Recipe #2: Lentil Soup

In a burst of desire to eat a bit healthier, we started flipping through my "exercise plan" book which also has a section on nutrition. I told Brad to pick some recipes that he would be interested in and I'd see what I could do. Well, he decided that lentil soup might be interesting and the search was on. A quick internet search turned up a recipe by Giada de Laurentis of tv fame and we decided that she probably knew what lentil soup should taste like. And you know what? That was a great bet to make because this soup is tasty! Enjoy!

Lentil Soup

6 servings

2 T olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomataoes

1 lb lentils (approx. 1 1/4 cups)

11 cups low-salt chicken broth

4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs (can also use 2-3 tsp dried thyme)

2/3 cup dried elbow pasta

1 C shredded parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Rating: 4 out of 5 ladles (please note that Brad was loathe to rate it higher due to its failure to include meat, even though we scarfed it down to the last lentil...LOL!)

Allergens: Onions, Garlic, Wheat, Milk

I'm not sure how you get around the onions and garlic, but if you need to avoid wheat, you can easily substitute rice or quinoa pasta. If you have to avoid milk, you could skip the parmesan or substitute with a mozzarella dairy-free cheese.

Recipe #1: Beef Bourguignon

I figured that I would pick something truly off the map for me to bring in the New Year. And that would be the famous Beef Bourguignon...a dish that I can barely pronounce (due to taking Spanish and not French in high school) and certainly not spell (for the same reason)! LOL! However, I am oh so glad that I tried this one out because it was TASTY! And besides, you get to feel like a "real" cool when you cook with wine and who doesn't love that?;-) So here goes!

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:

2.2 lbs chuck steak
4 1/2 oz bacon
12 pearl onions
2 oz butter
1.1 lbs carrots
Freshly prepared bouquet garni:
-1 sprig of thyme
-1/4 bay leaf
-2 sticks of celery
-4 sprigs of parsley
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp tomato concentrate
1 liter 9 (1 3/4 pt) good red wine
2 cloves of garlic
salt/pepper

Preparation
Ask your butcher to cut the meat into egg-sized cubes.
Remember to take the meat out of the fridge at least 1/2 hour before use. Remove the rind and dice the bacon.
Peel the onions but leave them whole.
Melt the butter in a cocotte, then add the onions and the bacon and let them brown for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. Season the meat with salt and ground pepper, then add to the casserole dish and brown on each side.
While the meat is browning, peel the carrots, rinse them quickly under running water and cut them into 5 cm (2") strips before adding them to the casserole.
Carefully wash the parsley and the celery. Remove the stringy parts of the celery and then tie together the thyme, the bay leaf, the parsley and the celery to make your bouquet garni.
Add to the casserole dish.
Brown all the ingredients for approx. 30 minutes, then remove the meat, putting it aside in a warm place.
Add the flour to the cocotte and stir well with a wooden spoon. As soon as it changes color, add the tomato concentrate and stir again. Add the red wine little by little, thinning down the sauce as it thickens and stirring all the time. Season using a pepper mill. Add the two cloves of garlic after having peeled and crushed them. Continue stirring with the wooden spoon.
Once you have obtained a smooth sauce, return the meat to the cocotte, cover and leave to simmer for approximately 2 1/2 hours over low heat.
15 minutes before the end of cooking, heat the plates, and possibly a serving dish if you prefer not to take the cocotte to the table (I'll just admit that I didn't go this far;-)

I served it with mashed potatoes and let's just say, there were NOT many leftovers!

Rating: 4 out of 5 ladles
*This was a result of the need for more practice, not the recipe:-)

Allergens: wheat, milk, beef, onions, garlic
*Could substitute a different thickening agent such as cornstarch or tapioca flour for wheat and dairy free substitute for the butter.

Expanding Our Culinary Horizons 2011

As my "fun" New Years resolution this year, I've decided to try out one new recipe each week. We will then rate it and the top contenders will be compiled at the end of the year. The impetus for this particular resolution actually came from a few different sources. First, I got some very fun, new toys for Christmas. A cast iron, enamel covered dutch oven and a cast iron skillet. Oh yeah, those have opened up some new avenues! The second is that Rusty had even MORE allergies added a few months ago that have, sadly, torpedoed most of the recipes I've spent the last couple of years collecting for him. Just for the record, he is now allergic to the following: wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, beef, peanuts, black beans, rice, onions, and garlic. I obviously needed more of a challenge;-)

These recipes are not going to necessarily follow any sort of pattern. It's basically just whatever I want to try out in any given week! They may be breakfast, lunch/dinner or dessert and may be recipes that just Brad and I can eat or "allergy friendly" stuff that Rusty can eat. Due to the fact that I have any number of friends and family members with some or more of the same allergy problems that Rusty has, I am going to include the allergen information for each recipe. Hopefully, this will provide some new ideas for others too!

Enjoy and let me know what you think!:-)