Greek Lentil Soup

It's getting colder here, and for me that means pulling on thick sweaters, mittens and boots, and of course, eating more soups and stews. Here's a favorite of mine, shared by a good friend, and one that I eat often. Perfect for those long cold winter nights, and an awesome take-to-work lunch. I make a big batch and freeze it into single portions.

For those Weight Watchers amongst us, this makes 8 portions at 5 points each.

2 c uncooked lentils (I use the orange colored ones)
8 c water or stock
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 potato, you guessed it - chopped
2 T olive oil
2 bay leaves (you don't want to forget these - they absolutely make the soup)
1 1/2 - 2 t salt (taste before you add; your stock might have made it salty enough)

Throw it all in a pot and cook about 30 min. Just before serving add 2 t red wine vinegar (I've never done this; someone tell me how it tastes).

Mmmm, mmmm, good!

Laying fallow

My future garlic bed, freshly turned with manure and compost

Mar 25, 2011 - the date I was last inspired to post something. I originally set up this blog as an outlet to share my creativity in the kitchen but it started to occur like work so I took a break. I liken it to the farmers fields that lay dormant for a year - they call it leaving it fallow. Basically the farmers give the field a rest for a whole year, so the earth has a chance to rejuvenate itself and gather in more nutrients so it improve its output in the following years.



 
Last night I made a beautiful salad and it occured like the most natural thing for me to pull out my camera and snap a picture of it, all the while I was planning my blog posting in my head. At that point I knew my fallow period was over! So in celebration of a new era of blogging, here's the recipe for a raw kale salad, taste-tested and approved by my loving bus driver.

The key to eating kale raw is cutting out the hard vein down the centre and then chopping it up into small (1 inch) pieces. This recipe serves 6 - really! I cut the recipe in half and served 2, and neither my bus driver nor I could finish the serving. That's just a lot of kale to chew through! That said, there is a whole lot of taste going on in this bowl, and we are looking forward to leftovers today.

 Raw Kale Salad with Root Vegetables

Serves 6

Tender, long-leafed Lacinato kale works especially well in this recipe, but any variety will do if it's cut very thin and given a thorough rubdown with salt, vinegar, and oil. The grated root vegetables and maple-glazed pecans add just the right crunchiness.

Salad

• 2 12-oz. bunches kale, stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips or chiffonade
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp. salt, divided
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and grated or julianned (1 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, grated or julianned (½ cup)
• 2 green onions, cut thin on diagonal

Maple-glazed Pecans

• 1 cup whole pecans
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Dressing

• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp. maple syrup

To make salad:
Place kale in large bowl, and pour olive oil, vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt over top. Gently massage mixture into kale about 2 to 3 minutes by hand, or until kale starts to wilt. Let rest 30 minutes. Stir turnip, carrot, and green onions into kale mixture. Toss with dressing. Garnish with pecans.

To make pecans:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss together pecans, maple syrup, olive oil, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and cayenne in medium bowl. Spread nut mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet; bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until pecans are brown and fragrant, stirring frequently. Cool in pan.

To make dressing:
Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, soy sauce, and maple syrup in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

(Modified recipe sourced from Vegetarian Times, October 2010 p.65)