas

Here's a flexible, easy prep from Bon Appetit. Becca makes it often. It's very flexible. I just paired it w chopped fresh snap-peas instead of herbs.

2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed (I don't bother to dry them) and DRAINED. The drier the chickpeas are, the better.
4 garlic cloves, crushed
⅓ cup olive oil
salt, freshly ground pepper (other recipes have a wide variety of spicing)
2½ cups chopped mixed tender herbs (such as parsley, cilantro, chives, and/or basil)

Place chickpeas in a large skillet or Dutch oven and add garlic and oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are crisped and some have split open (these will be the most delicious ones), 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs.

Sweet Potato Peanut Chickpea Soup

West African Peanut Soup - for a one dish light dinner. Gorgeous color, and lots of superfoods (greens, sweet potato, chickpeas).

This recipe is from the Love Real Food cookbook by Kathryne Taylor of Cookie + Kate - this blogger made some small adjustments to the ingredients and instructions, and so did I.

Here are some endorsements from the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. We sent a few items left behind to Nomi and Micah via Lyft, and included a quart of this elixir.

1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium-large sweet potato (mine was about 3/4-lb.), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed; finely chopped
salt
2 T fresh grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 T)
5 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
1/4 cups water
3/4 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter*
6 oz tomato paste
1 medium bunch of lacinato (dino) kale**, ribs removed & leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups packed)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/2-1 T Sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Garnishes:
1/2 cup roughly chopped peanuts
1 handful of chopped fresh cilantro or other herbs (I used leftover parsley)

In a dutch oven or very large pot, warm 2 T of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, sweet potato, jalapeño and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the sweet potatoes are beginning to soften - 10-15 mins. (If the onions are starting to brown, you can turn the heat down a bit).

Add the grated ginger, garlic and 1 tsp of salt, and the 5 c of broth. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 min or until fragrant.

Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer (beginning to bubble - this may take a while). Once simmering, cook for 15 mins, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Use an immersion blender at this point if you want a smoother soup.

Meanwhile, take 1/4 c hot water in a 2 c. measuring cup, and dump peanut butter until it registers 1 c. Combine with the tomato paste. Mix until smooth, and then pour into the soup and mix well.

Continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes, or until the soup has thickened.

Add the chickpeas and chopped greens, and continue cooking for another 5-10 mins. Add Sriracha to taste. You can also add a bit more salt to taste. Serve topped with chopped peanuts and herbs.


**I really like how lacinato/dino kale holds up in this and other soups, but regular curly kale or collard greens work, too.


West African Peanut Soup https://chefshiv.com/west-african-peanut-soup/

Eggplant Parmesan: Work in Progress

Eggplant parmesan is Becca's absolute fave.
The nuisance of making it is peeling and then breading and frying or baking the slices.
For awhile Trader Joe's had a peeled, breaded eggplant cutlet produce but alas, it's discontinued. I found a new brand, Maccabee, that is breaded and fried. Others in the freezer section are not peeled, which is a disqualifier, in my book.

Tried this: one large eggplant, sliced in 3/8" slices. 2 eggs, bread crumbs as needed. Dip in eggs, spread with bread crumbs, and bake on tins in a 425-450 oven til brown. Longer than you think it will take, 10 minutes or so a side.

Then, assemble with the mozzarella, marinara, and parmesan. Bake about 20 minutes.

Blue Zones Butternut Squash Leek Soup

So far in our year of bringing dinner to 412 on Wednesday nights, Micah says he likes this soup the best. Since it's the easiest, yay! It's from the BlueZones Cookbook - featured on Instagram.
It serves about 6. It's a beautiful color, fun to garnish.

The recipe is vegan. In brackets, some modifications.

1 lb. peeled, chopped butternut squash [can include carrots and sweet potatoes]
1/4 c. sliced leek [or onion]
2 T. vegetable oil [or butter]
1 quart soy milk, unsweetened OR 1 can coconut milk + 2 c. vegetable broth [or a 12 oz can of evaporated milk + the water from steaming, + vegie broth to taste]
2 t. cumin
2 t. turmeric
2 t. salt (to taste)
Ground pepper to taste

Steam squash in about 2" of water until soft, about 15 minutes.

In a small fry pan, stir-fry leeks in oil until soft but not browned, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove the steamer. Add the leeks and soy milk to the steamed butternut squash, add the spices, and simmer for another 15 minutes. [The original recipe says to dump the steaming water, but it seems to me is has some nutrients in it, so just add to it.]

Blend in pot with immersion blender.

Lactation Bars

Gifts for Asia and Donya, 2021.

These make enough for a half-sheet pan. If you're using a 1/4 sheet, either bake it in two shifts, or bake a half recipe.

A 1/4 sheet pan is enough to fill a jar.

Most lactation bars feature Brewers yeast, flax seed, oats, and other nutritious ingredients like wheat germ. I modified this by baking the dough in the Breville in a 1/4 sheet pan, which works well.

It's easy to slice into even portions. They're a nice gift to a new mama!

It makes about 5 dozen bars or cookies. 

Recipe By:kfwarden

2 T flax seed meal
¼ cup water
1 c butter, softened
1 c white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1½ t pure vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour (can be half whole wheat)
¼ cup brewers' yeast
1 T wheat germ
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
½ t cream of tartar
2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flaxseed with water in small bowl and let soak for 5 minutes.

Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat to incorporate. Stir flax seed mixture into the butter mixture.

Mix flour, brewer's yeast, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar in a separate bowl; add to butter mixture and stir until just combined. Fold oats and chocolate chips into the dough.

Press half the dough into the greased 1/4 sheet pan, using wet hands to spread the dough evenly. (Or bake the whole batch in a large jelly roll tin.)

Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool and slice. Repeat.

Presentation is important if you're baking these as a gift. I was pleased to find glass jars which are perfect and something, of course, that can be reused.

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Fundraiser Vegie Chili

We hosted a Sunday aft 1:00 J Street fundraiser featuring Rep. Dwight Evans. We are all experiencing political fundraiser fatigue - the menu is usually a beautiful spread of finger food and sweets. I thought at 1:00 on a chilly autumn Sunday, it would be nice for everyone to walk into a house smelling of chili and cornbread, and it was tremendously well-received. Food brings people together.
Thanks for the pot, Nomi and Micah!

This is modified from The Endless Meal. It's vegan and feeds about 16-20. David calls it a vegetable stew, not really chili. :-)  :-(

• 4 T oil
• 2 large onion, diced
• 8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2–6 T chili powder (more will be spicier, of course)
• 4 T cumin 
• 2 t oregano
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 lb. peeled, cubed butternut squash
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 6 celery stalks, diced
• 4  28-ounce cans whole tomatoes and their juice 
• 4 15-ounce cans beans, drained and rinsed (kidney and white beans give a nice color contrast)
• 4 c frozen corn (you could use fresh but frozen is easy and works great)*
• 1 pkg Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (10 oz)
• Salt, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
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• Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, diced avocados or green onion. (Obviously not vegan!)

Heat oil in a large pot (at least 8 quart) over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and poblano and stir for about 30 seconds.

Add the squash, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to soften. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Once the chili begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low. You want the chili to be at a low simmer with the lid off.

Continue to cook the chili, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add beans, corn and the Beyond Meat Crumbles, and let the chili return to a simmer. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the corn and beans have heated through.
Generously salt to taste.

Serve on its own or topped with one (or all!) of the delicious toppings. It goes well with warm cornbread. It doesn't really need any rice or grain.

* If you make corn-on-the-cob, shell and freeze any leftover corn for this recipe.

And here is Zach and Becca's go-to Chili from Cook's Illustrated. Doubled, it still fits in a 6 quart pot.

Serves 4 to 6

We prefer to use a combination of pinto, black, and dark red kidney beans in this chili. The texture of the pureed diced tomatoes with their juice is very important here—do not substitute crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 (15-ounce) cans beans, (see note) rinsed

2-3 t minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (this is a small fraction of the contents of even a small can)

2 t sugar 

Salt and ground black pepper

2 T vegetable oil

1 onion , minced

3 T chili powder (this is correct!) 

2 t ground cumin

3 garlic cloves , minced

1.5 cups frozen corn , thawed

2 T minced fresh cilantro 

Optional: 1/2 bag Beyond Meat ground beef style, or Crumbles

Instructions

1. PUREE TOMATOES: Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until slightly chunky, about 5 pulses.
2. HEAT TOMATOES WITH BEANS: Bring tomatoes, beans, chipotle chile, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until needed in step 5.
3. SAUTÉ AROMATICS: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, chili powder, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. COMBINE AND SIMMER: Stir in tomato-bean mixture, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
5. FINISH CHILI: Stir in corn and cilantro and the optional meat-substitute, and return to brief simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
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