Lemon Chicken Soup & Pea Pesto Crostini

Every once in a while I will watch a cooking show and one of my children with beg me to make the dishes that are being showcased. Or, one of them will say, "I bet you can't make that!"

I don't remember if this meal fell into either of those categories, but I do remember seeing this meal being made and really wanting to try the cake that went along with it. I didn't end up making the cake (mostly because we don't eat dessert every day, so I don't let myself bake everyday), but the rest of the meal came together quickly. I used some chicken that I had poached myself a few days earlier and also used celery and peas, since I was out of carrots. I used whole wheat thin spaghetti for the noodles and my kids really liked this dinner. Nothing too spectacular, but an easy, quick meal that was simple enough to prepare using things that I had on hand.

Here is the recipe for Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti
* I kinda did my own thing with this recipe just because it was so basic I didn't really feel like I needed directions
* I used celery and peas instead of carrots (simply because I ran out of carrots)
* I used poached chicken that I had cooked myself

Here is the recipe for Pea Pesto Crostini
* I used a little less olive oil than called for

Summer Pea, Watermelon and Farro Salad

This summer, I've had the opportunity to reconnect with a dear friend from my freshman year of college. She and her husband + 5 kids are living nearby for the summer and we have been getting our kids together weekly for swimming, sleepovers and tons of fun. Our kids have never met before this summer, but they have become fast friends. It has been an absolute blast.

Last week, we were throwing together dinner for the kids- we ended up making sprinkle pancakes, steamed broccoli, corn on the cob, turkey sausage, and watermelon- and I had torn out this recipe from the most recent issue of Cooking Light. I had all the ingredients, so I decided to make a little something special for the adults. This recipe was under the 5 ingredient section of the magazine and took about 30 minutes to throw together.

For the amount of time it took and the small number of ingredients it contains, I would have to say it is pretty good. I added some olive oil just because I felt it needed a little something and next time I will add some fresh lemon juice. It was almost too sweet for me, with the peas and the watermelon, I would have liked some feta or something to cut the sweetness. I prefer my salads to be on the savory side, but it was enjoyed by all of us and a nice change for a quick summer meal.

Here is the recipe for Summer Pea, Watermelon, and Farro Salad from
Cooking Light August 2011

* I added a little bit of olive oil to the salad and I think lemon juice would be a great addition too
*I used shaved Parmesan cheese

Soba Salad with Feta and Peas

I came across this recipe somehow, when I was looking at one of my favorite blogs, The Way the Cookie Crumbles. I kept it in the back of my mind for a night that would require a fast dinner.
We enjoyed this when my sister was here visiting with her kids. I threw it together after a long day of swimming and playing and all the kids were really happy about eating it.

I didn't get a great picture, but once again, with that many hungry mouths to feed it makes doing so very difficult.

I don't use frozen peas very often, but they went really well with the soba noodles in this dish. The soba noodles are dressed with a simple lemon juice & olive oil mixture, that also contains a dash of soy sauce. It makes for a great combination.

The best thing about this recipe was how quickly it came together and at the same time, it was very flavorful and delicious.
Recipe for Soba Salad with Feta and Peas
* I used less olive oil than the recipe called for

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

I love browsing through cookbooks. A few weeks ago we were at a book store and I was thumbing through one of Giada's cookbooks, I don't remember which one, but I saw this recipe for pasta with roasted veggies.

I love roasted veggies. It is the best way to eat any vegetable, in my opinion.
My parents and brother were still here when I made this pasta dish and it was really good.

I made a couple of changes to the recipe, but they were small ones. I subbed in asparagus for the mushrooms, mostly because asparagus was really cheap and my family loves it and because mushrooms aren't my favorite.
I also used whole wheat pasta because I always do and my family likes it.
I didn't use smoked mozzarella because it was too expensive for me to buy, but I am sure that adds something special to the flavor of this dish. I just used mozzarella.

The leftovers were fabulous. My brother and I were fighting over them to the very last bite.



Recipe for Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
* I used 1 lb of asparagus instead of the mushrooms
*I used regular mozzarella instead of smoked
*I used whole wheat penne

Family-Style Risotto Dinner for 4

I was so excited when I saw this menu in a recent issue of Bon Appetit. It was in the little section of the magazine where they always include a family friendly menu and fun ways to use the leftovers.
I love risotto and this version seemed really fun with all the vegetables, topped with the fried egg.
I included the recipes because I changed each of them a little bit. I used whole wheat pitas to make the pitas chips, I reduced the amount of oil in the salad dressing and made a few changes to the risotto that made it a bit healthier, mostly by reducing the amount of butter and oil.

Risotto is so delicious and can be made with just a tablespoon of oil or butter- it still turns out creamy. I really wanted to use the leftover risotto and make the risotto cakes recipe that they included, but we ate it as leftovers instead because it was so good!
Any of these dishes would make a great addition to an Easter meal.
The edamame dip was so good! I added some garlic to it, just to up the flavor and wow- that is really a great dip. If you like edamame, I am sure you will love it. The basil is such a great flavor enhancer. It would be great as a spread for a sandwich too.
I was a little bit worried about this salad made with fennel, mainly because I have never had fresh fennel. I knew that it had a anise/licorice type flavor and that is one of my least favorite things. I decided to go ahead with it and give it a try and I am so glad I did.
The celery and the fennel were really yummy. Nice and crunchy. With a little lemon juice and olive oil and the pumpkin seeds- it was amazing. It really surprised me.

The risotto was perfect. I liked the kid-friendly vegetables and it was really fun to top it off with a fried egg. Of course, I had to cooked my yolks all the way, because we don't do runny here. But you can top it off however you want.

This was such a fun menu! It turned out perfectly and was so delicious.

Edamame Dip with Pita Chips adapted from
Bon Appétit | March 2010 by Tamra Davis

Yield: Makes 4 servings 3 whole wheat pita breads, split horizontally, each round cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges 1 12-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame (2 1/3 cups), unthawed 1/4 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil plus sprigs for garnish Preheat oven to 350°F. Scatter pita pieces on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until crisp, 15 minutes; cool. Cook edamame in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Place edamame, oil, garlic, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid in processor. Blend until smooth, drizzling in 1/4 cup cooking liquid and lemon juice. Season dip with salt and pepper. Blend in more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if too thick. Add minced basil; pulse until basil is just mixed in (do not puree). Transfer dip to bowl. Garnish dip with basil sprigs; serve with pita chips.

Fennel and Celery Salad with Pumpkin Seeds adapted from
Bon Appétit | March 2010
by Tamra Davis

Yield: Makes 4 servings 3 celery stalks, cut crosswise into paper-thin slices 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, halved vertically, sliced paper-thin 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves 1/4 cup toasted salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shavings (about 1 1/2 ounces) Combine celery, fennel, parsley, and pumpkin seeds in large bowl. Whisk oil and lemon juice in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss with vegetables. Toss in most of cheese; top with remaining cheese.

Primavera Risotto Nests with Fried Egg adapted from
Bon Appétit | March 2010 by Tamra Davis

Yield: Makes 4 servings plus leftovers 1 tablespoon butter 2 cups chopped button mushrooms (about 5 ounces) 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3/4 cup chopped onion 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups arborio rice 6 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 3/4 cup 1/3-inch cubes carrots (about 2 carrots) 2 cups diced trimmed asparagus (about 9 ounces) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving 1/2 cup shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 4 large eggs Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add rice and stir until translucent at edges, 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth. Stir until liquid is absorbed, 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add carrots, asparagus, and 1 cup broth. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to add remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, stirring often and letting almost all liquid be absorbed after each addition, about 25 minutes total. Stir 1/2 cup cheese, peas, parsley, and mushrooms into risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook eggs, without turning, until whites are cooked through and yolks are cooked to desired doneness. Mound 1 cup risotto on each of 4 plates. Using back of spoon, make hollow in top of each mound. Top each with egg.

Risotto Dinner for 4

Original Recipe for Edamame Dip with Pita Chips

Original Recipe for Fennel and Celery Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Original Recipe for Primavera Risotto Nests with Fried Eggs

Thai Red Curry Risotto

This is another recipe that I had hanging out in my drafts that I haven't had a chance to blog about yet.

I have tried lots of risotto recipes and also have a thing for red curry paste, so this recipe was a no-brainer. Of course, when I saw it, I knew I was going to make it.

The combination of flavors in this risotto was good.

We all liked it, but it was a little strange to be eating Thai-flavored risotto. Those 2 things don't really seem to go together. I once again realized that I don't really care for peas in risotto, they added a little too much sweetness for me.

Definitely interesting and different. This was a fun dish, but I don't think I am going to be making it all the time.

Thai Red Curry Risotto

Notes: Thai red curry paste is available in many supermarkets. It's hot - add more or less to suit your taste. This risotto also works well without interruption; just leave it on the heat after step 3 and continue with step 4.

1 onion (about 6 oz.), peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup grape seed or other salad oil

2 teaspoons paprika

3/4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (see notes)

1 1/2 cups arborio or other short-grain white rice

1/2 cup dry sherry

About 4 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, stems removed, and sliced; or common mushrooms, rinsed, tough stem ends trimmed, and sliced

1 cup coconut milk (regular or low-fat; stir before measuring)

1 1/2 cups frozen petite peas

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Salt

1 lime (about 3 oz.), rinsed and cut into 6 wedges

1. In a 12-inch frying pan or 14-inch wok over medium heat, stir onion, ginger, and garlic in oil until onion is barely limp, about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in paprika, curry paste, and rice, mixing well to coat rice. Pour in sherry and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, until sherry is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

3. Pour in 1 cup chicken broth and stir until broth is mostly absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and coconut milk; stir gently until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 2 more cups broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until almost absorbed, about 15 minutes total. Rice should be almost tender but still slightly firm to bite. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, up to 4 hours.

4. Return pan to medium-high heat, add 1 more cup broth, and stir until liquid is absorbed and rice is creamy and tender to bite, about 9 minutes. If risotto is too dry or rice isn't quite tender, add a little more broth and cook until risotto reaches desired consistency. Stir in peas, cilantro, and salt to taste. Spoon risotto into serving bowls and garnish each serving with a lime wedge.


Coming Tomorrow- Vanilla Bean Shortbread

CEiMB- Garden Risotto

I was so excited when I saw that Jessica, who blogs over at A Singleton in the Kitchen, chose Garden Risotto for this week's CEiMB recipe. I have made lots of risotto in the past couple months and was interested to see how Ellie's recipe compared to some of my favorites.
Before I had tried making risotto, I thought it must be difficult because people always talked about it in a way that made it seem impossible to make at home. So not true.
I think it is easy to make. You just have to make sure that you stir. Plus, most the risotto recipes I have tried have been ready in about 30 minutes.
I don't even bother warming the broth because one of the recipes I made said it wasn't necessary. Anything I can do to lessen the amount of dishes there are, I will do it.
This risotto was uncomplicated. I liked that it had lots of veggies. I probably added 3x as much spinach as it called for because we liked spinach and it wilts away into almost nothing anyway.
Was this my favorite risotto I have ever tried? No. I would have to say that title belongs to the Butternut one or the Beet one or the one with steel-cut oats.
Or maybe the one with quinoa . Nevermind. I don't have a favorite.
This was a good solid risotto recipe. If I make this recipe again, I will leave out the peas. They added just a little bit too much sweetness. To see what everyone else thought check out the Blogroll!

Garden Risotto 2007, Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 lightly packed cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 pound asparagus, steamed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is almost tender and creamy-looking, about 18 minutes.
Add the spinach and peas and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the asparagus and cook just until the vegetables are hot. Stir in the Parmesan and more broth if the risotto seems too thick. Serve in soup plates.

Up Next-Blackberry Cupcakes with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut Curried Chicken

I recently purchased green and red curry paste because I wanted to enjoy Thai flavors at home more often. I found this really quick, delicious recipe on myrecipes.com and decided it would be perfect for a weeknight dinner.
I had some cooked brown rice in the fridge, so I decided to serve the chicken over the brown rice, instead of couscous, like the recipe called for.
This dinner came together very fast, which was nice.
The green curry paste is mild and paired perfectly with the lite coconut milk. We really enjoyed this dinner. It really had everything going for it- quick, delicious, easy.
It would be really simple to substitute different vegetables and the recipe also suggested using cooked shrimp instead of the chicken, just tossing it in at the end. The possibilities are endless and the results are fantastic.

Coconut Curried Chicken from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups water, divided

2/3 cup uncooked couscous

1 cup light coconut milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic

2 teaspoons bottled minced ginger

1 teaspoon green curry paste

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 pound chicken breast tenders

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup prechopped onion

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon lime juice

Lime wedges (optional)

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous, and cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
While couscous cooks, combine 1/2 cup water, coconut milk, and next 6 ingredients (through curry paste), stirring well with a whisk.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes or until done, turning once. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add peas, onion, and mushrooms; cook 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add coconut milk mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Add chicken and lime juice to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over couscous; garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Coming Tomorrow- a Red Curry dish and Spaghetti Squash Pancakes from a great cookbook

Roll-ups with Turkey Bacon, Peas, and New Potatoes

I really like magazines. But mostly for the recipes. I have recently gotten my subscriptions under control and only get the ones that I really use and need. Do you like how I used the word need? I still sneak peeks at the ones I used to suscribe to. Like Real Simple.
I also have this thing for tearing out the recipes from magazines. I put them in sheet protectors, which I then put in 3-ring binders and keep track of all of them. This way I can recycle the magazines, but keep the recipes I want to try.
I am embarrassed to say how many of these 3-ring binders I have. In fact, I don't think I am going to tell you. But, the point is, I tore out this recipe years ago and never got around to trying it, until the other day. Luckily, I remembered which binder it was in and I whipped it up.
I used turkey bacon and did not cook the bacon in butter. I think bacon has enough fat in it that cooking it in more fat really isn't necessary. I also used Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream because that is what I do.
This was a great twist on mashed potatoes and we really enjoyed it.
Now the question- Do you like magazines? and if so, do you tear out the pages?

Roll-Ups with Bacon, Peas, and New Potatoes from Real Simple Magazine
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch pieces
8 white corn tortillas
1 tablespoon butter (I omitted this)
4 to 6 slices precooked bacon, crumbled (I used turkey bacon)
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted in 2 cups water and drained
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/3 teaspoon dried
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup sour cream (I used Greek Yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan on high heat with enough water to cover them. Cook 15 to 18 minutes, until soft. Drain in a colander; set aside.
Meanwhile, wrap all the tortillas tightly together in foil and place in oven for 5 minutes. Place the saucepan back on low heat and add the butter and bacon. Stir until warm and sizzling, about 2 minutes; remove from heat.
Add the potatoes, peas, thyme, half the scallions, and half the sour cream. Stir and mash with a potato masher or a wooden spoon. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Remove the tortillas from oven and place 2 on each plate.
Put 1/3 cup of the potato mixture on each tortilla and roll them as shown above. Top each with a spoonful of the remaining sour cream and sprinkle with the remaining scallions and a few grinds of black pepper to taste.


Coming Tomorrow- Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Pecans and Warm Cider Vinaigrette and Liz's Bowtie Pasta Salad

I love salad. And if you have been reading my blog recently, you will know that I love squash. I recently bought The Barefoot Contessa's new Cookbook- Back to Basics, and this butternut salad was the first thing that caught my eye. (The Chive Risotto cakes I made last week were another that looked fabulous) I decided to try the salad when we were celebrating my baby's birthday last week and I loved it. I used pecans instead of walnuts, because I love pecans and made a few other changes, but it was really good. And really pretty- all the colors and flavors were wonderful together.
Liz's Bowtie Pasta Salad was a salad that we sampled at a get together a couple of weeks ago. My husband actually told me that he loved it and so I had to get the recipe. Trust me, if he ever tells me such information and the food didn't come from McDonalds, I am making it at home. I got the recipe and changed it a little. I reduced the amount of mayo and miracle whip and used fat-free mayo, which resulted in a little less dressing, but it was still enough. I also used the mini bowties, because they are so cute.
I dressed a little bit of the salad with Light Balsamic Vinaigrette, but we all liked it better with the mayo dressing, which is saying something, because I am not a fan of mayo, usually. So, if you need a salad, try one of these- they are crowd pleasers!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

from Barefoot Contessa- Back to Basics

1- 1 1/2 pd butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch diced

good olive oil

1 Tbls pure maple syrup

salt and pepper

3 Tbls dried cranberries

3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice

2 Tbls cider vinegar

2 Tbls minced shallots

2 tsp Dijon mustard

4 oz baby arugula, washed and spun dry (I used mixed greens that included arugula)

1/2 walnut halves, toasted (I used pecans)

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used aged Asiago and reduced the amount)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. (I roasted mine at 425 degrees)

Place squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 Tbls olive oil (I used 1 Tbls), the maple syrup, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Toss. Roast squash for 15-20 minutes (I added 10 more minutes to the roasting time), turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Place the arugula in a large bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten, and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Liz's Bowtie, Peas, and Bacon Salad by Liz Harris

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chilled

16 oz. box bowtie pasta, cooked and drained (I used the mini bowtie pasta)

1/2 c. fat-free mayo

a couple Tbls miracle whip

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 t. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 bag peas ( thawed)

6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 small bag parmesan cheese

Combine lettuce and bowtie pasta in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine mayo, miracle whip, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the peas, bacon, green onions, and parmesan cheese to the lettuce/pasta mixture. Toss lightly. Add the mayo mixture to the lettuce and mix until mayo dressing evenly covers the lettuce. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve

Coming Tomorrow- TWD- Linzer Sables

Red Lentil Soup, 2 ways, and Bundles of Joy with Homemade Ginger Cardamom Pear Butter

I have two really delicious red lentil soups that I like to make and I couldn't decide which one to have, so I made them both. The one pictured above has carrots, tomatoes, and spinach added and you can see all the lovely colors. The other red lentil soup is pureed, so you can just see the orange color of the soup. The pureed soup usually has a spiced oil that you drizzle on top, but since I made both the soups and a yummy phyllo side, I decided to skip the spiced oil. It does add an extra zip that is so delicious.


The Bundles of Joy were in a recent issue of Rachael Ray's magazine and reminded me of a samosa. I love phyllo and whenever I work with it, I use cooking spray to moisten the sheets, rather than melted butter. I was making the little appetizers when I realized that I could save time and energy and just make one, long strudel. So, I layered 5 sheet of phyllo and put the filling down the middle and enclosed it. That was after I had already done 2 rounds of the little ones. It suggested serving them with apple butter, but we had so many pears and had decided earlier to make pear butter. Now that smelled amazing and tasted so good, that we went ahead and made another batch. It was a great combination. And yes, my daughter could not keep her finger out of the pear butter!


This was a great dinner that we enjoyed outside- I am not sure how many more of those we will get, since the cold is coming. Yummy! If you are wondering about the Weekly Lunchbox, it will be posted tomorrow- I was just too excited about this dinner!










Red Lentil Soup with Spiced Oil from Celia Mason, I am unsure of the author or source

for the soup:

1 cup red lentils

2 onions, chopped

1 1/2 Tbls vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

5 garlic cloves, minced

4 tsp grated peeled fresh gingerroot

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup drained canned tomatoes

for the spiced oil:

2 Tbls vegetable oil

1/4 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cuminseed

1/4 tsp turmeric

To make the soup: In a large bowl wash the lentils in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear and drain them in a fine sieve. In a large heavy saucepan, cook the onions in the oil over medium heat, stirring, until they are softened. Add the garlic and gingerroot, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the cumin and the ground coriander seeds and cook for 1 minute, stirring all the while.

Add the lentils, broth, 1 1/2 cups water, and the tomatoes, and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. In a blender puree the mixture in batches, transferring to a bowl, until it is all pureed and return to the clean soup pan. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the spiced oil: In a small skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the red pepper flakes, cuminseed, and turmeric, and fry the spices, stirring, for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the sizzling begins to subside. Remove from the heat. Drizzle the spiced oil with a spoon over the soup to serve.

Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup from Good Housekeeping Magazine

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 medium carrots, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can (14 1/2-ounce) diced tomatoes

1 can (14- to 14 1/2-ounce) vegetable broth

1 cup dried red lentils

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 6-oz bag baby spinach

In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil on medium until hot. Add carrots and onion, and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Stir in cumin; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, lentils, 2 cups water, salt, and pepper; cover and heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 8 to 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach. Makes about 7 1/2 cups.

Bundles of Joy From Every Day with Rachael Ray August 2008
3/4 pound red potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed (I used canned Le Sueur early peas)
3/4 cup frozen carrots, thawed (I used fresh chopped carrots and cooked them along with the onion)
10 frozen phyllo sheets, thawed and covered with a moist kitchen towel
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (I used cooking spray instead)
1 cup apple butter ( I used pear butter)

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.

2. Meanwhile, in a heavy skillet, toast the cumin and turmeric over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the oil, onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the peas and carrots. Remove from the heat and stir in the mashed potatoes.

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush 1 phyllo sheet with melted butter. Top with another phyllo sheet; brush lightly with butter. Cut lengthwise into five 2 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the vegetable mixture at the end of each strip. Working with 1 strip at a time, fold the corner over the filling to enclose, forming a triangle; continue folding the strip like a flag, keeping the triangle shape. Place the resulting bundles seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets and filling. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, stir the apple butter with 3/4 cup water. Serve warm or at room temperature with the bundles.

Ginger Cardamom Pear Butter from Cooking Light

4 cups coarsely chopped peeled Bartlett pear (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place pears in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Combine pear puree, sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium sauté pan over medium heat; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook 3 hours or until mixture is thick.

Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 Tbls olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
3/4 pd. fresh green beans, ends trimmed, and broken into pieces
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1 cup frozen baby peas
2/3 of 29 oz can tomato puree
6 oz bag baby spinach
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
fresh parmesan, for grating on top

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until tender. Add celery and carrots. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add green beans. Cover vegetables with water. Add cabbage and peas. Add more water, to make sure the vegetables are completely covered. Stir in tomato puree and seasonings. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Right before serving, stir in spinach. Ladle into bowls and grate parmesan on top and add more seasoning, if necessary.

BB-Pasta, Pesto and Peas

I have joined the Barefoot Bloggers. It sounded fun, cooking recipes from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, and doable- we post twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. I love to cook almost as much as I love to bake, and I already own all of her cookbooks, so I felt this was a good group for me to join. Tara of Smells Like Home, started this group. The pictures didn't turn out very well,(don't you love the smudge on my camera lens?), but the majority of us enjoyed this meal. We have one pasta hater and one pesto hater, but they ate it anyway. I didn't toss the pasta with olive oil, used fat-free mayo (I hate mayo, but can stand fat-free when used in salad type dishes) and also used alot less mayo then she called for. I also used half whole wheat pasta because, really, anyway I can make something healthier, I go for. I added more peas and I really enjoyed this dish. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, this recipe was chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food.
Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
Copyright, 2001, Ina Garten, All rights reserved
3/4 pound fusilli pasta

3/4 pound bow tie pasta

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)

5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good olive oil

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.
To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.
Yield: 4 cups