Lentil Chili

Want a wonderful way to starve off that winter chill, vegetarian style.  Here it is!  Wonderfully thick with lentils, peppers and tomatoes simmered with chili seasonings.  This recipe is an adaptation of one of my favorite Cuisine at Home recipes.  I like to make a double batch of this on a Sunday afternoon and reap the benefits during the hectic work week.  With all of the luscious sides and garnishes to go with it this chili becomes quite a personality.

4 cups of dry brown lentils, rinsed

6 cups of water

6 cups of V-8 or tomato juice

2 (28-oz) cans of tomato dice with puree

1 6 oz can of tomato Paste

2 jalapenos, minced without seeds

1 large onion, diced

2 large red peppers, diced

2 green peppers, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 Tbsp of chili Powder

1 Tbsp each of cumin and coriander

2 TBSP brown sugar

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa or 1/4 cup of chocolate chips

Juice of 2 limes

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar, & tortilla chips

rice and corn bread

All ingredients ready. . . .

Toast cumin seeds for flavor

Saute of peppers and onions with toasted cumin oil

Add the spices, garlic, tomato paste and cocoa for warmth.  Place four cups of rinsed lentils in.
Then add your liquids, and simmer away, for anywhere from 60 minutes up to two hours.  You want your lentils to have a little bite left to them, but not be chewy.  Once you reach your desired texture, add your salt, chocolate chips, lime juice.  Taste and adjust your seasonings.

The finished Chili. . . wonderful!

A few notes of interest:

• Grocery store lentils, brown, work wonderful in this recipe.  Their tougher skins will withstand the long steady simmer
• Lentils are a great source of iron, especially when married with foods rich in vitamin C such as tomatoes and peppers
• The dietary fiber of lentils is sixteen grams per cup, excellent!  Calorie wise they weigh in at 230 calories per cup with twenty five percent of a day's protein intake for an average adult.
• It's a good idea to salt when lentils are just about done to prevent toughening up their skins

Direction Summary:

• Sweat vegetables in three tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes.  
• Stir in spices, tomato paste and garlic for one minute
• Add water, juice, tomatoes and lentils bring to a boil.  Turn heat down, and simmer partially covered for sixty minutes up to two hours or more.
• Seasoning check;  Add lime juice, salt and chocolate chips.
• Recheck seasonings and keep warm

Serving Suggestions:

• Traditionally, serve with rice, sour cream, shredded cheddar, scallions and corn bread
• Warm flour tortillas up and fill with the chili and roll up.  Top with shredded cheese and sour cream and bake at 350 till hot and melty.
• Make a sloppy joe.  Let it cook down a little further, and spoon onto soft sandwich rolls.  Serve with Roasted Potatoes.  Or pop open a bag of Alexis Sweet Potato Fries.

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

This soup is a "sure-fire" hit!  Italian Wedding soup is a wonderful, healthy comfort food.  My soup is made with turkey meatballs, that will soon become a staple in your household.  These meatballs are so deliciously tender and flavorful.  The best of all, is that they are baked.  I've adapted the meatball recipe from The Little Owl.  A small restaurant in the heart of the West Village in NYC.  The base of the soup is a simple saute of mixed vegetables, deglazed with white wine topped off with fresh herbs.  Then simmered in a chicken stock with the lovely addition of a Parmesan/Romano rind.  Pasta can be cooked right in the soup.  You want it to sit in the broth to soak up the flavors.  The pasta should be petite in size, not to overshadow the soup. This meal can be prepared a day ahead.  The flavors only get richer as the soup sits.  To complete this meal all that is needed is some wonderful bread and a fresh balsamic or lemon dressed salad.

Soup Ingredients:

8 cups of good quality, low salt chicken stock

2-3 Tbsp of good olive oil

2 small or one large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 carrots, peeled and diced

3 stalks of celery, sliced horizontally in 1/4 in slices

2 bell peppers, preferably red, yellow or orange

1/4 lb of green beans sliced in thirds

2 yellow or green squash, diced

1/2 lb baby spinach

1/2 cup of white wine

zest of one washed lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

Fresh herbs such as 1 teasp. of rosemary, 2 tbsp of parsley, 2 tbsp of dill, 1 teasp. of thyme
  (all optional: you can choose one herb or all)

8 oz. of baby pasta


Prepare all vegetables.  Warm a large size dutch oven over medium heat.  Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and add vegetables, one at a time.  Saving the minced garlic for last.  If the saute seems dry add more oil, or a tablespoon of unsalted butter.  After all the ingredients are used, including the garlic deglaze pot with 1/2 cup of white wine.  Let simmer down for a few minutes till almost dry. Add any herbs now, before adding 10 cups of stock.  

After stock comes to a boil, lower heat to a simmer add lemon juice and zest, and cheese rind. Cover and let simmer while you prepare your meatballs.

Meatballs:

1 lb of ground turkey

1/3 cup of panko

1/3 cup of water

5 Tbsp. of Pecorino Romano

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup of parsley, minced

3/4 teasp. of kosher salt

1/4 teasp. of black pepper

optional:  1/2 teasp. of Italian herb mix 
                 1/2 teasp. of fennel seed

Directions:  Pre-heat the oven to 400.  If using Convection Bake use 375.

Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment sprayed with nonstick spray.  Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix carefully with clean hands.  When done wash hands with cold water to cool down skin.  Now, you want to form small balls approximately an inch in size.  Place about an inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake for 24 min.  If using convection bake for 22 min. 

Let cool for five minutes, after removing from oven.  Then place in simmering stock with lid on. Simmer for 20 min. to meld flavors.  Next, add dry pasta and spinach.  Cook, till pasta is al dente.  Now, taste for seasoning.   Either cool down, and refrigerate or serve immediately in warmed soup bowls.


For Serving:  Grated Cheese (Parmesan/Romano), Italian croutons or crostini or oyster crackers, drizzle of balsamic reduction