Simple or Rich Lentil Soup

Some of you will laugh, but I hope this blog will be a resource for cooks of all levels, so here's some basic information about making a richer, more flavorful soup.


Simple Lentil Soup (Quick prep, one hour cooking time) from the New Laurel's Kitchen

2 c uncooked lentils
8 c. water or vegetable stock
1/2 onion chopped (or handful of dried)
1 carrot chopped or grated
1 potato chopped or grated
1 T olive oil
1 bay leaves
1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt
cook at least one hour, stir in 2 tsp red wine vinegar just before serving.

its pretty good, but try the one below when you have a little more prep time or available ingredients and taste the difference it makes to saute some veggies first and add layers of flavor.

Rich Lentil Soup
1 Tb leftover bacon grease (from freezing extra when making corn chowder or such) or olive oil/butter
large chopped onion
1 grated carrot
some chopped celery
Saute onion in bit of bacon fat till starting to color then add carrot and celery and saute another 5 minutes or more. (You can add chopped potato here and continue to add a little more color and flavor if you have time)
Add 8 cups vegetarian bouillon or stock, two or three sliced carrots, two chopped potatoes, 2 cups uncooked lentils (preferably brown, so it looks "meaty"), 2 bay leaves, a tsp thyme, sprinkle with your favorite spice/herb blends(s) such as Penzey's Foxpoint or Mrs. Dash. You can add a couple of big handfuls of shredded cabbage if you have some on hand.
Simmer one hour, adding more herbs/spices halfway and again near the end to build layers of flavor, with a dash of red wine vinegar as you take out the bay leaves at the end.

good with crusty French bread or Mysterious Flatbread(see next post) and some nice green salad or wedges of cabbage and some fruit or melon......

Sweet Potato "Fries"

So full of nutrition, sweet potatoes are also kid-friendly. Baked sweet potatoes are great, but here's another option that's fat-free and family-friendly:

peel sweet potatoes and cut in thin strips. Soak at least ten minutes in cold water. Rinse and drain. Meanwhile dry bowl and put in cornstarch (spoonful or two - depends on how many potatoes) and spices (your choice, salt, pepper, other favorites), add potatoes and stir well (water remaining on them will be enough to make it stick). You want just enough cornstarch to lightly cover and enough spice to add a little zing.

Spread one layer thick on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in preheated 475 degree oven about ten minutes (if you want them pretty, you will have to turn them over halfway through, the top side doesn't brown)

here's a link to a similar recipe for Carrot Fries! who'da thunk?
http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/what-were-eating-carrot-fries/

Shredded Chicken Burritos

We had lots of tender chicken leftover from cramming a sale pack of bone-in breasts into the crockpot Sunday, and here came the Penzeys Catalog with this recipe (slightly altered to our taste, get the catalog for the original) - I made a batch of the black beans and rice in previous post (with onion, cabbage, carrots, and a can of "white chipotle corn" - no one could tell at the end it was more veg than rice) and served it with these and green veg and salad, everyone was stuffed.....and enjoyed the leftovers for two or three days.....and Drew didn't know there were sweet potatoes inside either :)
If you have chicken already cooked and do the mashed sweet potatoes ahead or while assembling and chopping the rest of the ingredients, they are really pretty fast to make.

Shredded Chicken Burritos
about 3 cups (I think) leftover chicken, shredded,
or use canned chicken you need to rotate,
or 1 lb boneless chicken breast sauteed/simmered with onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper covered, on low heat for 2 hours (can be done ahead)

2 medium or one really large sweet potato, peel and chunk, steam or simmer 20 minutes, mash (can be done ahead)

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped/minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
whole wheat tortillas (10 large, 14 small)
garlic powder, onion powder, ancho pepper powder or other chili powder, cumin
sour cream (about 1/2 cup)
shredded Mexican cheese blend (about 1 cup)

Sautee onion till soft, add green pepper and continue till it starts to get toasty, add mashed sweet potato and
onion powder, garlic, cumin, ancho pepper powder, any other mexican spices you like to taste, and shredded chicken and beans. Mix well.

Take a tortilla and spread some sour cream along one end, add filling, sprinkle with cheese and roll/fold into burrito.
Place on Pam-sprayed cookie sheet. When all are done (using smaller tortillas mine made 14) spray them with butter-flavor spray and bake in hot oven to crisp - 425 for about 12-15 minutes or until looking browned in spots.

they reheat well in a toaster oven

Bagels - homemade are better - and a Bonus!

We all know that homemade bread hot from the oven is a far different thing than something in a bag from the grocery store - likewise, a warm, fresh bagel is a whole new animal. After a couple of days it will resemble that kind you buy. These aren't all that fast or healthy (well, they are fat-free if you can keep from putting cream cheese on them - and they are cheap!) but I have had two recent requests for this recipe -- and you can experiment with how much whole wheat flour could be used, as well as making your own variations. If you want to use all whole wheat, you may need some vital wheat gluten or other dough enhancer, and I recommend a little longer kneading and rising times. These freeze beautifully, so any you won't eat the first day ought to go in the freezer to maintain that homemade goodness. They make a great travel breakfast with ham and cream cheese, can fix ahead and freeze ready to go.

Bagels

2 Tbs yeast
about 4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs salt

Combine yeast and 1 1/2 cups flour in mixer bowl. Stir sugar and salt into water and add to yeast mixture. Beat at low speed til blended and then on high for 3 minutes, scraping occasionally. Stir in enough flour to make a somewhat stiff dough and knead about 5 minutes.
Cover and let rest 15 minutes (you can rest too).
Cut into 12 to 16 portions and shape into smooth balls, sealing and tucking edges underneath. Punch a hole in the center of each and use two fingers in the hole to gently work your way around stretching and smoothing into a nice doughnut shape.
Cover and let rise 20 minutes
Bring a large pot of water with 1 Tbs sugar (not salt!) to a boil, reduce to simmering. Cook bagels 4 or 5 at a time for a total of 3 minutes, turning once. Place on lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.

variations!
-use half whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar for "honey wheat" bagels
-knead in chopped & cooked onion and grated sharp cheddar near end of kneading time for onion cheese bagels
-knead in cinnamon or cinnamon sugar and raisins near the end for cinnamon raisin bagels
you get the idea! make up your own favorite.

Notes:
this recipe came from a magazine about 30 years ago, probably Better Homes and Gardens. It said to make 12 but my little kids who loved them never finished them so I made them smaller, making 20. If you are used to huge bakery bagels you might want to make only 8 (cook longer - probably at least 30 minutes). I have also made little appetizer bagels (about 48 from one batch) and served as open halves with various flavored cream cheeses and toppings, but they are a lot of work to shape and cook.
The original recipe also said to simmer 7 minutes but that made them so chewy they were almost impossible to eat.

I used to have trouble with shriveling, a couple in each batch seemed to want to shrivel and shrink when put on the cookie sheet. Now I always simmer "upside down" first so the nicer looking top is up after turning over, and I warm the cookie sheets in the oven while its heating. I assume it was temperature shock as none shrivel up now.


Bonus:
If you find you really like homemade bagels and cream cheese but just don't have the time, here's a faster recipe that gives you very much the same warm and homey "chew" and is easier for kids to help with:

Pretzels
combine:
1 pkg or Tbs yeast
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tb sugar
dissolve 5 minutes, then add
1 tsp salt
4-5 cups flour
knead a few minutes, divide into about 16 pieces and roll into snakes about a foot long (kids can help), shape like pretzels (loop and twist), put on cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with coarse salt.

let rest while oven heats to 425 and bake about 12 minutes.

These are really good if you take a lump of cream cheese and soften it in the microwave and use it like a dip or spread on bites of warm pretzel.

Fast and Easy Chewy Bread

Makes the most wonderful toast - cut it pretty thin, it has nooks and crannies for the butter and jam.........and has healthy ingredients in a new form for kids that might not be used to whole wheat bread yet :)
Faster and easier than regular yeast bread, freezes beautifully, easy to half but why would you? Based on a recipe from Betty Crocker.

7 cups all purpose flour (could gradually replace part/all with whole wheat, I'm going to start doing that)
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp yeast
4 cups warmed milk ( microwave till quite warm to touch - can use canned evaporated milk in food storage to rotate - use one equal parts milk and (hot) water to "un-evaporate") Would probably work fine with just water, or with powdered milk added to dry ingredients.
1 cup hot water (from hot water tap)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ (store in fridge after opening)
1 cup quick oats
(can also replace 1 cup of regular flour with soy flour, white bean flour, or any other type you might have, to add variety to nutrients)
up to 1 1/2 cups more flour

Mix 7 cups flour with sugar, salt, baking soda and yeast in large mixing bowl. Add warm milk and water and beat on low to moisten, then three minutes at medium speed, scraping occasionally. Stir in whole wheat, germ, oats, and enough flour to make a stiff batter.

Grease or spray 4 loaf pans (4 1/2 x 8 1/2 kind, not the huge ones) and sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide batter between them and sprinkle with cornmeal. Let rise in warm place about 20 minutes or until at top of pan.

Bake at 400 degrees about 25 minutes (gets fairly dark brown on top) and cool on wire rack.

Lime- Cilantro Beans and Rice: Three Ways Plus

Take your pick! very fast and easy but not so cheap; pretty easy; or really cheap and healthy but more work.

All can be made with or without chicken, and can be served as dinner (that's what I do) or as a great and filling side to other Mexican-type foods. Leftovers make good quesadillas with a little cheese.
All versions can be "dressed up" by toasting thin strips of a wheat tortilla (cut with pizza cutter and put under broiler or in toaster oven for very short time) to pile on top with some grated cheese sprinkled over, cover or broil briefly til it melts.

All versions can look even prettier if you cut the carrot down to one and add 1-2 cups of butternut squash chunks (or sweet potato) to cook along with rice and beans. (cut a few thick slices from the neck of the squash, trim and chunk, put the rest in the fridge for another day)

1. Super Simple Beans and Rice

one package Archer Farms "Lime Cilantro Rice" (from Target)
one can Bush's "Black Bean Fiesta"
(thawed or partially thawed boneless chicken breast, each piece cut into two or three chunks)

Following directions on rice package, heat water and add all ingredients to large covered frying pan, (nestle chicken pieces into rice and beans), cover and cook as directed. Stir before serving.

2. Easy Rice and Beans

onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, grated
celery, chopped, optional
1 pkg Archer Farms Lime Cilantro Rice
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or equivalent precooked beans - use the crockpot and freeze some ahead of time for easiest and cheapest)
optional: add additional seasonings to boost flavor, such as lime juice, cilantro, cumin, other favorite Mexican-type seasonings as desired
In large frying pan, saute onion till soft, add up to three large peeled and grated carrots, celery if desired, and continue cooking a few minutes to soften and develop flavors. Heat water as directed on rice package plus extra 1/4 cup, add to pan along with rice and seasoning packet and rinsed, drained beans. Sprinkle with seasonings and 1-2 Tb lime juice, stir. Cover and cook as directed til rice is done. Can add chicken as above.

3. Made from Scratch Lime Cilantro Rice and Beans

large onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and grated
2-3 stalks celery chopped
2 cans black beans rinsed and drained. or equivalent cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain or basmati rice
OR 3-4 cups precooked brown rice
OR equivalent instant brown rice
Knorr Vegetarian Vegetable bouillon (optional)
lime juice
cilantro
cumin
optional - other favorite seasonings such as Penzey's "Adobo Seasoning", Ancho chili powder, fajita seasoning, oregano, Penzey's "Arizona Dreaming", garlic....if you like diced tomatoes and green chilis they could go in.....

saute onion til soft, add carrots and celery and continue cooking a few minutes till soft and flavorful. Then, depending on the type of rice used:

for regular rice, heat 2 bouillon cubes in 3 1/2 cups water and stir til dissolved, add along with rice and beans, sprinkle with spices and juice, stir and cover tightly, simmer 15-20 minutes. (I just add spices til it smells like walking into my favorite Mexican restaurant.)

(for pre-cooked brown rice:
heat one boullion cube in 3/4 cup water and stir til dissolved, add along with rice, beans, and spices and lime juice, stir and simmer 5-10 minutes)

(for instant brown rice:
follow package directions for amount of liquid, add hot liquid, rice, beans, spices and juice and cover tightly, simmer 5 minutes, let sit five minutes.)

If adding chicken, the second two options do not allow sufficient cooking time, so precook or simmer longer or chop chicken up smaller.

*Serves up nicely next to some steamed broccoli.
If you don't use the squash, you could also serve a baked sweet potato as another healthy side.
You can add some shredded cabbage in the mix before simmering,  if you have some on hand, or a can of "Mexi-corn" if your kids like it and you want to "up" the vegetables.

Quick and Easy V-8 Soup

3 minutes prep, 20 minutes simmering
I love using lots of fresh vegetables, making a good stock, etc. but sometimes that just isn’t in the cards. When you are really on the run, here’s a super quickie made with things you can keep on hand and that kids like - and mine like the leftovers too.

One large can generic V-8 juice
two cans mixed vegetables (or one large can)
some pre-browned hamburger from your freezer (or soy "beef" granules, or add a can of rinsed and drained beans or black-eyed peas)
a good handful of uncooked rice
optional: depending on how many you are feeding, 1-4 cups of broth made in the microwave from your favorite bouillon (I love Knorr vegetarian vegetable but you might want it beefier)  OR just throw the water and boullion cubes in the pot but then make sure you stir every few minutes. You can adjust the amount of rice accordingly too.

Throw it all in a stockpot and simmer at least 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Notes:
If you have time, for healthier soup use brown rice and simmer 40 minutes (or use minute brown rice in a hurry)
You are welcome to add favorite seasonings (I like "Mrs. Dash", Penzey's "Fox Point", but the canned goods have plenty of salt.
You can easily adapt vegetables to include favorites (or leftovers!), such as adding a can of corn, substituting frozen veg, etc.
This is good with a green salad and crusty bread - maybe you’re lucky and there’s some in the freezer!. (See french bread recipe)