Tomato-Vegetable Lentil Soup

I love soup and am glad to live in a place where we still have several months of serious soup weather. Lentils are way faster to cook than beans which have to be pre-soaked.

2 TBS olive oil
1 large chopped onion
2 ribs celery, diced
green bell pepper, seeded/diced
5 cups stock (vegetable, chicken, beef--wherever you are in the process)
3/4 cup lentils, rinsed/sorted for rocks, etc.
2 carrots, peeled/diced
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
pepper to taste
1 large potato, peeled and diced relatively small
28 oz crushed tomatoes

Heat oil and add onion, celery and pepper. Cover and sweat over med low heat, about 8-10 minutes.
Add stock, lentils, carrot, bay leaf, and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover partially, and reduce heat to med low. Simmer about 15 min. Stir in the potato and a bit of salt. Simmer another 10 min.
Add the tomatoes. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, another 10-15 min. Add seasonings to taste.

This makes about 5 servings, and is adapted from Soup Makes the Meal, by Ken Haedrich.

Summer Soups: Gazpacho

We bought a house this year and I am loving the produce of my small kitchen garden. Last week twice I made Gazpacho using my neighbor's fabulous recipe. This one needs a food processor.

Into the food processor:
2 cloves garlic
4 tsp parsley
2 tsp chives
2 stalks celery (cut into chunks)
1 red bell pepper (seeded and cut)
1 cucumber (peel, seed, chunked)
2 tomatoes (peeled and seeded)

pulse after each addition, or if you're me, just do it all at the end. Don't let it get too fine.

Transfer to a large bowl and add:
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/4 tsp sriracha, which I prefer to tabasco
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB red wine vinegar
2 TB lemon juice
4 cups vegetabel juice (V-8)

Serve. Gazpacho is a dish best served cold, or at room temp.

Yeah, I know it's a soup that's half V-8, but I love it, though I don't love V-8.

Only problem, this is obviously not a complete vegetarian meal. What do you serve with it? We had cheese on wheat rolls, (yum goat cheese) but couldn't there be a better match?

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I'm kind of on a soup kick. On other days I made gypsy soup (with leftover slices of roast pork on the side for the nonveges), and on another day I made vegetable soup with pistou (little hamburgers on the side for the nonveges). Looks like a jump on Fall menus, but using my garden produce and not turning on the oven was just right.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes

My notes: The original recipe called for Yukon potatoes and much less spice amounts. I doubled most spices (salt I barely increased). I left the jalapeno amounts as is as I’m feeding 4 kids. I love adding chickpeas to the recipe. Sometimes I will also add spinach. Leftovers make great lunches heated or at room temp.

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Teaspoons jalapeno, minced very fine
1 1/2 Tablespoons ginger, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 Cup water
14 ounces chickpeas, canned, rinsed and drained

1. Shake cauliflower, sweet potato, cumin seeds and salt in a gallon size ziplock. Put on roasting pan lined with foil and roast at 475 for 15-20 minutes, stirring every five minutes, until veggies are crisp-tender.

2. Meanwhile, saute onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno 1 Tablespoon oil until onion is translucent (about 10 minutes). Add spices, chickpeas and water. Stir and scrape all the good bits off the bottom of the pan.


3. Add roasted veggies to the saute pan and cook and stir for 5 minutes until flavors are fully blended.

4. Serve over basmati rice, a side of fresh melon, and mango lassi.


Ca1: 341, Fat: 9g, Fiber 10g, Protein: 8g

Spicy Sesame Noodles

Summer has hit with a vengeance. While June was mostly 70s, we are running the A/C all the time now. Here's what's for dinner tonight.

Spicy Sesame Noodles

Prep time--10 minutes
Cook time--10 minutes
Yield--4-6 servings

12 oz angel hair pasta
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup water
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS seasoned rice vinegar
1 TBS vegetable oil (I use less)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp sesame oil
pinch (or two or three) cayenne pepper
3 green onions
carrot (I use about one cup of baby carrots--they're going to get processed)
handful cilantro
1 large cucumber, halved, seeded, and sliced

Cook pasta (you know what to do). While water is heating and noodles are cooking, mix together in a large bowl the peanut butter through the cayenne.
Place green onion, carrots, and cilantro in food processor until carrots are finely diced.
When pasta is done/drained, add it to the peanut butter sauce, along with the veggies. Toss to coat. If you have them, you can also add toasted sesame seeds.

This can be served warm or cold. I like to make it earlier in the day before my house starts to get warm. No, it isn't low fat. But it is quick and cool.

Savory Squash

I’m not a vegetarian, but I love the beautiful variety of fresh fruits and veggies available at just about any grocery store. I am an adventurous cook and like to learn to use produce that I’ve never bought before. So parsnips and rhubarb are commonly found in our refrigerator, bok choy and fresh ginger will be on the grocery list again, and I sure wish that those greenish/yellow plums we enjoyed this summer were still in season. In all this adventuring the only thing I have disliked is turnips (so if you love turnips, you should post your favorite way to eat them and maybe I’ll try them again).

It’s coming in to winter and that means an abundance of apples, a plethora of pears, sumptuous citrus, and savory squash. Squash is one of those vegetables that have lots of varieties to appreciate, or at least say you tasted. So far, my favorite types are delicata and gold nugget, but this recipe works just fine with more commonly found varieties like acorn and butternut.


1 small (2-4 servings) winter squash
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-4 saltine crackers, crumbled
1T butter or margarine
1t brown sugar
1/8t curry powder
salt and pepper to taste (but don't leave them out altogether, they help bring out the natural sweetness of the squash!)

Cook the squash until it is mostly soft, but not all the way done (until it needs about 5 more minutes of microwaving). To cook squash in the microwave: cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and slime. Microwave it for 7-20 minutes depending on the size of the squash. Or you can follow any cooking directions on the label of the squash.

Meanwhile mix the onion, crackers, butter, brown sugar, curry, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. When the squash is almost done, spoon the mixture into the hollow part of the squash and continue cooking until all of the squash is soft and easily pierced with a fork. Serve in the shell, or scoop it out and mash it up.

War muffins and Tomato Lentil Soup

On Friday we had pumpkin pancakes (the recipe is in the sidebar) and scrambled eggs (they were delightful). By Sunday I was out of eggs, so I looked online for a recipe for eggless muffins to go with some Tomato Lentil soup I was going to make for dinner.

I found this recipe and tried it out. It was really pretty good, given there's no eggs, no butter. It's definitely a vegan recipe. This seems like a good food storage type recipe, ya know?

And here's the Tomato-Vegetable Lentil Soup (adapted from Ken Haedrich's Soup Makes the Meal).
4 TBS olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, diced fine
1 green bell pepper, diced
salt to taste
10 cups broth---veg, chicken, beef--you decide ;)
1 1/2 cups dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 large carrots, diced fine
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
black pepper to taste
28 oz can crushed tomatoes (or petite-diced), undrained
2 potatoes, peeled and diced

Heat olive oil in large soup pot. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Lightly salt. Cover tightly and sweat over med. low heat until veggies are soft, about 9 minutes.

Add the stock, lentils, carrot, bay leaves and other herbs and season with pepper. Bring to a boil, cover partially, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the potato and simmer 10-15 minutes more. Add the tomatoes; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, another 10 minutes. Correct seasonings as needed. This makes 10-12 servings.

For the pathetic people who think they need flesh, I gave them a few bacon bits. I tell them when they eat those things they smell like doggy treats, but they don't care. They just feel the love that I even allowed anything piggy in my house.

Recipe: Black Bean Hummus

Good with veggies and pita chips or as a sandwich spread. From my fellow Cookie Emily:


Black Bean Hummus
Source: Emily’s Kitchen
Servings: 8 (about a ¼ cup each)

Notes: I used the juice of ½ of a lemon, but I think it needs a little more lemon juice. Next time, I plan to use the juice of a whole lemon. I served this with baked tortilla chips and raw veggies.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large garlic clove
2 to 3 T fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
2 T olive oil
3 T tahini (sesame paste)
½ t cumin
½ to 1 t salt

Drain beans and puree along with the garlic in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, cumin, and salt. Blend until smooth.

Meatless Monday Recipe: Hoppin' John

I know somebody has to be wondering how on earth to make Hoppin' John without ham hocks. Here you go. Remember to play blues music or southern church choir music. Practice your southern accents. Look up the southern states on a map and talk about the missionaries there.

2 pkgs frozen black eyed peas or 4 Cups cooked black eyed peas (soaked dried b.e.p. overnight, simmer in the morning for a few hours until tender. Proceed with recipe. I avoid canned b.e.p. just because of the salt content)
3 Cups veggie broth (can use water)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 rib celery, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Teaspoon dried thyme
pinch cayenne pepper
fresh ground black pepper to taste
hot cooked rice (I use brown)

Toppings: chopped tomato
chopped green onions
shredded cheese

Cook black eyed peas in water until tender (15-20minutes) Do not add salt yet as it makes beans tough. Skip this cooking step if you cooked dried peas already. Drain and reserve the liquid

Saute onions, garlic, and celery in olive oil and butter until slightly caramelized (10-15 minutes). Add spices. Stir this mixture into the peas with enough liquid so it can simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring every so often. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve peas over rice and let everyone pick their own toppings. Pass Tabasco around for those who want it spicy. Serve with corn bread and collard greens.

Collard Greens:

1 bunch of fresh green like collard, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens.

Rinse the greens well. Cut out the tough center rib of each leaf. Roll the leaves up and start slicing so the greens look like ribbons. Stick in a large pot and cover with water and a little salt. Bring to boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook anywhere from 10 30 minutes until the greens are tender (I prefer mine less tender than really tender. Its a personal preference.

Drain the greens and reserve the liquid for broth for another use. To be really southern, sprinkle you greens with vinegar and a but of Tabasco or hot sauce.

My kids think they are vegetarians if they eat one tiny broccoli floret.

When people hear that I cook vegetarian two to three times a week, I usually get incredulous stares. “Your kids really will eat like that?” Yes they do. This was not an overnight decision. If I had sprung it on them all at once there would have been mutiny. Some days I still get a few grumbles.

Wednesdays at our house became “Spaghetti Wednesdays”, a nod to the east coast Prince Spaghetti Day (can anyone remember that commercial? Go find it on Youtube). Homemade meatless spaghetti sauce. The kids and Mr. Wonderful missed the Bolognese sauce I used to make , but they got used to it after a few weeks.

The next meatless day became Monday. Why Monday? I learned very quickly not to mess with the traditional meat-and-potatoes Sunday dinner. By Monday, I look forward to a vegetarian meal. Besides, if Monday’s dinner is a bust, there is still Family Home Evening Treat to look forward to. The only one who complains on this day is my carnivore Firstborn. He claims his 15 year old body needs more protein. When I point out the protein in the meal (legumes, grains, and certain veggies) he usually stops grumbling, at least vocally. And he eats. At my house you eat what is on the table or you starve.

Sometimes I’ll add a third meatless meal on Friday or Saturday. Pizzas on homemade whole grain crust are great meatless meal – how many kids usually prefer cheese pizza? I leave this day as optional. Since we make our own pizza, I leave the choice of topping up to each family member, making sure that I provide lots of veggie toppings and just one meat choice (usually turkey pepperoni.)

There you have it. An easy way to get started: turn your first veggie night into a learning experience. Try an ethnic vegetarian dish. Play some music from that country. Learn a few words. Tell you kids that they might serve a mission there someday (I get a few eyerolls with that one but I persevere). Start a family night tradition.


Jop Chai
Pull out your chopsticks. Find Korea on a map. Put together music and language for a family night.
Serves 4-6
Adapted from Moosewood Simple Suppers
My changes and additions in italics

4 ounces bean thread noodles
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 Cups thinly sliced onion - I like to use half white onion and half green onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage or coleslaw mix (napa cabbage or bok choy work well, too)
1 Cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 can stirfry baby corn , drained
8 ounces veggie crumbles (I make an omelet using 1 egg per person. Finish the omelet and slice thin like the veggies. Sometimes I use tofu instead. Yes, my kids eat tofu - but that's another story)

Sauce
¼ Cup low sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar or cider vinegar
½ Cup water
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Soak bean thread noodles in hot tap water to cover until softened, about 15-20 minutes. When soft, drain and cut into more easily eaten lengths, 4-5”. Toss with a little oil to keep from clumping.

While noodles are soaking, heat oil in large pan or wok, add the onions and garlic, and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and sauté for a couple of minutes. Stir in the peppers and continue to sauté until crisp-tender (add the mushrooms here). Add the veggie crumbles (or egg, and stirfry baby corn) and cook for another minute or two. Combine the sauce ingredients and add them to the vegetables. Add the drained noodles and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until noodles have absorbed most of the sauce. Serve hot.

Recipe: Pulao Rice

This is a rice cooker recipe. My rice cooker knows when to stop cooking, and then just keeps the rice hot until I'm ready for it. My friend taught me I could leave it in finished-cooking-keeping-warm mode 24 hours, as long as the bottom of the bowl has a good untouched layer of rice in it. Sometimes that comes in handy.

Yes, I use real saffron. No turmeric in this recipe. I got a big ole 1-ounce jar at Costco, so now I might as well use it as hoard it.

Into the rice cooker put:
1.5 cups basmati rice
3 cups water
2 Tablespoons of butter
3 green cardamons
2 cloves
3 peppercorns
and a pinch of SAFFRON


Turn the rice cooker on. Assuming it has keep-warm-after-cooking mode, come back to eat whenever you like, sometime in the next 1-25 hours. But pick out the cloves and peppercorns and cardamons when you open the pot--you don't want your kid biting into that.

Excellent with Tomato Curry.