No Soup for You! Week Serves Up: Lentil Soup

No Soup for You! week continues with a favorite from my childhood.  I know I received a few requests on Facebook for Cream of Mushroom, but I have actually never made it before (let alone have it available for this week).  However, I have taken note and will make sure to make it sometime soon and blog about it.  I, too, love cream of mushroom soup.  I remember seeing a recipe for it somewhere around here, so it's on my list!  The topic for today, though, is that most humblest of legumes:  the lentil.

Growing up, my mom had a winter routine of making large pots of soup and freezing it for those nights when she was too tired to cook.  One of the staple soups was lentil.  I loved lentil soup as a kid.  I remember other kids my age not caring for it because for some reason I found many kids didn't like beans/legumes.  Weird, I know.  Anyway, my mom always made the best lentil soup.  It was savory and full of chunky vegetables, lots of garlic and the lentils themselves were always cooked to perfection.  I have taken on this same tradition of making large pots of soup in the winter and keeping them for later dinners or even lunches.  Lentil soup has always made me feel warm and comforted.  It's the kind of soup which results in the "warm soup belly" afterward.  It's probably comforting only because I associate it with being a kid in the winter.  It would be cold and dark and stormy outside and my mom would put in front of me a big steamy bowl of lentil soup, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, served with a huge piece of sourdough bread (or garlic bread, depending on the night).  I'd dig in and in no time, my bowl would be empty and I would immediately be warmed from head to foot.

This is a perfect freezing soup, but I point out that when reheating the soup, add a little water.  Unless you want your soup really thick, the lentils soak up all the moisture, even as it's sitting in the fridge or freezer.  Also, the recipe below makes A TON of soup.  If you don't have the room for all the leftovers, or that many mouths to feed, I (and my mom) recommend cutting the recipe in half.  You'll get plenty of soup for dinner that night or week and still have enough to freeze for later!

Lastly, don't feel beholden to the recipe below.  You can pretty much add anything you want to your soup and as long as it has lentils in it, it's still considered lentil soup.  My sister makes a great lentil soup by simply using up all the veggies she has in her fridge.  She also adds sausage to her soup, which I usually don't.  Her lentil soup is still delicious; just as delicious as our mom's, and as mine.  In other words, feel free to make it your own.

Don't miss the exciting conclusion No Soup for You! Week...Butternut Squash Soup--surprisingly elegant and perfect for entertaining!

No Soup for You! Week Presents: Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

My very best photog friend, Nicole, suggested I pick a theme for a week.  Since I watch more TV (or used to, at least) than I would rather like to admit, she thought I could base my themes on TV shows.  So, for this week, I present:  No Soup for You!  For the following week, I will be writing one post per day, focused on a soup recipe.  While my soup is rather tasty, I would not prevent you from tasting it because you didn't order it correctly.  I also am choosing not to hide away the recipes in an old wardrobe.  Do I have any Seinfeld fans out there?  Maybe?  Okay, moving on...

My first stop on this delicious endeavor is a soup I actually found at Whole Foods.  From time to time, I suggest having dinner out at Whole Foods.  They've got so many options that it's like looking into a vast fridge and finding something that will satisfy any craving.  One day, Marshall and I went for lunch and I walked away with a small salad from the salad bar and a cup of soup.  They had a Vegetarian Tuscan Kale and White Bean soup available, which sounded perfect for what I was in the mood for that day.  When I took my first bite, I was underwhelmed.  There was all these veggies in this soup and no flavor whatsoever.  It desperately needed salt, and I'm not a huge salt person.  But I've learned that everything needs at least a little salt.  I sat at that table and thought "I can totally do this better."

And I did.  I actually found their original recipe on their website.  It shocked me that it suggested using lots of canned veggies, rather than fresh.  I understand if they're creating a recipe meant to finish cooking in a short time, but there's really no excuse for using canned carrots...  So, I gave the recipe an overhaul.  I made it distinctly UN-vegetarian (although it can easily be made vegetarian again) by adding some really yummy Italian sausage, using fresh carrots, adding celery, but kept the canned tomatoes (they're honestly the best option for soups and stews).  I, of course, I kept the white beans and kale in place, or else it couldn't still be called "Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup".  I also added a few flourishes:  grated parmesan cheese, a dollop of fresh (well, homemade/frozen) pesto, and homemade croutons.  The end result was an absolutely delicious and fresh vegetable soup for those cold winter days.  I would necessary freeze this particular soup, but honestly - this soup will go fast.

Stay tuned, tomorrow, for another beautiful soup:  Golden Winter Soup.

Cooking for a Cause: Appetizers for Japan Earthquake Relief

This past weekend (hey look - it's a blog that's ON-TIME!), my bestest high school friend, Nicole, hosted a fundraiser for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief.  Originally, it was going to be a birthday party and Humane Society fundraiser to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of adopting their adorable pup, Barney.  With the recent devastation in Japan, she changed gears and made it a full-on fundraiser for Japan.  She emailed me asking if I was interested in donating my cooking and make some light appetizers for the event.  I was only too happy to donate my time and cook for this great cause.  As soon as last Monday rolled around, I turned into total caterer-mode.  A few years ago, my mom was seriously considering starting her own catering company.  Unfortunately things fell through, but I learned quite a bit watching her cater birthday parties, Easter and Christmas feasts, and so many other events we had at our house.  So, I essentially turned into her:  I grabbed my pen and notepad and wrote down what I was going to make:

• Caprese Salad Bites
• Pizza Canapés
• Torta
• Artichoke and Feta Wontons
• Beef and Green Onion Skewers
• Grilled Caesar Salad

The only thing new on this menu was the Caprese Salad Bites, but I had watched my mom make them and, really, how hard is it to make an appetizer bite with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil?  The rest on the list I had made over and over for past parties or at least one other time (in the case of the Beef and Green Onion Skewers), so I was comfortable with making those and I knew how much time I needed and how many I needed to make.  Nicole gave me an estimate of 30 people.  I made sure that I either made double-batches or scaled down the original recipe to make it stretch.  I was also worried about covering my vegetarian bases, but turns out that most vegetarians could eat the majority of what I was making (I sometimes confused vegan with vegetarian).  Anyway, after making the menu, I made the schedule.  I plotted out the rest of the week:  when I needed to go shopping, when I could premake certain items, etc.  I scheduled everything to the point of cooking Sunday afternoon.  Everything was planned just so (well, that is until I realized I didn't schedule time to shower on Sunday - oops!  Don't worry, I showered.).  Next was the master grocery list.  I jotted down exactly what I needed and how much I needed.  I informed Marshall of the schedule, since he is the master of the Artichoke and Feta Wontons, and he was aware of when he was needed.

During all of this planning and plotting, I had two papers to write for school.  Those, of course, take precedence so I made sure to keep an eye on both time I needed for food and time I needed to write my papers.  I finished my first paper Wednesday night and my second paper Saturday evening.  I was non-stop this past week and it's what I absolutely love.

Sunday couldn't have gone any better.  Marshall and I arrived in a flurry of Whole Foods bags, platters, bowls, and prepped dishes.  With my schedule burned into my brain, I had Nicole's husband fire up the grill and I put Marshall to work frying up the wontons.  The first appetizers out where the Caprese Salad Bites.  These are also the only appetizers that day which actually got its picture taken.  I just completely forgot to snap pictures of the final product.  I threw the Beef and Onion Skewers on the grill and they were hot and ready for people to eat.  The Torta followed and were towered just so on their deep blue platter.  Next up were Marshall's wontons and those were the fastest to fly off the plate.  I got to play waitress and walked around with the wontons, so people hanging out outside got to have a taste.  By the time I made the rounds, the platter was empty.  Marshall filled up the last platter and those just went as fast as the first (it's probably because this batch had bacon!).  Last up were the melty and cheesy Pizza Canapés.

So, because I failed to provide pictures (I have prep pictures, which will be after the cut with the recipe), I asked Nicole to send out a request for testimonials.  Here is what some people said about the appetizers:

Chandani, of the Caprese Salad Bites, wrote:
This dainty, yet fresh and rich appetizer will definitely have guests coming back for more!  I couldn't resist going back for seconds, thirds, fourths, and maybe more...oops!  These salad bites have so many distinct flavors that you can taste each specific ingredient (basil, mozerella, tomato and balsamic vinegar with garlic, I believe) and will not walk away without a moan or two of "YUM".

Charly, Nicole's sister, loved the Caprese Salad Bites, too:
...these little bites were as appetizing to the eyes as they were to the palate. Neatly skewered on toothpicks, it resembled in appearance a healthy hamburger of sorts; everything was fresh and bright. Basil and fresh mozzarella are always delicious, but what really blew me away were the tomatoes used: Sweet Treats, a little fruit that packs the flavor of its larger heirloom cousin, the beefsteak. Hell yeah. Pretty sure I could have eaten it all if I allowed myself to do it.

Nicole, of the Beef and Green Onion Skewers, said:
The beef was cooked juuuuusstt right. So tender and moist, and was uber delicious paired with the onion. A great bbq treat :)


For the Pizza Canapés, Chandani thought:
These little pizzas are a perfect bite-size snack.  They are not only delicious and vegetarian, but leave you feeling like you are eating something good and healthy, most probably because the crust is made up of toasted rye-bread.

Everytime we've made the Artichoke and Feta Wontons, they go fast.  As Jesse (Nicole's husband) said:
The wontons were awesome, especially the ones with bacon!  I'm glad I got to grab those in the first wave because they did not last long.  Crispy goodness.

Even the vegetarians liked the wontons (the batch without bacon, of course!).  Chandani said:
A true vegetarian appetizer option, these were a delight to have seeing that vegetarians like myself rarely have an opportunity to enjoy a meat-free wonton!  It was a wonderful treat and I definitely would have had more than one if I had found some!  They must have gone quickly!

I'm telling you - these wontons are a hit!  Charly said:
...despite the fact that they had just come off the stove, I bit into it eagerly. Mmm. The wrapper had the perfect amount of chew to it, and the filling was savory without being too salty (a problem I usually have with pickled artichokes). There was also a batch with bacon (how can you go wrong?). I really didn't care if I burned the corners of my mouth a tiny bit; totally worth it.

Nicole said, of the Grilled Caesar Salad:
Definitely the hit of the party, mostly because it was the most interesting on top of the fact that it was delicious. The grilled lettuce just tasted like summer. Enough said :)

There's nothing better than hearing the nice things people have said about the food I made.  My only goal for cooking is to make other people happy.  This is why I do it and why I keep doing it.  Cooking for the people I love is just so rewarding.  Now, cooking for the people I love and for a cause that I love, too?  I'm happy to announce that Nicole was able to raise over $600 at the party and through Adobe, who matched our donation, we were able to donate $1200 to the Red Cross in Japan.  Yatta!