Return: French Lentil Soup

Folks, we've returned. I know you probably thought this site was defunct, one for the cyber graveyards, but, c'mon, I wouldn't leave you like that! :)

I've been in a whirlwind of activity these past few months, preparing for our wedding, celebrating THE BEST day of my life marrying my best friend, and enjoying our honeymoon adventure in Europe.

But now we're back to 'every day reality,' hitting the road running. Settling into our new apartment, job searching, cooking, baking, creating....oh, how I've missed it.

Europe was unusually cold this year. As I mentioned in my previous post, we've had spring-like weather in California starting in December. Not so in other parts of the world. Rome experienced snow this year -- first time in 26 years. It snowed there on our wedding day, so we didn't actually witness the snowfall, but we were tempted to start a snowball fight at the Vatican when we arrived, upon discovering large piles of snow in St. Peter's Square.

Even Barcelona forgot about its Mediterranean climate and decided to head north for the winter. Luckily, we brought along our heavy, warm coats. Although both of us have lived in locations with chilly winter weather (Virginia and Michigan), it was still a bit of a shock to the system being acclimated only to mild temperatures thus far this winter.

And then, it was 75 degrees Farenheit when we hit the tarmac back in California. I was a tad disappointed as I had a small collection of soup recipes I'd been itching to try. But Mother Nature did a 180 the past few days, and we've been thrown back into winter for a bit with a smattering of rain and hail. Ready to make the most of it! :)

Soup's on!

French Lentil Soup

Adapted from epicurious.com

2 c. onions, diced

1 c. carrots, diced

1 c. celery, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 T. olive oil

1 1/4 c. lentils, rinsed and drained

1 - 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

4 c. vegetable broth

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

salt and pepper, to taste

grated parmesan cheese (opt.)

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic, stirring frequently, cook until browned - about 15 minutes.

Mix in lentils, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Mix in spices and turn down to medium-low; cover. Allow to simmer on stove for about 40-45 minutes, until lentils are softened. (Add extra liquid as needed.)

Serve warm with grated parmesan cheese.

Five Step Sandwich

Five steps to a perfect grilled ham and cheese sandwich --

1 ~ Cut cheese into even slices.

 

 

 2 ~ Prepare ingredients: cheese slices, pieces of ham, buttered bread.

 

3 ~ Arrange sandwich in pan over medium heat: butter side down bread, cheese, ham, and top with another slice of butter side down bread.

4 ~ Cover with lid. (This helps melt the cheese thoroughly.) Cook 3-5 minutes on each side.

5 ~ Enjoy! (Goes well with a cup of tomato soup.)

Rainy Day Comforts - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I'm not kidding, the second the weather turns bad, I turn to warm comfort foods and Christmas carols. I feel like such a kid right now. ;-) I was banging away on the piano this morning and attempting to belt out Christmas carols with my hoarse, bronchitis-infected vocal chords. Sounds like I've been smoking all my life... My brother tells me he can't take me seriously because I sound so ridiculous. Not quite sure what that means but.... :-)

I'm doing a repeat today of yesterday's lunch -- a grilled sharp cheddar and turkey sandwich on sourdough. I turn to my cheese sandwiches when it rains. To give it a grown-up element, I'm trying to add other things besides just cheese these days. One of my favorite hot sandwiches lately is an open-faced mozarella, turkey, pesto, and tomato with provolone melted on top under the broiler. It is fantastic on Pugliese. (If you are going to use the broiler to heat your sandwich, toast the bread first; otherwise, it can end up a bit cold and soggy in the middle.) Another excellent choice is a grilled bacon, tomato and Dubliner.

What are your favorite hot sandwiches for a rainy day??

Ploughman's Picnic Lunch

A rare sunny day in February last week gave Ryan and I the opportunity for a picnic lunch in the park. I absolutely love picnics. Any opportunity I have to be outside, I jump on instantly. Something about being out of doors makes everything seem fresh and more enjoyable.

The dilemma faced when packing a picnic lunch revolves around the question of what is easily portable. The notion of an English Ploughman's lunch came to mind. It seemed appropriate as Ploughman's lunches were traditionally served outdoors on chilly days to workers when they come in from the fields for a hearty meal at midday. Despite the sunshine, it was still rather chilly and it would provide a filling meal before a long shift at work.

Normally, a Ploughman's lunch consists of a hunk of cheese, some meat, fruit and greens. The platter is garnished with pickles and relishes to accompany the meats and cheese. Simple, yet sustainable. It is served alongside a mug of warm cider or ale.

For our Ploughman's lunch, I picked up some English Stilton with Cranberries and English White Cheddar cheese to go with a loaf of hearty wheat bread.

A wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables including carrots, green bell peppers, spring mix, apples, grapefruit and kumquats were included in the mix. A jar of cornichons and warm apple cider tied into the traditional Ploughman's meal.


As it was Friday and I needed something meatless, I opted for a little fish dish of salmon pinwheels in lieu of sausage.


To craft these, simply spread a warmed tortilla with cream cheese blended with a bit of dill, lay pieces of smoked salmon on top, roll and slice to desired size.

And don't forget your siesta...essential for good digestion.