Lebanese-Style Red Lentil Soup

I love to make soup because it's usually a pretty quick meal to put together AND it's always filled with good-for-you ingredients! Here's another super-easy and super-yummy soup recipe from All Recipes:

Lebanese-Style Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound red lentils
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Bring chicken stock and lentils to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir onions into the lentils and season with cumin and cayenne. Continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Carefully puree the soup in a standing blender, or with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice before serving.

Tweet

Texas Caviar

I had never heard of Texas Caviar but came upon it a couple of months ago when I was shopping at Costco. It looked healthy and, most importantly, yummy. I'm pretty sure I chose to buy it because I had just had Miles and was looking for pre-made foods to feed the fam. We liked it but felt sure we could make it and make it even tastier.

The TC from Costco has jicama and the TC recipe below from Food Network doesn't but you can add it, of course. I must admit that the recipe below won't blow your socks off but it's a good start to making your own amazing Texas Caviar. Other ingredients I add are a little lime/lemon juice, only a couple of shakes of cumin, green onion, cilantro. I think tomato and corn would make this good too.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and cooled
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir again before serving.

Tweet

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

I don't think I've ever made couscous before! I tried this recipe from RecipeZaar and it's a winner.

BLACK BEAN COUSCOUS SALAD

SERVES 10

Change to: Servings US Metric

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

clear stars

Write a Review! (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2-quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous.

2. Cover the pot and remove from heat.

3. Let stand for 5 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin.

5. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans, and toss to coat.

6. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks.

7. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well.

8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tweet

Big-Batch Vegetable Soup

A simple yet tasty vegetable soup recipe I found on the Martha Stewart website.

I added little star-shaped pasta (the pasta used to make Mexican sopita) and I think it soaked up too much liquid. Next time I make this, I think I will increase the liquid or use less pasta OR I will just reduce the recipe by half. This recipe definitely made a big-batch of soup!

Big-Batch Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions or thinly sliced leeks (whites only)
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables, such as carrots, corn, green beans, lima beans, peas, potatoes, and zucchini (cut larger vegetables into smaller pieces)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions or leeks, celery, and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.
3. Add vegetables to pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Let cool before storing.

Tweet

Carrot Raisin Salad

Another salad recipe. . .

Carrot Raisin Salad

8-10 shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
pecans or walnuts or sunflower seeds (optional)

Combine the carrots and raisins/craisins and nuts (optional) in a bowl. In a small bowl combine mix the mayonnaise, sugar and milk well. Pour over carrots and raisins and serve!

I found this other carrot and raisin salad recipe from Rachel Ray on the Food Network. Sounds good!

Tweet

Apple Pecan Salad

Today I searched for a "apples and pecan salad" recipe and found a few fun ideas. I made a salad with greens, Pink Lady apples, celery, red onion, cranberries, and pecans, of course. I found a recipe that suggested adding pomegranate seeds (arils) too! YUM! I didn't have any on hand but will make this salad next time I buy a pomegranate! The same recipe that suggested using pomegranate had a great dressing recipe too. I found the recipe here. Below is the whole salad recipe, but I especially liked the dressing (in bold)!

Apple Pecan Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bag mixed baby lettuces, about 10-12 ounces
• 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced very thinly
• 1 cup caramelized pecans
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup raspberry vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

• Combine lettuce, apple slices, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, and pecans just before serving.
• Whisk together the vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour in olive oil while whisking to emulsify dressing. Taste, then adjust salt, pepper, or olive oil if needed.
• Toss salad with dressing and serve.

Tweet

Cabbage Salad

Saw this recipe on The Martha Stewart Show and didn't want to forget it. In a way it seems like broccoli salad.

Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cups chopped red cabbage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped cucumber, preferably seedless
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon garam masala

Directions

1. Place cabbage, onion, cucumber, raisins, cilantro, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and garam masala. Drizzle over cabbage mixture and toss to combine.

Tweet

Guacamole Salad

A friend says she likes this recipe, lots!
I haven't tried it but it sounds like a winner.

Guacamole Salad from Food Network:

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup small diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Tweet

Penne Pasta

*UPDATE-This is a very tastey recipe! Since I posted this recipe I've made it twice now and have found that it tastes better (less vinegar-y) if you let the balsamic vinegar thicken in the oven while the tomatoes are baking. (Oct 8, 2008)

A pasta dish that sounds perfect for using our end-of-summer garden treasures!
I found the recipe at this blog.

Penne Pasta

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 # cherry tomatoes (it’s not the same without them!)
2 cloves garlic

Place these in a pan and bake them at 450 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Prepare penne pasta as the package directs.

In the meantime, chop about 20 full-size basil leaves and 12 oz of fresh mozzarella.

Toss all ingredients together with about 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tweet

Pasta w/a Mexican twist

If you can believe it, the following recipe was inspired by airline food!
We were headed home on Mexicana Airlines from Mexico City and I was served the best meal I've ever had on a flight! It's been two years since I had this meal but every once in a while I still make the pasta. It's yummy and very quick to make.

My airline meal was baked chicken breast on a bed of pasta with red sauce. The twist was in the pasta. It included Mexican cheese called "cotija", cilantro and red sauce. (It might have had more ingredients but this all I can remember today and it still reminds my taste buds of the airline pasta. Yum!)

You can find cotija cheese (queso cotija) at most grocery stores. It is a dry, salty, crumbly cheese and, in my opinion, is the Mexican equivalent to parmesan cheese in Italian cuisine.


Pasta a la Mexicana Airlines
Ingredients:
12 oz. pasta (I like gemelli, mini-penne, or bow-tie)
red sauce (see recipe below)
1/4 cup crumbled queso cotija
2 tablespoons cilantro

This is such a simple recipe that all of the measurements for each ingredient can be adjusted based on personal taste and/or servings desired.
Cook pasta. (Use anywhere from 10 oz. to 16 oz.)
While pasta cooks, make tomato sauce, crumble the cotija cheese and chop cilantro.
Once pasta is cooked and drained, return to its pot, pour tomato sauce over pasta and add crumbled cheese and cilantro. Stir and serve!


Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. each)
salt
pepper

Blend one can of diced tomatoes in blender until smooth. (You can blend both cans if you don't like tomato chunks in your pasta.)
Heat olive oil in sauce pot and add minced garlic cloves. Cook until fragrant.
Add the blended tomatoes and the can of diced tomatoes.
Stir and heat until bubbling.
Reduce heat and let simmer uncovered 10-20 minutes, depending on your preference for a thin or thick sauce. (The longer you cook it the thicker it will become.)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Tweet

Pecan Shortbread Bars

My cookie of the week:

I've been craving shortbread for over a week and decided to try out a "Martha" recipe, Pecan Shortbread Bars. I found the recipe card in my stack of loose recipes that are just shoved into my cupboard. I also read through my The New Best Recipes book about shortbread and almost didn't make the "Martha" recipe because of their recommendations. But, because this recipe is so quick and I had the ingredients for her recipe I went for it and I'm so glad I did.

They turned out great and I couldn't stop eating them.
(Photo of the recipe card.)

Tweet

A few recipe links

Below are some links to recipes that I'd like to try. I haven't made these but they sound good.

lemon shortbread bars
quick quiche (last-minute recipe from Amy Karol)
basic chocolate chip cookie
high fiber pancake mix
chicken salad

Tweet

Bow ties w/ sausage & sweet peppers

Quick and easy pasta dinner!

8 oz. bow tie pasta (I make the whole box, 16 0z.)
3/4 fresh spicy Italian sausage links
2 medium red sweet peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 vegetable broth or beef broth
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup snipped fresh Italian parsley


Cook the pasta.
Meanwhile, cut the sausage into 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet cook sausage and sweet peppers over medium-high heat till sausage is brown. Drain off fat.

Add the vegetable or beef broth and the black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. When the pasta is cooked, drain well. Toss the pasta with sausage mixture and Italian Parsley.

recipe from Better Homes & Gardens magazine, April 1996

Tweet