Spinach Lentil Soup

Note from Sara:  This week's generous post comes from my ex-coworker, Susan.  (She moved not long after I started at this company, but I'm not bitter, no.  Nooooo, lol.)  Anyway, she sent me this recipe for a healthy soup, and I really want to try it out myself!  It's hovering right around 15 degrees here, and a hot bowl of filling soup sounds like heaven in a bowl.  Anyone want to make the recipe and deliver it to my house?  I tip well! :)

Spinach Lentil Soup

I am a soup-aholic -- cannot get enough. That said, I am exploring my vegetarian Times cookbook. This was the latest success from the cookbook. It's hearty, tasty and just plain yummy.  ENJOY!  -- Susan

Ingredients

1 cup dry lentils

3 T virgin olive oil

3 cups diced onions

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white or brown rice (I used brown)

6 1/2 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

1 cup cooked chickpeas (or one 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed) - I used canned

Garnish

3-4 cups spinach leaves, stems removed

2 T yogurt

4-6 lemon wedges (I used lemon juice)

freshly ground black pepper

1 T chopped fresh parsley or fresh cilantro leaves

To make the soup:

1. Cover the lentils with hot water and let sit.
2. Warm the oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat and cook the onions and spices, stirring, for 8 minutes.
3. Remove 1/3 of the onion mixture and reserve it for garnish.
4. Add the rice to the onions in the soup pot and cook 1 minute to coat the grains.
5. Drain the lentils and add to the onion-rice mixture along with the water, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
6. Simmer, covered until the rice and lentils are tender, about 30-45 minutes.
7. Add the chickpeas and heat until warmed through.
8. Discard the bay leaves.

Garnish:

1. Chop the spinach and stir into lentils.
2. Ladle the stew into bowls and top with a spoonful of yogurt.
3. Add the reserved onions, lemons (I squeezed lemon juice instead), parsley or cilantro.

 

Curry Squash Soup

Note from Sara: This week our recipe comes from Devon. We went to high school together way back in the day (we're not discussing how long ago that was), and we've reconnected via Facebook and the likes.  I've recently been reading about pressure cookers, so when she emailed me this writeup, I got very excited... Someone to tell me all about using a pressure cooker!  And with photos!!  Thanks so much for the yummy recipe, Devon!  I'm now researching hand mixers and pressure cookers for my Christmas list :)




Devon's Curry Squash Soup 

I've been sickly for about a week. I'm on the verge of feeling better, but still coughing and have a lingering sore throat, so I decided that today would be a good time to load up on my veggies and make a creamy healthy soup that I could easily bring to work with me tomorrow for lunch. I love all veggies, but I particularly love it when hard vegetables are turned smooth. Pureeing is a good way to make veggies taste rich, and this recipe I mixed up is extra creamy due to the coconut milk. Cooking the carrots and squash together in the pot with the stock releases a little extra starchiness that makes the soup a little creamier in texture. The spices aren't overwhelming, and it would be great vegan as well if you used a vegetable stock. Easy peasy and heavy on all sorts of healing properties!

I am using a pressure cooker for this soup, but it could also be cooked in a large pot on the stove. If you're cooking on the stove top, you can simmer all of the ingredients slowly and I'm sure it would be just as tasty, but it will be more time consuming as you'll need to check and stir it frequently. If you're a fan of soups, stews, rice dishes, or any sort of slow cooked dish and want to cook them quickly, I'd suggest an electric pressure cooker. Pressure cookers are helpful as they provide an easy way to make dishes with no checking and in a really quick time frame. It's perfect if you want to make something else at the same time, as it won't take up any oven or burner space. Or you can walk away and watch some Boardwalk Empire. Not that that's what I'm doing right now. ;)


Devon's Curry Squash Soup

2 sweet onions
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 of a ginger root (adjust to taste-I like a lot of ginger)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 butternut squash, chopped in small, even pieces
4 carrots, chopped in small, even pieces
1 can (14 ounces) of coconut milk
2 cans (or 28 ounces) of your choice of stock. (I used low sodium chicken stock.)
1 tsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp ground pepper
pinch of salt

Roughly chop your onions, ginger root, and leave your garlic as whole, peeled cloves. Toss all three ingredients into your pressure cooker (on high) with your olive oil and cook to bring out the flavors for a few minutes. You'll want the ingredients to brown slightly, but just make sure they don't burn. Turn off your pressure cooker for the moment as you're going to add the remaining items. Toss in the chopped squash, carrots, coconut milk, and stock. Stir in the spices and cook until the squash and carrots are soft and mushy. For me, I am cooking this in the electric pressure cooker, and I set it for about 20 minutes on high.

Once the soup is done cooking, release the steam and check to make sure everything is soft. If it's all soft, puree it all together. If it isn't soft for any reason, cook until it is. Pureeing will be easier and less work if you have a hand mixer. Hand mixers are about $30 for a decent one and a sound investment if you enjoy making homemade soups. A blender will work fine as well, but will be more work as you're need to let the soup cool enough to handle it to avoid cooking accidents and transfer it to the blender and then the serving bowl. With a hand mixer, you can carefully puree in the same pot you cooked in, and then just scoop into the serving bowl, or directly into the bowls. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Our star ingredient:

Pressure cooker magic:

Before the hand mixer gets a hold of our soup:

And, after.  This is some serious comfort food, people.

Neatloaf

Note from Sara:  My side business gets pretty crazy during the holidays, so over the next several weeks, I'll be posting recipes from some amazing substitute bloggers.  This week, my friend John has generously stepped up to the plate.  He's one of my favorite writers ever (seriously), so definitely check out his blog!


Neatloaf: A Tasty Vegetarian, Gluten-Free Fake Meatloaf

You’re about to witness a groundbreaking moment here on the Blah to Ta-Daa blog. I’m humbled to not only be invited by Sara to cross post a tasty supper recipe, but also to be the first dude to volunteer in the history of the Blah to Ta-Daa blog. I am honored and quite excited.

As yet another short preface, please don’t be scared of this recipe because it’s vegetarian or the name sounds funny. Sadly there’s no other way to describe it other than “fake meatloaf”. If you give it a chance you might really enjoy it.

Short backstory: One of my favorite places to eat in San Diego was Jyoti-Bihanga, a tasty vegetarian/vegan restaurant run by the Sri Chinmoy folks. If you aren’t familiar with them, I’ll tell you this - they make a fantastic fake meatloaf, they call it Neatloaf. You can imagine how excited I was when a friend of mine e-mailed me the recipe, so now I can have delicious Neatloaf in the comfort of my own home here in North Dakota.

Since I cook for a Celiac sufferer, I make the recipe gluten free by simply replacing the Special K with gluten free corn flakes or one of the gluten free Chex varieties that are on the market. This can change the consistency a little bit, but keeps the recipe well within the realm of deliciousness.

Cheers!
John,
at Deaf Dogs and Benevolent Gnomes



Here are the ingredients for the Neatloaf:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1/3 lb low-fat ricotta cheese
1/3 lb firm tofu (squished up into small pieces)
1/4 cup vegetable oil, of choice
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
4 cups Special K cereal (substitute GF corn flakes or Chex to make gluten free)
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic

Here are the ingredients for the sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup (you can also substitute catsup)
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup molasses
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
Cayenne pepper (to taste - a pinch is plenty for me)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300°F.
2. Saute the onions and garlic (in just a little bit of oil).
3. Beat eggs in bowl, the mix together all ingredients except Special K.
4. Mix well, and add Special K last.
5. Turn into a 9 x9 baking pan sprayed with cooking oil. 
6. Bake 1 hour.
7. While Neatloaf cooks prepare sauce, whisking together all sauce ingredients in a bowl. I typically like a lot of sauce so I double the sauce part. 
8. Remove loaf from oven, pour sauce over the loaf and cook an additional 10 minutes.
9. When loaf is done, if you can avoid the temptation, it’s best to let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
10. Best served with mashed potatoes and gravy and a side veggie.

It’s a bit of a complicated recipe, but don’t get scared, it’s not hard.  I usually double the recipe and use two loaf pans – one is for dinner that night and leftovers, the other one goes in the freezer for super easy dinner down the road.  If you do freeze a loaf pan, cover with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven.  The leftovers also freeze really well and make delicious lunches, definitely a highlight in the household. 
 

Note from Sara:  This is not John.

This is Alycia, his lovely girlfriend, and one of my best good friends.

Veggie Stir Fry

I, like many other parents, have a hard time getting my kids to eat enough vegetables.  So for our week of meatless meals here on Blah to Ta-Daa, I wanted to find something that revolved around serving vegetables in a way other than steaming them or serving them up with a side of dressing.

I hunted around the web for recipe ideas and my search took me to the Hidden Valley website.  They had some wonderful ideas.  I chose their Ranch Stir Fried Carrotts and Garden Vegetables recipe and then tweaked it a bit.  I added more vegetables and served it over egg noodles to make it a more appealing and filling meal for my family.  Next time I need add a second packet of the dressing mix, since I added more veggies 1 packet wasn't enough. 

When the starting ingredients look like this and your son says "wow, I like the look of all those vegetables", how can you go wrong?

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh baby carrots, peeled and sliced in half
1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup of broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 packet Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Dip Mix
(I also added green bell pepper fresh from my garden, yellow bell pepper and zucchini)
1 package egg noodles (optional)

Directions:
1.  Prepare egg noodles according to package
2.  Heat oil in large skillet over high heat.
3.  Add veggies and stir fry 2 minutes making sure veggies are well coated
4.  Add Ranch Mix and continuously stir fry 8 more minutes until veggies are crisp tender. 

5.  Serve over egg noodles and enjoy!

Vegetarian Awareness Month

I recently learned that October is Vegetarian Awareness Month.  It can be argued that vegetarianism is perhaps the healthiest way to eat.  Research shows vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and adult onset diabetes.  It is also good for the environment and the economy.  Now, I have to admit, meat is a big part of my life.  The thought of replacing meat with tofu and beans for protein isn't an immediate happy thought.  So, I decided to look at this as a bit of a challenge and take to the web to snoop around for more information.

I discovered a wonderful website for the Boston Vegetarian Society.  I almost feel this site is your "one stop shopping" for learning about vegetarianism.  The site features local events and restaurants and has wonderful resource guides.  When I ventured onto the resource page I discovered easy tips on how to become a vegetarian.  The first tip?  Think of 3 recipes you already enjoy that are vegetarian.  One that many probably already enjoy is pasta primavera.  The next tip?  Think of 3 recipes that could easily be converted.  Sounds simple enough.  The third tip?  Go to your library and take out a cookbook on vegetarian cooking and experiment.  Well that certainly sounds easy enough!  Many of us already do that!

Another site I discovered is In a Vegetarian Kitchen with Nava Atlas.  Here you can find cooking tips and recipes to fit your taste buds. 

Over at the Mayo Clinic I found this vegetarian food pyramid.  It varies a little from the traditional food pyramid because it excludes meat. 

In honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month we decided to go meatless this week here on From Blah to Ta-Daa.  We'd also love if you share your recipes.  If you have a favorite meatless recipe, tell us about it!

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

I keep bumping into this recipe on the food blogs I read.  I've seen it posted on Epicurious, Steamy Kitchen, Smitten Kitchen, and Food.com.  If you google "marcella hazan tomato sauce butter onion" you'll find a gazillion returns, because so many people have been raving about it.

Is it worth all the hype?  Yes, indeed, it is.  This sauce is amazing in its simplicity.  No one can deny the appeal of a from-scratch recipe that uses only 3 ingredients (4, if you count salt) and almost no effort to make. 

The first thing you taste * is tomatoes.  Then, you taste the butter.  Oh, the butter.  This sauce is buttery and tomatoey and just plain delicious.  It's not fancy, nor do I want it to be.  It's just a simple, really good, really easy sauce.  5 spoons in our house.

Enjoy!


* Unless you're like me and you shoveled a spoon of it into your mouth, while it was still steaming and burbling. Then you'll just have burnt-mouth and not really taste much of anything at all.




Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
recipe adaption courtesy of Smitten Kitchen
original found in Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

28oz whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, and add salt to taste (you might find, as I did, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Ingredient Lineup:

This looks way too easy.

Mmmmm...Yum Nation.

Fiesta Quiche & Norma's Pie Crust

Every once in a while we have an evening where the boys have already eaten their dinner and I only need to cook for David and I. Quite often we'll just have soup and sandwiches or eggs and toast but tonight I wanted to bake a quiche. This is something we both enjoy but we know the boys have no interest in.
My sister gave me a new cook book for Mother's Day that she had bought at a fund raiser titled, Goodness Gracious Recipes for Good Food and Gracious Living. The painted pictures on each page are beautiful and in each section of the book is a Grace Note. It was enjoyable to read lovely to look at. In the main dish section of this book is a recipe for Fiesta Quiche. Let's give it a whirl!

Fiesta Quiche & Norma's Pie Crust

Ingredients for Filling

• 5 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 onion, diced ( I used 1/4 cup scallions)
• 1 (7 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack and/or Cheddar cheese ( I used Kraft Mexican cheese)

Ingredient's for Norma's Pie Crust

• 2 cups flour
• 1cup shortening (Norma and I both swear by Crisco)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 3 tablespoons cold water

1.) Mix the flour, shortening, and salt with a pastry blender. Beat together the egg, vinegar and cold water. Add to the flour mixture, mixing well, but do not knead. Divide dough in half. (Save 1/2 for 1 crust pie and use 1/2 for this quiche.) Roll on a floured surface until large enough to fit on a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully place the dough in the pie plate, crimping edges.

2.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

3.) Combine the eggs, milk, salsa, onion, chiles, and cheese in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour into a pie shell. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until light golden brown and set in the center. (In my oven it took 45 - 50 minutes) Let stand at least 5 minutes before slicing.

David and I both had 2 slices (It was 8:00 pm and we were starving!) with a spinach salad. It was delicious! The left overs will be delicious for breakfast or lunch tomorrow don't you think?

David and I both rated this a 4 spoon - yummy and useful - recipe.

Seeds of Change: Hummus

My immediate Food Revolution goal was to eat out less often.  And because I'm not the biggest fan of sandwiches, I knew that finding lunch alternatives would be tricky, but necessary.  So now, I'm exploring the world of wraps and pitas, finding different and interesting items to fill them with. 

One thing that really adds flavor, moisture, and nutrition to a wrap is hummus.  And when you make it at home, it saves a lot of money and lets you easily add whichever flavors you like best.  My favorite things to add to hummus are salsa or roasted red peppers.

The one thing missing from my hummus recipe is tahini.  Tahini is what makes hummus authentic, but I have to admit - I didn't buy it because it was a pricey item, and because I really do like it without the tahini.

I rate the homemade hummus a 5 Spoons, but Bo barely tasted it.  Evidently, he's not a fan, lol.

Enjoy!




Easy Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-3 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. cumin, or to taste

Drain half the liquid from the can of garbanzo beans.  Dump remaining liquid and the beans into a food processor.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Add additional ingredients for flavors, if desired.

Ingredient lineup:

Throw it all in the food processor and let it go:

Ideas for flavor mix-ins:

Chili paste + soy sauce, or salsa, or ranch dressing mix,

or roasted red peppers, or...

On crackers with cucumbers and mushrooms, mmmmm!

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta with Beans)

Jamie Oliver's new show inspired my family before it even debuted.

We as a family have started eating out less, taking lunches to school, drinking white milk after learning that chocolate has 22 grams of sugar (the little carton at school) and we have started seeds of change in our home by planting seeds for a vegetable garden. We would like to grow at least 50% of the veggies that we are eating.

One of the goals that I would like to achieve with the girls at From Blah to Ta-daa - is to serve my family at least 4 meatless dishes a month.

I thought that this recipe would be hearty enough that we wouldn't miss out or be left wanting more...

I have included a few tips that help me in the kitchen - hope they help you too!

I present the Rock Family's First Meatless Meal


Pasta e Fagioli
I first saw this recipe as a link on twitter from @LoveMyPhilly - you can find this recipe and more at lovemyphilly.com!!

Ingredients

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
2 cups water
4 large cloves garlic, minced
4 cups broad egg noodles, uncooked
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 cup KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Tip # 1

To take the skin off garlic for mincing:

I take the flat side of my knife and lay it on garlic that is stable on cutting board...then using my fist one pound or two breaks the garlic enough that I just pull it out of the outer skin.

Thanks Rachael Ray!!

Instructions

BRING spaghetti sauce, water and garlic to boil in large skillet. Stir in noodles; cover.

Tip # 2 - I put the 2 cups of water into the spaghetti sauce jar - a little shake and no sauce wasted.

COOK on medium-low heat 10 to 12 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese spread; cook until melted, stirring frequently.

I only had block cream cheese...so I cut it into small cubes before adding to the sauce.
It melted just fine.

STIR in spinach, beans and basil; cover. Cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

I kept thinking that this was too much spinach - but it wilts down to just the right amount!!

Top with remaining cheeses; cook, covered, 3 to 5 min. or until cheeses are melted.

Everyone in my family really (really) enjoyed every last morsel of this dish!! This is for sure going to become part of my monthly meal plan. I love that my kids were eating so much spinach and beans...they didn't even notice that there was no meat included!

Success!!

This recipe definitely gets 5 spoons!!

Mellisa