Lentil Soup

I saved this out of Country Woman magazine years ago and finally got around to making it.  Boy have I been missing out. This was delicious!

Lentil Soup 

adapted from Country Woman Oct/Nov 2007 Yields 2 quarts (8 servings) 1 cup=219 calories (with original recipe)

2 cups sliced carrots
2 celery stalks (I tend to use more)
1 large onion chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T olive oil (original recipe called for butter)
7 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I use water and better than bouillon)
1 1/2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
3 T pearled barley
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (I used a 15 oz can of petite dices tomatoes with roasted garlic and onion)
2 T lemon juice
4 1/2 t molasses (I fudged on this and just added a glop)
1 T red wine vinegar (don't have that so I just used regular white vinegar)
1/2 t pepper
dash each of dried thyme, basil and oregano (I don't have thyme and I hate oregano so I only used basil.

Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil.  Add broth, lentils, barley and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and return to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until lentils and barley are tender (it took WAY longer than the recipe indicated.)

It was one of the first soups to not go bad in the fridge as leftovers.

Brazilian Fried Rice

2-4 T olive oil
1 medium onion
2-4 cloves garlic
2 cups rice
4 1/2 cups water
salt

Finely chop onion and garlic and sautee in olive oil until clear. Take care not to burn garlic. Add rice and brown. It won't get toasty brown, but it will change color. Carefully add water, it will sizzle and make lots of noise! Bring to a boil. Add salt to taste and simmer covered until rice is tender and moisture is absorbed.

Aaron's grandmother is from Brazil and taught me how to make this. I don't use an exact recipe so hopefully what I have listed here is about right!

Black Bean Soup

2-4 T Olive Oil
1 onion
1-3 carrots
2 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic
2.5 t cumin
dash of cayenne pepper depending on taste
2 cans black beans
1 can diced tomatoes (I happened to have a 10 oz can with jalapeno, cilantro and lime)
4 cup water
3 chicken bouillon (or 2 cans chicken broth. For vegan, use vegetable broth)
3/4 cup rice

Sautee onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil until onions are clear. Add cumin and cayenne pepper and sautee additional 5 minutes. Add beans with liquid and tomatoes. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender. Remove 4 cups of soup and puree in blender. Add back to soup. Add rice. Return to boil and simmer until rice is tender. Top with fresh cilantro or dried, shredded cheddar cheese or sour cream and serve with corn bread or tortilla chips.

p.s. I am just making this the first time. I may have additions or changes to make.

Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

6-8 medium potatoes
4-6 carrots
olive oil
garlic powder
salt
pepper
lemon pepper

Cut potatoes and carrots into chunks. Put into 13x9 pan and toss with olive oil to coat (approximately 1/8-1/4 cup.) Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and lemon pepper to taste. Bake at 400 45 minutes or until vegetables are to desired tenderness.