The Best Lentil Soup

2 T olive oil
1 md. onion (about a 1 1/2 C)
2 carrots, peeled, and chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
8 C broth, veggie, or chicken
2 1/2 C lentils
1/4 C brown rice (optional it just adds more to the soup)
1 C peeled and chopped tomato (canned diced tomato will work too, I prefer Muir Glen brand)
1/2 lb fresh spinach
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
salt to taste ( I used a teaspoon, but it depends how salty your broth is)
balsamic for garnish (optional)

Saute the onion, carrots, and celery until they are soft. Add broth, lentils, brown rice, and tomato. Cook until soft, about 45 minutes on stove top, in a pressure cooker 10 minutes (they are worth their weight in gold). When the lentils and rice are soft, add in the spinach, coriander, cumin, and salt. Cook stirring the soup occasionally until the spinach is wilted. Serve hot, with a garnish of balsamic. This soup is really good the first day and equally good heated up the next.

25 Flawless Recipes for 2010, ok I Lied 30

I have been inspired, watching an autobiography on Julia Child, it said that she took two years to come up with the perfect french bread recipe, and over 240 pounds of flour! Then I was reading in The Kitchen Detective, by Christopher Kimball, and he said that the problem with cooks now a days is that they have a huge repertoire of recipes, but barely know how to cook any of them. It used to be that home cooks had a small collection of family favorites that they could make with their eyes closed, no recipes, and they came out perfect every time. He makes a valid point that the more you make a recipe you become familiar with the tiny nuances that make or break the dish.
I definitely fit into the latter category, of an inordinate amount of recipes, and little experience making them. I like the creativeness of trying new dishes, but embarrassingly enough I will often times take dinner to people from a recipe that I have never cooked before. Flying by the seat of my pants, sometimes it turns out great, and sometimes it is a flop. So I decided for the new year I am going to take 25 recipes, and work on really getting them right. Many of these I have cooked before, but remember the emphasis is on getting it down to the detail, memorized, and flawless, developing the perfect recipe ( or at least in my opinion) .....so here is my list, drum roll please....
p.s. I will keep you updated on the progress of the recipes
p.s.s. All of these recipes will be made healthy, meaning with whole grains, veggies, fruits, natural sweeteners, healthy oils

1. Bread/rolls
2. Curry
3. Chili
4. Dahl/Naan
5. Koorma
6. The perfect pancake/topping
7. Breakfast Burrito
8. Appetizer
9. Pomagranite Salad/Poppyseed Dressing
10. Perfect Green Salad/Dressing
11. Green Smoothie
12. Homemade pasta with the perfect red sauce
13. Tacos/ grains and beans
    
14. Enchiladas
    
15. Flax Crackers/Hummus
    
16. Fish done right
17. Ulitmate veggie burger
18. Sweet potato fries/ yucca fries
19. Roasted veggies
20. Multigrain hot cereal
21. Favorite wrap/sandwich
22. Stirfry
23. Perfect meal for entertaining
24. Perfect meal to take to someone
25. Brownies
26. Cookies
    
27. Trifle
28. Raw Dessert
29. Quinoa Salad
    
30. Quick Bread
    

Roasted Root Veggies

Roasted Root Vegetables

Step 1:

Chop all of the veggies that you wish to roast in 1 inch pieces. To be honest, I am not to particular I just chop them up.


Step 2: Put the veggies,and chopped onion on a cookie sheet or a fancy roasting pan, whatever you have. For a full cookie sheet I put 2 T oil, and 2 T of fresh thyme. I sprinkle them with salt, and put them in the oven at 400 degrees. Stir them every 15-20 minutes. Take them out when they are golden on the edges. About 30-45 minutes. Watch them though, because depending on the size you cut them they might cook faster or slower.



Easy as pie and soooo good!!


Eat them just like this or use the leftovers in a salad, in a wrap, or over quinoa, use your imagination!!



Recipe:

2 Sweet Potatoes
2 Red Potatoes
2 Onions
2 Ruttabagas
4 T olive oil
4 T thyme
Salt, just sprinkle it over the whole pan

Chop up the veggies. Boil them in water, except for the onion, until almost fork tender ( you can almost easily stick your fork into them). Drain them, spread them on two cookies sheets. Divide the onion, olive oil, and thyme onto both pans. Sprinkle them with salt and roast in the oven at 400 for 30-45 minutes. Stirring every 20 minutes so they don't burn. Watch them so they don't burn, it might take longer or shorter depending on how big or little you cut your veggies. Enjoy!!

Sweet Pumpkin and Red Lentil Curry

1 small pumpkin, chopped, seeded, and peeled
1 tsp. olive oil
2 medium onions
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. curry
1 tsp. minced ginger
5 cups veggie or chicken broth
2 cups red lentils
salt and pepper to taste
Juice of one lemon


Saute the onion in olive oil. Add spices, ginger, garlic, and pumpkin stir together and cook for one minute, add broth cook for ten minutes, or until pumpkin is almost soft. Add the lentils and cook for 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Mash the pumpkin pieces up a bit so it is more of a thick curry, add lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.