Easy and Delicious Vegan Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

I have this desire to cook healthy, interesting meals during the week, but more often than not we find ourselves opening a can of beans to make tacos or heating up some frozen indian. This soup, however, makes it easy to make an entire meal in an hour and less than twenty minute requires any sort of attention. This soup sounds entirely too healthy to be delicious (it is vegan and oil free after all), however, I promise it will be wholly satisfying.

Lentil Soup
2 cups of lentils, rinsed (I often mix whatever I have on hand)
5 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
6 cloves garlic
1/2 large onion (approximately 1.5 cups)
2 carrots
1-2 celery sticks
4 whole canned tomatoes, chopped
Black pepper to taste
Thyme, bay leaf, basil, oregano
Red wine vinegar to drizzle on top

Simmer lentils with water and salt in a large pot for approximately 20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, use a food processor to chop garlic (feed through tube while processor is on) and onion, until roughly diced. Transfer to bowl. Chop carrots and then celery in food processor and transfer each to the bowl. Add whatever herbs you desire to the bowl, either dried or fresh. If using dried, 1/2 teaspoon should be sufficient. Add the chopped tomatoes.

After the lentils are tender, add the bowl of vegetables and herbs to the pot. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes. 

Ladle into bowls and top with red wine vinegar.

Makes 4-6 generous servings.

Black Beans from Scratch

I love cooking beans, but they can take forever and since I work and commute, it doesn't seem practical most of the time. I used to soak over night and then simmer for a couple hours on the stove top which didn't take a lot of effort, but required multiple steps and seemed to dilute the bean flavor. I have discovered that there is a relatively fool-proof way to make delicious beans: rinse, stick them in a large pot, cover them with water, bring to almost a boil and then stick them in a 250 degree oven for a couple hours. Cooking them in the oven helps maintain the perfect temperature, so they cook evenly. I wait until they've cooked for an hour or so before adding some salt, but I've read that it doesn't actually matter when you add the salt; it won't make the beans tough. And, what about the potential side effects of the unsoaked beans, you may ask? Well, as far as I can tell, there is no difference between the beans whose soaking water was discarded and those beans cooked directly without presoaking. Perhaps it's one of those myths that passes around without any real basis in reality. I also haven't found much of a time difference between the two beans either. However, the flavor

Delicious and Easy Black Beans
Beans - 1 cup dry equals approximately 2.5 cups cooked
Water - enough to cover beans by an inch or two
Salt - 1 - 2 teaspoons

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse beans and do a quick visual check to make sure there are not any pebbles. Put in a large heavy pot (I use a Le Cruset pot) and add enough water to cover the beans by an inch or so. Bring to a simmer on the stove over medium-high. Cover with a lid and put in the oven.

After about an hour check to make sure the beans still have adequate water and to see how quickly the beans are cooking. Cooking time varies with the age of the beans. Add the salt, cover, and continue baking for another half-hour or until the beans are soft.

If you are having problems with tough beans, check the quality of the beans (how old they are) and how hard your tap water is. You may want to switch to bottled water if your beans are always tough.

To make easy refried beans, I remove some of the cooking liquid and use an emulsion blender to puree the beans, adding cooking liquid back as needed. I usually add cumin, garlic, and/or chili and cook down the puree a little.

Cilantro Lime Slaw

I love Mexican food - the flavors, the spice, and the ease of preparation. While traditional Mexican food can be complex and take hours to prepare, most of it can be simplified for an easy week-day dinner. One of my favorite Latin side dishes is Cilantro Lime Slaw, which I discovered through a friend who was born in Latin America. This dish is exceedingly versatile and can be personalized to your own tastes. Online there are many similar recipes, but I love this one for its simplicity and versatility. It can be used as a topping on almost any Mexican dish, but can also be eaten as a side. All ingredients should be adjusted to taste - the amounts below are only vague recommendations.


Cilantro Lime Slaw
1 small head of cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, minced
1-3 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Layer all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss together. The oil is optional, but helps bring the flavors together.

May be served immediately, but is better after an hour or so in the refrigerator. Adjust salt and lime juice just before serving. Top tacos, quesadillas, nachos, or whatever else you can imagine up with the slaw or serve it as a salad.

Other Similar Recipes:
New York Times
Bon Appetit 

Vanilla, Orange & Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I'm lucky enough to live on a property with two orange trees and at least six lemon trees, so I always have fresh citrus. However, at this time of year, we are overrun with oranges and lemons and it is a challenge to try to use them before they go moldy.

I was staring at the various bowls around the kitchen filled with citrus, when I remembered an article on Marmalade in Martha Stewart Living from a year ago. I dug up the issue and sure enough, there were quite a few recipes for marmalade. I'd never made marmalade before, mainly because I don't really like it, but I thought it might be a good way to process some of the citrus before it went bad.

I was surprised at how much I like the results. This marmalade was a lot different than the bitter stuff I recall my British grandparents having on their breakfast table. The vanilla bean and the three citrus fruits provide a complexity and depth of flavor that store bought marmalade can't match.

I altered Martha's recipe somewhat on purpose and somewhat on accident. I forgot about the soaking citrus in the fridge for a couple of days and then cooked them too long I think, but it still came out well. My parents just requested a second jar of it, they liked it so much.

Marmalade (adapted from Martha Stewart Living)

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients: 

3 pounds Oranges and Meyer Lemons, half cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices, half cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips

2 vanilla beans, split and scraped, pods reserved for another use*

2 lemons, thinly sliced, seeded, slices quartered

1 1/2 quarts cold water

Sugar

Directions:

Bring fruit, peels, and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let cool. Refrigerate for 8 hours (or up to a couple of days).

Freeze a plate. Uncover citrus mixture, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until thickest peel is tender, about 20 minutes.

Measure mixture and return to pan. For each cup of mixture, add 3/4 cup sugar.

Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook until mixture registers 220 degrees to 222 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. To test for doneness of marmalade: Drop a spoonful on frozen plate. If marmalade has a slight film when pushed with a finger, it's done. If it spreads out and thins immediately, continue cooking, and test again after a few minutes.

Transfer marmalade to jars, cover, and let cool at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight before serving. (Marmalade will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 month.)

* I use left over pods to make vanilla sugar: put several cups of sugar and the vanilla pods in a food processor and process until the pods are finely ground up. Sift into a bowl and discard the bits of pod. Store in a sealed container and use in coffee, desserts, or anything else you can dream up!

Christmas Cream Scones

These are the lightest, most delicious scones you'll ever eat. I was surprised and suspicious at the lack of butter in the scones, but the result is remarkable. You'll never want to go back to the cold compacted scones at the cafe. They are best right out of the oven, but will be still good the next day (if there's any left).


I received this recipe as a Christmas gift years ago with a cellophane bag of the dry ingredients, all ready to mix. I copied the idea this last Christmas and I think everyone enjoyed receiving an easy and yummy breakfast.

2 cups flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup dried cherries (or cranberries)

1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons melted butter, to brush on top

Combine dry ingredients with cream and knead gently on lightly floured surface just until dough holds together.

        

Pat into ½ inch thick round. Cut into 12 wedges and place on baking sheet.

        

Top scones with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and dust with sugar.

         

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes until golden. Serve warm with butter and jam.

Pizzeria Delfina's Amazing Pizza

A few weeks ago, I was in the city and ended up eating at Pizzeria Delfina. I had seen the pizzeria a few times before, but was obsessed with one of the best bakeries in the world that resides next door, and had neglected Delfina. I knew the reviews were stellar, but despite my six-month plus pizza binge, hadn't yet tried their esteemed pizzas.

Well, let me tell you, they more than lived up to my expectations. In fact, they are on par with Pizzeria Picco, which has some of the most amazing pizzas I've ever tried.

Coincidentally, a couple of weeks after first trying Delfina's pizzas, I opened Sunset magazine and saw the recipe for two of Delfina's pizzas. Since my pizza binge not only included stalking pizzerias, but making pizzas at home weekly, I had to immediately try their recipe. I was a little daunted at first - where do I find "00 flour" and fresh yeast!? I decided not to worry about them at the moment and just use ingredients I had on hand. I also didn't have buttermilk, so I substituted sour cream to provide a tang.

To make dinner prep more manageable, I started the evening before. After the initial four hour rise, I punched down the dough and left the dough in the refrigerator until the next day. This recipe makes six pizzas, so I froze three balls of dough. After all my pizza-making experience, one of the most important things you can do is preheat the oven adequately. Get that pizza stone very very hot!

Below is the recipe from Sunset's website, with my suggestions and changes added.

Delfina's Broccoli Rabe Pizza

Time: About 2 hours, plus rising time. This is the best home pizza dough we've ever tried—smooth, supple, and easy to work with. You can use regular flour, but for a truly awesome, springy-yet-crunchy crust, go for high-protein Italian "00" (finely milled) flour. Weigh the flour for best results.

Yield: Makes 3 pizzas (12 in. each; 24 slices), plus dough for 3 more pizzas

Dough

• 1 teaspoon (slightly rounded) fresh yeast, or 1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 30 ounces (about 6 cups) "00" flour, preferably Caputo*, or all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoons salt

Broccoli Rabe Topping

• 10 ounce fresh mozzarella packed in liquid
• 1/3 cup liquid from mozzarella container
• 1/4 cup packed coarsely shredded caciocavallo or parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, or sour cream
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound broccoli rabe (about 1 large bunch)
• 2 garlic cloves, well smashed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• About 1/4 tsp. red chile flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup black olives (oil-cured or Gaeta, soaked in water and drained if very salty), pitted and torn in half
• Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

1. Make dough: Put yeast, oil, and 2 cups plus 1 tbsp. cold tap water (warm water if using dry yeast) in bowl of a stand mixer and mix, using dough hook, on lowest speed, 5 minutes or until yeast has completely dissolved. Add flour and mix another 8 minutes.
2. Cover bowl loosely with a dampened towel and let dough rise 20 minutes.
3. Add salt and mix on low speed until incorporated and dissolved, about 7 minutes.
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion with a circular pressing motion into a tight ball. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet.
5. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at least 4 hours at warm room temperature. Dough balls have risen properly when they are soft, pillowy, and full of air. Can be refrigerated overnight covered with plastic wrap or frozen. Bring to room temperature before stretching out.

6. Heat a pizza stone or baking sheet on lowest rack of oven at 550° (or as high as oven will go), at least 30 minutes.
7. Make toppings: With flat side of a chef's knife, mash a third of mozzarella until pulverized. Dice remaining mozzarella into 1/2-in. cubes. In a medium bowl, mix both mozzarellas with mozzarella liquid, caciocavallo, cream, and buttermilk. Season with 1/4 tsp. salt.
8. Cut broccoli rabe into 1-in. sections, discarding tough lower stems.
9. In a large frying pan over very low heat, cook garlic in oil, stirring often, until it starts to turn transparent, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and toast for a second, then add broccoli rabe. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper.
10. Crank heat to medium-high and cook broccoli rabe, stirring, until liquid starts to evaporate and broccoli rabe is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes (don't cook it to mush). If liquid is gone and broccoli rabe is still too crunchy, add water in 1/4-cup increments and cook until tender-crisp.
11. Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep the rest tightly covered), set on a well-floured pizza peel or baking sheet. To stretch into an 11- to 12-in. circle, first tap down center of ball with your fingertips to gently deflate it. Next, push it outward from the center with your fingertips. Then pick up the dough circle and, holding it under the rim, turn it like a steering wheel, letting the gravity of the dough help it stretch. Drape the dough over the backs of your hands and gently stretch outward, rotating periodically. Flop the stretched dough down onto the pizza peel.
12. Spread about 2/3 cup cheese mixture evenly over dough. Top with 1/2 cup broccoli rabe, a generous pinch chile flakes, and 2 tbsp. olives. Give peel a good shake every few seconds to keep dough from sticking.
13. Plant tip of pizza peel (or long edge of baking sheet) on pizza stone and shove pizza quickly onto stone (or preheated sheet). Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until puffy and browned. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Repeat with 2 dough balls and toppings (top remaining 3 differently or freeze).

Snickerdoodles

I've never been a huge fan of snickerdoodles or any plain sugar cookies really. They were always just blah...not enough flavor and excitement to justify the calories. For some reason tonight though, as I was idling through cookbooks, looking for a cookie recipe, I was drawn to the homeyness of the simple snickerdoodle. I've made thousands of cookies in my life, but I don't think I've ever made this simple crisp and chewy cookie with a hint of cinnamon. I think I may have been won over tonight.The secret is to beat the softened butter with the sugar until very white and airy. I made them small, probably only a rounded teaspoon, which allowed a crisp, carmelized exterior with just a hit of chewiness on the inside. Perfect with hot chocolate or a glass of milk.

Snickerdoodles
from Martha Stewart's Cookies
2 sticks of butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (spooned into cup and leveled or weighed at 344 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium until pale and very fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Scrape down bowl and mix again.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl. Mix on low until combined.

Mix together remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into balls between your palms. Balls shouldn't be more than an inch in diameter. Roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on lined sheet pans.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes. Remove cookies and cool on racks. Use cooled cookie sheets to make the rest of the cookies.

Cookies can be stored between layers of parchmen in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 days (assuming they last that long!).

It's been raining for weeks now in Northern California, so it's the perfect time for a hearty vegetarian black bean chili. It's easy to make and quick if you soak and cook the beans ahead of time. I made this after a late night at work and it was no problem at all.

Black Bean Chili

1 1/2 cups Black beans, soaked overnight with 1 tablespoon salt, drained, and rinsed well
3 cloves garlic, peeled
Small onion quartered
1 fresh or dried chili (such as serrano or jalapeno)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 chili or chili flakes, to taste
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriandar seeds
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Toppings: cherry tomatoes, grated jack, sour cream, green onions, avocado, lime

Cover black beans with water and add 3 garlic cloves, small onion, and chili. Simmer without boiling until tender, about an hour. Discard onion, garlic, and chili. Beans can be cooled and refrigerated overnight or used below.

Toast cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant and grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. If desired, sift out seed hulls.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large pot or kettle. Add onion, carrots and 3/4 of the minced garlic. Saute until softened. Add the ground cumin, coriandar, chili, chili powder, and smoked paprika (if using). Cook for a minute. Add cooked beans and enough of the cooking water to make the chili the right consistency. Add remainder of chopped garlic.

Simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Serve with toppings.

Thank you Mark Bittman for successful popovers (aka Beefless Yorkshire Pudding) this Christmas! Christmas 2007 will go down in history as the year the popovers just didn't pop, puff, or poof. My sad hockey puck popovers were endlessly mocked by my British relatives and left me reluctant to repeat the experience despite perfect popovers in years prior. Mark Bittman gave me the courage to try again. This year I made sure all ingredients were room temperature, didn't over-beat the eggs, and let the butter heat up with the pan in the oven. I did notice that the second batch of popovers was even better than the first. . . I think resting the batter and having a very hot popover pan may matter more than the temperature of the oven which varied greatly during the second batch.

More experiments may be needed.