Greek Lentil Soup

I was given an amazing cookbook for my birthday this year ... The Essential New York Times Cook Book! It's huge. It's hardback. It's wonderful! I could not wait to choose a recipe to try and waited only a few days before trying a soup.

I love lentil soup although my hubby is not such a fan. In order to please us both I decided to make this soup along with other Mediterranean foods including falaful, pita, tzatziki, hummus, etc. We had a scrumptious Greek buffet for dinner which was fabulous! It's a good thing I decided to include all those side dishes because as it turned out I misread the soup instructions and allowed only two hours cook time rather than three, so there was actually no soup for dinner that night.

The soup was amazing for lunch the next day though!

So, if you like lentil soup (and even if you don't) give this one a try. Allow plenty of time for cooking as it does cook forever but it's worth it. I shared this soup with co-workers and they all raved about it. Even my hubby said it was delicious!

Faki (Greek Lentil Soup) from The Essential New York Times Cook Book

1 lb green lentils
8 cups warm water
1 large onion, chopped
 2 - 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 small stalks celery, finely chopped
5 - 6 canned Italian-style plum tomatoes and their juices
1 large bay leaf
4 sprigs parsley
chopped mint, basil or oregano to taste (I used about 2 TBS mint)
 1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
red wine vinegar

1. Wash and pick over the lentils, and place in a soup pot with warm water to cover. Let stand for 1 hour.
2. Bring the pot of lentils to a boil. Add the onion, garlic, celery and tomatoes, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Stir in the herbs and oil and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 1 1/2 hours or until the soup is very thick and the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally. Add 2 TBS red wine vinegar toward the end.
4. Serve hot with additional vinegar on the side if desired.

*** a couple cooking notes suggested in book***
use regular green lentils
be generous with the salt as the lentils really soak it up
it makes ALOT of soup so be ready to share it or freeze it

Porter Pork Stew

It's been a long time since I made stew with real meat... wait make that I've never made stew with real meat! I altered the original recipe that called for lamb and Guinness, choosing instead pork and Duck-Rabbit brand Porter. The stew was delicious and totally worth the long cook time. Great for a cold dreary winter evening!

Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme OR 1 TBS fresh chopped thyme
3/4 tsp dried rosemary OR 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 TBS all-purpose flour
2 lbs local, bone-in pork loin chops, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle Duck-Rabbit porter (or other dark stout/ porter of your choice)
1 TBS tomato paste
3 cups broth (I used veggie)
1 bay leaf
2 cups cubed peeled, Yukon gold potato
2 cups 1-inch thick diagonally sliced carrot
2 small/ medium turnips, peeled and quartered

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirl to caot. Add onion, thyme and rosemary; saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place onion mixture in a large bowl.

2. Place four in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper. Dredge pork in flour, shake off excess. Return pan to med-high heat. Add 1 TBS oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of pork mixture to pan; saute 5 - 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add browned pork to onion mixture. Repeat the procedure with remaining pork and remaining olive oil.

3. Add beer to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to about 1 cup (about 5 minutes). Return onion mixture and pork to pan. Stir in tomato paste; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and bay leaf; bring to a boil. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in potato, carrot, and turnips. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until meat and veggies are tender.

Oatmeal Raspberry Bars

I used to stop by a local coffee shop several mornings a week when in college on my way to class. I would usually get a hot tea (briefly off coffee due to headaches) and sometimes the delicious treat of a raspberry bar. Oh how I loved those bars of oats, sugar and raspberries. I went years without them once graduating college and moving away.

It was a few weeks ago when my hubby and I were out grocery shopping and in need of a snack that I came across raspberry bars again. These bars were made fresh in the bakery and I could not resist. That sweet treat tasted just as I remembered. I was hooked again.

Determined to make my own I found a VERY simple recipe and gave it a shot last weekend. And you know what? Fabulous! I love these bars and they are super easy to make. The only change I plan to make for batch number two is to cut back on the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. I'll post the recipe as I found it and if you like salt make them as is. If you are watching your salt or just don't tend to use it much and therefore are sensitive to salty try cutting it back a bit.

This time I plan to try blueberry preserves!

Enjoy! I know I will!

Oatmeal Raspberry Bars
3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt (or less)
1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 (10 oz) jar raspberry preserves

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat softened butter with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt and oats. Stir well to combine. Add the butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring until well combined.

Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Press half the oat mixture into the bottom of the baking pan. Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the oat mixture. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over the top of the preserves. Bake 18 - 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven, let cool slightly. Run knife around edge to loosen. Cool on a rack before cutting into squares.

Satsuma Orange Cheesecake

This is by far my favorite cheesecake! Not too sweet, not too heavy and amazingly delicious. The orange and cream cheese combine into a complex orange cream flavor. I took this recipe one step beyond by making homemade whipped cream (with just a bit of sweetness) to dollop on the top. While not needed it is an awesome addition. I would not recommend store bought whipped cream as it would be too sweet for this cheesecake and overwhelm the delicate flavors.

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

3 TBS sugar

3 1/2 TBS butter, softened

1 large egg yolk

Filling:

12 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

8 oz. full fat cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

2 TBS grated satsuma orange rind

1/4 cup fresh satsuma orange juice

4 large eggs

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

2. To prepare crust, lightly coat bottom of springform pan with butter.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine 3 TBS sugar and butter in a food processor, process until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, process until smooth.

Add flour mixture to food processor, process until just combined.

Firmly press mixture into bottom of springform pan. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.

4. Combine cream cheeses in a food processor, process 30 seconds until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar, process 30 seconds. Add sour cream, rind and juice; process 30 seconds. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, process 10 seconds.

Pour mixture into prepared crust.

Place pan in large baking pan. Add hot water to baking pan to a depth of 1 inch to form a water bath. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes until cheese cake center barely moves when touched. Turn off oven, let stand 30 minutes before removing. Remove cheesecake from oven and water bath. Run a knife around the outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill.

* optional whipped cream topping can be added just before serving.

Southwest Salad

This is a good salad and a great burrito filler. Eat it either way and if you want to make the salad a meal, add left over roast chicken.

Vinaigrette:

2 TBS white wine OR red wine vinegar

1 1/2 TBS EVOO

1 tsp honey

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp ground pepper

sprinkle of salt

Mix ingredients together with a whisk.

Salad:

5 - 8 cups torn romaine lettuce

container of fresh pico de gallo

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1/2 cup shredded or diced sharp white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely sliced green onion

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1. Arrange lettuce, avocado, beans, onions and cheese in a large bowl.

2. Spoon pico de gallo onto the individual salads.

3. Drizzle with dressing.

Pork Chops with Red-Eye Gravy

This is a fairly easy and SUPER delicious dish loaded with unique flavor. Love it! I used a french press to make the strong coffee which worked out great. Serve with a side of grits or mashed potatoes and a dark green like wilted spinach.

Pork Chops with Red-Eye Gravy (Cooking Li.ght December 2011)

1 TBS olive oil

4 (6 oz) bone in pork chops

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

1/4 cup shallots, chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1 small package mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup hot strong brewed coffee, divided

1/2 cup tomato juice

2 tsp sherry vinegar ( I used cider vinegar)

1. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add oil to pan. Swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Add pork chops to pan, and cook 3 -5 minutes on each side (or until done), covering partially with a lid. Remove pork from pan, keep warm.

2. Add shallots, thyme, and sliced mushrooms to pan. Saute 4 - 5 minutes. (I added a small amount of water to loosen the browned bits from the pan at this time.) Stir in sherry and cook 30 seconds, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in remaining salt and pepper, 1/4 cup coffee, juice and vinegar. Bring to a simmer, cook for 3 minutes. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup coffee. Add cornstarch mixture to pan, stirring with a whisk; cook 2 minutes until thickened, remove from heat.

Enjoy!

White Winter Root Veggie Stew

Here is a nice cream based stew that has lots of good root veggies in it for winter time.

White Winter Root Veggie Stew (adapted from cooking li.ght)

1 baking potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (or 3-4 yukon gold potatoes)

2 TBS butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 large)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup veggie broth

1 cup water

1 cup low fat milk

1 cup half and half

1. Place potato in a medium bowl. Cover with cold water. Set aside.

2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion to pan, and cook 5 - 7 minutes until soft but not browned, stirring occasionally. Add leek and the next 4 ingredients through celery root to pan. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low, cooking 15 minutes.

3. Drain potatoes. Add potatoes to pot. Stir in water and broth. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Heat milk and half-n-half in a small saucepan over medium heat to 180 degrees or until tiny bubbles from around the edges. Do NOT boil. Gradually stir in hot milk into veggie mixture, stirring constantly. Turn heat off and serve.