#MeatlessMonday: Lentil Soup with Pistou

CommonDialog — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:58:23 +0000

Lentils Are Not Catfood

Hold your hats, ’cause it’s

Lentil Soup Time!

Now, first of all, you may be wondering what’s up with the cat. Well, I believe that kitty there truly encompasses what most people think of lentils. People seem to that that they look like cat food, sometimes they smell like fat good, and, of course, if it looks like cat food and smells like cat food, it’s probably cat food.

Well, I say no way! Lentils are really good, especially if prepared properly.

However, that’s the key…preparing them properly. The good news is, it’s just not that hard! Once you master that trick, you will be on your way to wonderful lentils every time!!

Also, I mentioned this recipe has “pistou.” Don’t be afraid of the term, pistou is just pesto without the nuts!

Making Lentil Soup

This recipe was inspired by my friend Chef Jasper,who serves lentil soup in his restaurant every Monday. He gave me some pointers on how to cook the lentils and I totally ripped off the pasta idea from him. With that being said, I tried to take this recipe in a different direction. Not because his wasn’t good, but because I wanted to do something a bit different. However, I did keep the pasta in the recipe. If you have any left over from the night before, heat it up and add it in for a nice heart twist.

Anyway, I hope I succeeded in making something original. If not, well, sorry Chef!

You will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced
2 stalks of celery
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup green lentils
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch basil
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup cooked pasta

First, make sure your pasta is cooked.

Next, in a soup pot add the olive oil and let it get hot over a medium flame. Then add the onions and the garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add the onions and celery and cook for 4 minutes with a pinch of salt. This will help caramelize their sugars and give the soup a slightly different taste.

Next, add the stock and the cilantro and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat.

Once boiling, reduce the heat so that the broth is just barely boiling (aka simmering) and add the lentils and cayenne pepper. Cook for 45 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

While the lentils are cooking, put the basil in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pistou is a thick paste. This will go over the soup and needs to be a bit thicker than a pesto sauce. You probably won’t need 1/2 cup, but it’s better to have more than not enough.

Once the lentils are done, ladle into bowls over the pasta, top with pistou and any extra parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Thanks to xueexueg for the picture!

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Turkey Leftover Post 3: It’s Dumpling Time

Chris Perrin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:17:30 +0000

Homemade Gyoza

Okay, last one I swear. It’s just having to eat the same thing four days in a row really gets my creativity going. So in this post for Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, we’re going to make

Homemade Dumplings with Leftover Turkey

So, I’ve got a rule when it comes to creating turkey day leftovers dishes: escape the traditional Thansgiving flavors. On days four through twenty of Turkey Day leftover eating, the problem isn’t that we don’t love turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc. We all still do! The problem is eating the same thing from November 25th to December 25th is boring!!!

So, we are taking Turkey to the Orient with this recipe. It’s just a simple dumpling recipe using storebought gyoza or wonton wraps. No fuss, no muss. Just a delicious turkey dish completely different than what you’ve been eating!

Making Turkey Dumplings from Turkey Leftovers

This recipe is easy, but I’m not going to lie. Making the dumplings takes a little time. Hopefully, you have a little family good will left and can talk the fam into helping you roll the dumplings. Once that’s over, just steam or pan fry them, dip them in some soy and boom! you have a delicious dinner.

You will need:

4 tablespoons of broth
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
leftover turkey
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 egg
gyoza or wonton wraps
Oil for pan frying (you can steam if you prefer)
Extra soy sauce for dipping

Okay, first thing to do is prepare the sauce you are going to cook the turkey in. Mix the broth, soy sauce, tahini, garlic powder, and sugar in a bowl. If that doesn’t look like enough to cover the turkey, double the recipe.

Next, break the turkey into small pieces. You can shred it or dice it, but remember, this mixture will go inside dumplings, so keep it small.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the sauce and let it start to get warm, maybe 2 minutes. Then add the turkey and stir until it gets warm. If there is a lot of liquid left, mix the cornstarch in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Add to the skillet and stir until the sauce thickens.

Next, beat the egg in a bowl with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. This will be the glue that holds the wraps together. Lay out the won ton wraps in a line. Put about a teaspoonful of mixture in the middle of each wrap, then come back and brush the egg wash on two edges of the wonton wraps. Finally, fold each wrap in half to close.

Lastly, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the gyoza two minutes per side in small batches. Add more oil as needed.

Serve with soy sauce to dip and enjoy!

Thanks to WordRidden for the picture.