Lentil Soup

So this is the easiest, yummiest lentil soup I have ever made.  OK so it may be the first lentil soup I have ever made.  I know that lentils are very good for you, but I was scared. Rudy and I once ate lentils at an Ethiopian restaurant and they were NOT good.   What if they tasted yucky when I cooked them?  Well this recipe has turned me into a lentil lover and I will be looking for other applications in the lentil world.

Lentil Soup

1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 can tomatoes
1 cup lentils
1 quart chicken stock
1 polish sausage chopped

Saute the onions, carrots, and celery until soft then add garlic.  Add tomatoes, chicken stock, lentils and sausage.  Cook for 30-45 minutes over med-low heat.

I made this in the morning and then reheated it for dinner.  It only gets better with time.

Things I have learned from my sisters

Over the years there have been many things that I have learned from my lovely sisters.  Stephanie continues to teach me so many things in the kitchen.  I have recently been on a hummus kick and was lamenting the fact that a jar of tahini costs $10!  To which she replied "You know that you can make that right?" Of course.  So after some research and conferencing with her, I made my own tahini and then made my own hummus.  So easy and so good!  We have also been enjoying her salsa recipe which seems too easy to be so good.

So for the Tahini all you do is buy some sesame seeds from the bulk bin (about 1 cup) lightly toast then let cool.  Put them in the food processor and grind with a little olive oil.  You can keep this in your fridge for awhile.  With this amount I have been able to make 4 batches of hummus.

Hummus

1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. tahini
olive oil

Chop garlic in food processor then add rest of the ingredients and blend.  Drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.  You can also add a little warm water if you don't want to use the olive oil, but the reality is that you aren't using that much 2-3 T.

So from my other lovely sister I have learned to try new recipes.  Every time we see each other she has some new recipe to try and most times it is a combination of ingredients that I would not think of putting  together. So last night I decided to try a new recipe (to me) and it turned out great.  I made butternut squash risotto the girls were not interested but I loved it.  It started out after I roasted a butternut squash to make ravioli (more on that later)  I had more squash than wrappers so I decided to use the rest for the risotto.

Butternut Squash Risotto
(adapted from Giada's Pumpkin risotto)

1 cup butternut squash cooked
1 quart chicken stock
1 onion chopped
2 cups aborrio rice
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
fresh sage chopped

Heat squash and chicken stock in a pan in a separate pan sauté the onion until soft.  Add the rice and sauté for another 2 minutes.  Add the wine and allow to cook out.  Add the heated stock 1 cup at a time until absorbed stirring the rice so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  This process will take about 20 min.  Once finished add the cheese and sage.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Fall is Here! It really is. I needed a light jacket in the evenings all last week and I've put out the pumpkins. I also cooked a little last week and last night. Found a couple of dishes on Pintrest and decided to make Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Vanilla. Not so healthy, but served it with wild rice and salad and even though I made Dessert (Pumpkin & Cheese Spice Bread) I saved my slice until this morning with my cup of coffee.

VANILLA CIDER PORK

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and quartered

1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed, sliced into twelve 1" thick medallions, seasoned

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup hard apple cider (or fresh apple cider)

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

Salt & pepper to taste

...FYI I bought one of those little pork tenderloins and cut into 6 medallions so I kind of 

eye-balled the rest of the ingredients meaning I used less vanilla, broth, and cider

Season pork generously with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add pears and sauté until lightly browned on all sides; remove from pan.

Add pork medallions to the same pan, sautéing for 2 minutes on each side; remove from pan.

Combine broth, cider and cream; add to the pan and deglaze.  Bring to a boil, then add vanilla pod and seeds.  Boil until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.

Return pears and pork to the pan (pork on the bottom) along with any accumulated juices.  Boil until thicker, about 4-6 minutes. The pork wasn't quite done so we finished it off in our oven. (The sauce will also thicken a bit when it's removed from the heat.)  

PUMPKIN & CREAM CHEESE BREAD

For the Cheese Batter:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Spice Batter:

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 large eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

... For some reason This Bread did not have the Pumpkin Taste I wanted so perhaps add more of the spices? I also would have added a little dash of nutmeg to the Cheese Batter it was kind of one noted.

Cheese Batter:  Use a handheld electric mixer to beat together all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Pumpkin Spice Batter:  Preheat oven to 350F; lightly grease 3 mini loaf pans with butter. (I used 1 large and 1 small)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, then stir in the pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.  Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to over-mix.  Divide the pumpkin batter between the 3 mini loaf pans, then pour the cheese batter on top. Bake until golden around the edges, about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs.  Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Sweet Tooth Hump Day

I don't know about you gals, but I get the Summer Time Blues! What does that mean for me? More soda, more sweets, more stress at work, and little to no exercise. It is currently 10 p.m. and 103 outside and I'm getting ready to watch my DVR and eat my nightly bowl of Ice-Cream (you heard me right, nightly). Which brings me to my Sweet Tooth Post. I wanted to share 2 recipes I've picked up from Pintrest. 

Cherry Clafouti (from Sunset)

1/2 tablespoon butter

8 ounces cherries pitted and halved

2 tsp cornstarch

3 eggs

1 c milk

2/3 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

powdered sugar

Preheat over to 350. Grease a 2 qt baking or gratin dish with the butter. Toss cherries with cornstarch until evenly coated, then arrange berries, cut side down, in bottom of dish. Blend eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt for 15 sec or so. Pour batter over cherries. Bake until puffed, brown on the edges, and set in the center. It says 50 min. Mine took 25! In fact, I feel it overcooked a bit so I must have used a larger dish. Dust with powdered sugar and EAT WARM this is a must.

Peach Ricotta Tart 

(by Erin of the Forest Feast)

  

1 pre-made pie crust
1 small tub ricotta cheese
Cinnamon
Sugar2 to 3 peaches, thinly sliced

Olive oil

Sea Salt

Just roll out one store-bought pie crust (or make your own).  Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese over the dough, leaving about a 1 inch border. Sprinkle the ricotta with a bit of cinnamon and sugar, then layer thinly sliced peaches over the cheese. Fold and pinch the corners over to make a little crust, then bake for 20 minutes or so on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees, until browned. Before serving, drizzle a little good olive oil and add a pinch of coarse sea salt to each slice.

BBQ pork tacos and Chow Chow

Sorry for the absence...

First I must tell you my goal. I don't want to buy any more pre-made condiments. Last year I was inspired by Eli so I made big batches of strawberry and blueberry preserves and canned them. They lasted all year and I was quite happy with myself. So far I have mastered salsa, ranch (without the packet), bbq sauce, and green tomato chow chow.  Ketchup is next and I'm not so sure about mustard.

I will share the recipes soon... (really I will)

This post will already be quite long so I'll focus on the 2 condiments we enjoyed last night

The bbq sauce is a stolen recipe from a local joint that is known for their gizzards (I just heard Eli gag) Any way their bbq sauce is really good. Sweet, spicy, and tangy, all the right notes for a good sauce. I always ask Jon to buy an extra pint. So an ex-worker of Pinkys shared the top secret recipe. I had to break it down from a huge batch recipe and it still makes over a gallon of sauce. You can break it down further to make a smaller batch or make a huge batch and can.

(Now I need to find an ex-Raising Cain worker so I can get some of that crack sauce they serve)

BBQ Sauce

3/4 c. salt
1 c. paprika
1 c. liquid smoke
1 c. real lemon juice -or you could fresh squeeze
1 c. butter
3 12 oz bottles yellow mustard
1 qt sugar
4 Tb ground black pepper
1 qt worcestershire sauce
1 qt vinegar
1 gallon ketchup
1/2 c. pickling spice -tied in cheesecloth (or a coffee filter) -I like to crack all the seeds and stuff with the back of a heavy skillet before tying it up
Bring all ingredients to a simmer and allow to bubble for 45 minutes

Fish out the pickling spice and cool. If you like a spicy version, I do, add 1/2 c. cayenne pepper - Adjust according to taste

Ok, green tomato chow chow -have you girls heard of this?

Apparently a staple in southern cooking. Its like a tangy spicy relish that is great on hot dogs or brats, or on my pork taco. First time I made it with cabbage, carrots, and a few green tomatoes and it was ok, seemed more like pickled cole slaw but not quite sauerkraut. This time I made it with only green tomatoes and extra jalapenos. I think I will go seek out some more green tomatoes and make a bigger batch, so I'll have some around after summer is long gone. Sort of a compilation recipe from many sources.

Green Tomato Chow Chow


Pickling liquid
1 1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 Tb. salt
3Tb pickling spice -cracked open with the back or a skillet
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod
Bring liquid to a boil and allow to simmer on low for 30-45 minutes. Strain off solids

3 green tomatoes -quartered
1 large yellow onion -quartered
6 jalapenos

In food processor roughly chop veggies, Pour in a sauce pot and cover with liquid. Allow to simmer for another 20 minutes.

Final result  - I had a pork butt that I slow cooked in the crock pot and then shredded it down. Mixed with BBQ sauce, placed in a warm corn tortilla, and topped with the chow chow.

So FRESH and so Clean Clean...

Dinner Sunday Night was 1 part Appetizer (Caprese Salad), 2 parts dessert (Shortcake with Peaches and Cream), what's wrong with that?

Easy Dessert only five ingredients:

For the Shortcake Mix 2 cups biscuit mix, with 1/3 cup sugar and seeds from half a vanilla bean. Stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream and 1/3 cup cold water. Transfer batter into cake pan and bake about 25 min. Set pan on wire rack to cool about 15 min, then release cake and cool completely. Meanwhile, peel peaches if you like (I didn't) and slice 4 or 5 peaches. Toss with 2 tbls sugar and remaining vanilla bean seeds or a lil vanilla extract or both; let sit to get all the good juices from those Porter Peaches ;-) Yum! Make some fresh whipped cream and chill. Then assemble however you like. Michael heated his up and had his second helping with vanilla ice-cream.

Keeping with the Fresh theme some friends just brought us back Fresh Caught Salmon. Hope to be making dinner on Wed using my favorite fish. Now to only decide how I want it prepared...if only all my decisions could be this tempting. Have a good week Ladies. XO

TOMATOES

You Say Tomato, I say Tomahto... The raised gardens we built this year have been bittersweet. We planted 7 tomato plants, but only 4 produced fruit. And of those 4 only 3 are really doing anything. But now we know...less tomato plants in one container and Much, MUCH larger Tomato cages (all the plants are taller than I am). What has produced, I will defiantly plant again. Aunt Ruby's German Green, Cherokee Purple, and Roughwood Golden Plum.

 

Of course we can all think of 100 different ways to eat tomatoes but nothing beats a 

GOOD BLT

• CHERRY TOMATO SALAD with BUTTERMILK BASIL DRESSING (food network)
• 6 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved if large
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Put the cherry tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, basil, shallot and garlic. Season with pepper. 

Drizzle the dressing over the tomatoes and toss.