Such a nice assortment of healthy produce in this bag! Dark greens, fresh Riverside citrus, and a tease of spring garlic.
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If you need a little pick-me-up, or if you are recovering from your vaccine reaction, give this soup a try.
On the Mend Spiced Red Lentil-Kale Soup
By Angela Liddon, Oh She Glows
~Serves 3 ~ Prep time 20-30 mins ~ Cook time 30 mins
Ingredients
1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 ¼ t ground cumin
2 t chili powder
½ t ground coriander
¼ to ½ t smoked paprika, to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper or to taste
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
5 to 6 cups vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained
Fine-grain seat salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 handfuls de-stemmed torn kale leaves or spinach
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the celery, season with salt, and sauté for a few minutes more.
Add the bay leaf, cumin, chili powder, coriander, paprika, and cayenne and stir to combine. Sauté for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, the broth, and the lentils. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Stir in the kale and cook for a few minutes more, until it has wilted. Serve immediately.
And another soup with kale.
Italian Bean and Kale Soup
From Sue Coppersmith, Granbury, TX, via a lady at FUMC ~ 6-8 servings
For low-carb eating, substitute summer squash for potatoes and beans.
Ingredients
1 lb. mild Italian pork sausage link, casing removed
½ c. onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz. chicken broth
½ c. dry white wine or broth
1 to 2 c. Yukon Gold or redskin potatoes, cubed
1 to 2 16 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 ½ oz fresh baby kale or spinach
1 tsp rosemary, fresh or dried
Garnish: shredded parmesan
Crumble sausage into a stockpot over medium heat; brown and drain.
Add onion & garlic, cook about 1 minute, do not let burn.
Add broth, wine or broth, potatoes and beans.
Bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 min.
Stir in kale or spinach and rosemary.
Cook until kale wilts, about 5 min. (Longer if kale is mature)
Ladle into bowls; sprinkle each with Parmesan.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fingerling Potatoes and Rosemary
By Angela Liddon, Oh She Glows
Serves 4-5 ~ Prep time: 20 mins ~ Cook time: 35-38 mins
Ingredients
1 ¾ pounds fingerling potatoes
12 ounces Brussels sprouts trimmed (about 3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T fresh minced rosemary
4 t extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ t sugar or other sweetener
¼ t fine-grain sea salt, plus more as needed
¼ t freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
¼ t red pepper flakes (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scrub the potatoes and pat them dry. Halve the potatoes lengthwise and place them in a very large bowl.
Trim the stem off the Brussels sprouts and remove loose leaves. Rinse the Brussels sprouts and pat them dry. Slice the Brussels sprouts in half through the stem end and place them in the bowl with the potatoes.
Add the garlic, rosemary, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) and stir until the potatoes and Brussels sprouts are coated in the mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet.
Roast for 35-38 minutes, stirring once halfway through the baking time, until the potatoes are golden and the Brussels sprouts are lightly charred. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.
Lentil Spinach Stew/Soup
Ingredients
1 medium onion
5 cloves garlic
175g (6oz, 1 cup) split red lentils
1 (400g, 14oz) can chopped tomatoes (with juice)
4 tsp stock powder (or equivalent stock cube)
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, or dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground fennel seed
1 bay leaf
2 medium carrots
250g (9oz) fresh spinach
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1. Chop the onion. Sauté in vegetable stock until soft but not browned.
2. Meanwhile, chop the garlic and rinse the lentils. When the onion is soft, add the garlic, lentils, tomatoes, stock powder, Worcestershire / soy sauce, salt, thyme, fennel and bay leaf to the pan, along with 900ml (32 fl oz, 4 cups) water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils have started to break up. Stir occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, peel the carrots and chop into 1/4 inch cubes. Wash spinach, remove large stems and chop roughly.
5. Add the carrots and spinach to the pan. Stir until mixed. Cover and simmer a further 15 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are cooked. Remove bay leaf and stir in vinegar.
This ends up tasting fairly tomato-ey. I like it. Use only 1/2 can if you're not too crazy about tomato flavor.
It also ends up fairly soupy - if you want it thicker, leave it until the next day to thicken, or use less water, or remove the lid for the last 10 minutes to allow water to evaporate. This is what I do to make it more stew-like.
On days that soup weather seems over, try a salad.
Frankies-esque Beet Salad
By Gwyneth Paltrow, It's All Good
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 T Dijon mustard
3 T white wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
1 pound steamed or roasted beets, peeled and roughly diced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
3 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and olive oil in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the beets to the dressing and gently stir to combine. Transfer the beets to a serving platter and scatter the avocado and the scallions over the top.
Thanks to Molly and Margie for these recipes.
I am adding a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi for a bit of sharpness to add to many dishes. It is fairly simple. Give it a try!
Preserving lemons opens a whole new avenue in terms of flavor. The combina- tion of salt, lemon juice, and time softens and breaks down the lemon skin and turns it into a sharp, aromatic treat. Yotam stirs preserved lemon into dressings and sauces, mixes it into yogurt, and even uses it with roasted vegetables
Quick Lemon Paste
Ingredients
1 large lemon, ends removed and sliced into ¼” rounds, seeds removed
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. salt
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce- pan set over medium-high heat. Simmer until salt is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the lemon rinds start to look translucent, about 12 minutes.
Set aside to cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth and thick. Add a tablespoon of water
if you need to thin out the mixture; the result should be spreadable paste.
Transfer the preserved lemon paste to an airtight container and, if not using immediately, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top. Cover and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.