Spicy Lentil & Tortellini Soup

This is a fun and easy recipe and a great soup to make if you have wonderful homemade Puerto Rican sofrito. The freshness permeates the lentils and adds flavors usually not found in your standard lentil soup.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil

1t cumin seed

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 to 1 cup sofrito (and choose a Puerto Rican variety if one is available)

32 oz tomato juice

2 tbs tomato paste

3-4 cups of water

1 cup red lentils

1 lb cheese tortellini (I use whole wheat here as they stand up well to the flavors)

1/4 t cayenne pepper

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup chopped parsley

ground black pepper to taste. 

(optional) 1/2 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp cut into small bites

RECIPE

Bring a stock pot to temperature over medium high heat.  Add olive oil and then cumin seed.  Cumin should sizzle.  As soon as the sizzle dies down (about a minute), add the garlic and reduce heat to medium.  Stir continuously for another minute or two.  Add the sofrito, which will separate a little as it cooks.  That's alright.  Continue stirring for another 2-3 minutes until the sofrito becomes very aromatic. 

Add the lentils, cayenne pepper, tomato paste and tomato juice.  Add about 3 cups of water and bring the pot back up to medium high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes until the lentils are very tender.  You may need to add more water during this time depending on how moist the sofrito is and how much water the lentils absorb.   

After the 35 minutes have passed, check to ensure the lentils are cooked and that you have enough of a liquid that the soup can return to a nice boil. Add water if necessary (no more than a cup) and increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.  Add the lemon, parsley, freshly ground pepper and tortellini and cook according to the time on the tortellini package.  If you want to add shrimp, add them now.  

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and, if available, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and enjoy!

Serve with seeded whole wheat soda bread and a green salad.  

Pamela's Vegan Graham Crackers

Recently I have been trying to eliminate dairy products from my diet, so I tried these vegan crackers, and man, they are good!

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk

Combine in a large bowl the flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the oil, molasses, vanilla and milk. Slowly add the wet to the dry ingredients. Whisk together until you have a crumbly mixture. Roll into a big ball and place on a flat aurface on wax paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten out the dough. Take a knife and cut into even squares, cutting off ends. Depress crackers with a fork, to make holes. Use the exa ough off t he ends to make another cracker. Use wax paper to transfer crackers to bakig sheet. Place in pre-heated oven at 350 and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Mexican Frittata

A frittata is a great way to use leftovers from any meal.  Combined with fresh ingredients, it allows the flavors of your favorite dinner to be reinvented as a savory brunch.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced white button mushroom
1/4 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used sharp Vermont white cheddar)
6 eggs
freshly ground black pepper
1/2-3/4 cup "leftovers"
(in this case, I used Mexican black beans)

Toppings:
Mole Sauce
Coriander Lime Yogurt Sauce


To make the black beans:  Heat a dry heavy skillet to medium high and add a tablespoon of ground cumin allow the cumin to begin smoking and darkening while occasionally stirring.  Once it has uniformly darkened a shade, add about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, about 12-14 oz cooked black beans, 3-4 minced garlic cloves and 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced.  Heat through and cook until peppers and garlic are softened.  Toss with 1/4 cup fresh cilantro.  This makes an excellent filling for any kind of burritos or a side dish.  The hot pepper may be omitted or exchanged for a more mild pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Begin making the frittata by putting a tablespoon of oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat.  once hot, add the red bell pepper and mushroom. Sautee until the vegetables soften and then add the beans and zucchini.    Crack the eggs into a bowl. Mix half of the cheese into the eggs, add some freshly ground black pepper and even a bit of garlic powder if you like.  Beat gently.  Add the mixture to the vegetables and mix to disperse the veggies evenly through the eggs.  Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes and sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top of the egg mixture.  Put the pan into the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  If the frittata begins to brown, cover with the lid or aluminum foil.  After 20 minutes, the eggs should be set.  If not, allow to cook longer, watching carefully so the frittata doesn't become overdone.

Cut into pie shaped wedges and serve.  Mole sauce and/or yogurt sauce are wonderful with this frittata, as would be salsa or hot sauce.  I serve my frittatas with a side of fresh berries!

Enjoy.

Variations:

Greek:  Feta cheese, olives, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke
Italian: Tomatoes, italian sausage, fennel seed, parsley and asiago cheese
Spaghetti: tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and left over noodles
Simple:  Your favorite cheese

Use your imagination, anything goes!

Seeded Whole Wheat Soda Bread

I derived this recipe from reading through a number of whole wheat soda bread recipes.  I enjoy soda bread because it is yeast-free, simple to make and delicious. This recipe results in a wonderful nutty bread that is fairly heavy.  It's a great accompaniment to soups and salads and wonderful steaming hot with a bit of soy butter.

SEED MIX --
1T unsalted sunflower seeds
1T unsalted pepita (pumpkin seeds)
1T sesame seeds (light or dark are fine; I use a mixture)
1T poppy seeds
1/2 t fennel seeds

DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white unbleached all purpose flour
1/6 cup whole oats (anything except instant oatmeal works)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t sea salt
[1T of your mixed seeds (above)]

WET INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt (use regular style, not greek yogurt)
1T honey
warm water if necessary

Preheat your oven to 425F.  I use my "speed bake" setting for more even cooking.  Mix the seeds together in a bowl and set aside.

Sift whole wheat flour through a mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl.  This will lighten the flour and produce a lighter loaf of bread.   Recombine the wheat germ gently in to the wheat flour and add the remainder of the dry ingredients.  Mix thoroughly, but gently.

Put about 1/4 cup of warm (not hot) water aside if you need it.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and drop about half of the yogurt.  Using your hands (you may use a silicon spatula, but hands are more effective for thorough mixing) combine the yogurt into the dry ingredients by gently folding the dry flour mixture into the yogurt.  Once the dry ingredients have started to form small balls, mix in the remainder of the yogurt and honey.  You want the dough to form into a flattish loaf (oblong and no more than 2" thick) and be very moist.  Add water a tablespoon at a time until the dough is sticky and moist.  Form the dough into a low flat loaf and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Cut a shallow "x" through the top of the loaf using a sharp knife and sprinkle liberally with the seed mixture.

The loaf cooks perfectly for me in 30 minutes.  The timing may vary depending on your oven.  Test for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the thickest part of the loaf.  The bread is done when the toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool and enjoy.  I store this bread at room temperature wrapped in a layer of parchment paper (or waxed paper) overlaid with tin foil.

Curried Potato Leek Soup

This is my take on the wintry potato leek soup that warms the bones and soothes the stomach.  Hearty, delicious, vegetarian.  It would be equally delicious in a vegan version, simply eliminating the cream.

A note about preparing leeks:  Leeks are grown in sandy soil.  They need to be very well-cleaned to remove sand from between the layers.  Trim the dark green, bitter and thick tops and roots from the leek.  Reserve these frozen for making broth at a later date.  Slice the leeks lengthwise in half and then in about 1/2" rounds.  Put the leeks in a colander, and put the colander in your very clean sink filled with water.  Swish the leek slices around vigorously and then drain.  Repeat.  Repeat one time more than you think necessarily.  Drain as needed for your recipe.  There is little more unpleasant than biting in to a clump of sand in your soup or other dish.

INGREDIENTS
2T extra virgin olive oil and/or soy butter
1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 dried chilis
pinch of sea salt
2 cups white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sliced (blanched, freshly canned, fresh or frozen) carrots
3 leeks, sliced and well-rinsed
3 cups of potatoes, 1/2-1" dice
8 cups of liquid (4 vegetable broth, 4 water works well)
1T hot madras curry powder
1/2T oregano
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1/2 cup lentils (red or green are fine)
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

OPTIONAL GARNISHES
chives, parsley or other fresh herb (sage is nice)
grated sharp cheddar cheese

RECIPE
Heat a heavy stock pot over medium until surface is hot.  Add your oil or soy butter and then add the chopped onion, garlic, dried peppers and pinch of salt (maybe 1/4 t). Cook, stirring frequently until the onions become soft and translucent. You might add a couple grinds of pepper at this point.

Now, turn the heat up to medium high and add your potatoes and mushrooms.  Mix them in and allow them to begin to sizzle.  Add the remainder of the ingredients (aside from garnishes of course) and bring to a boil.

As soon as your soup starts boiling, reduce the heat to a very light simmer and cook until everything is cooked through (about an hour).

If you choose the vegan version and leave the heavy cream out, once the soup is cooked through, you will want to remove and blend 2-3 cups of the soup to a puree and add back to the soup for a nice creamy consistency.

A COUPLE OF WORDS ON BROTHS:  use a high quality vegetable broth or one you make on your own.  It is easy to make your own broth and a great way to use vegetable scraps or vegetables that aren't so fresh and beautiful anymore.  If you aren't vegetarian and have access to a wonderful, organic chicken broth, that works very well here, just reduce the broth amount to 3 cups broth and 5 cups water. On a very interesting twist, I occasionally use a can of low-fat low-salt split pea soup and make the remainder of the liquid water.  You are developing so much flavor here, you can be very creative.  Note that many veggie broths have the first ingredient as onion (and will be oniony) and others are more balanced and the first ingredient is carrot.  In this recipe, either works well.

Once the soup is cooked, serve immediately, garnishing with chopped chives, parsley and maybe a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.  Enjoy!

Spicy Bean Soup.... a crock pot dish

So, I'm trying to work with my crock pot... here's the first go at it.

2 cups dried beans
1 head of garlic
4 cups water
1-2 cups additional water
........
1 cup sliced cooked carrots
1 cup salsa
1/2 -3/4 cup sofrito
2T ground cumin
1t cayenne pepper
........ OPTIONAL
1/2 lb frozen raw shrimp (or any green veggie you like)
3-4 garlic cloves minced
3 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced

RECIPE
Rinse 2 cups dried beans of your choice, removing any rocks or poor quality beans.  The bean can be any type; they can be mixed.  It is best that all the beans be the same size for even cooking.  Put them in a crock pot with 2 cups of water and a head of whole, peeled garlic cloves.  Turn the crock pot on high for one hour, then turn down to low until the beans are thoroughly cooked (12 hours or so and by so I mean so... keep adding water until the beans are thoroughly cooked.  It could take 16 or 18 hours).  Check the beans periodically to ensure they are completely covered with water.  Add water as necessary.  Add more than you think you need as you can always remove excess when the beans are cooked.

Once cooked add the sofrito, salsa, sliced cooked carrots and spices.  Stir through.

If you like (and you could actually do this with canned garbanzo's that are washed and drained, edamame beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts... anything green would work)...

You could also add shrimp to the dish.  Thaw and peel about 1/2 pound (2 cups) of raw shrimp.  Cut into bite sized pieces and place the shrimp (or veggies) into a bowl with 3 cloves of sliced garlic, a couple of sliced chives (including as much of the greens that look healthy) and 2 thinly sliced jalapeno peppers add about a tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper and enough olive oil to coat everything lightly.  Sautee until the shrimp just starts to turn pink (or until the veggies are cooked to your desire).  Add to the crock pot on low for about 5 minutes and then you are ready to serve.

Top with cheese, lime-coriander yogurt or a little hot sauce.

Enjoy!