Lately, I've been cooking a lot more. My husband, K, owned an italian restaurant when we met, so I took a backseat on most meals since his are so delicious. But when I started working on the weight, his meat-laden dinners didn't fit so well into the plan. I have gotten pretty good at finding and making recipes that fit our criteria: relatively cheap, healthy, balanced and kid-friendly. For the 3 other people who might be interested in such things, I offer the first in a sporadic series: What I Cooked Last Night.
Roasted Garlic Lentil Soup
1 medium yellow onion
2 Tbl olive oil
2 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced, plus one head garlic, whole
2 t. oregano
2 t. basil
1 bay leaf
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 c. dry lentils (I used half red/half green)
8 c. stock (I used homemade chicken stock)
1 c. fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
3 Tbl. balsamic vinegar (or more, if you like)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450. Wrap whole head garlic in foil and roast until soft--15 to 20 min. Let cool, remove from skins and smash with a large knife (or puree, if you're feeling fancy).
Heat olive oil in large stockpot on medium heat. Cook onion, minced garlic and carrots until onion softens. Add spices and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in lentils, tomatoes, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Stir in spinach and cook until it wilts (if fresh). Add vinegar, salt & pepper, and smashed/pureed roasted garlic. Cook 2 more minutes to combine flavors. Serve!
Makes a lot of damn soup (maybe 8-10 servings?)
I tried out this focaccia bread recipe, which was good, but a little more of a flatbread than I prefer. It would also be tasty delicious with any kind of crusty bread your little heart desires.
What did you have?
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1 comment:
Yum! I bought some lentils on a whim just last night- I think this sounds like great way to kickoff my lentil adventure
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