A twist on lentil soup

Did you know that the optical lens is named after the lentil (Latin: lens)? Who knew?

I love, adore, lentil soup. But I am used to the traditional brown lentil, with the ham hock and celery and the consistency you can stand your spoon up in. When I found this recipe, in How To Eat Supper, I had to try it. Its especially tasty with a dollop of light sour cream and some grilled garlic naan. Forget the naan and its all gluten-free.

*Orange-Coriander Red Lentil Soup*
(serves 4)

3 medium onions, diced
1 T and 2 tsp olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 14oz can vegetable OR chicken stock
3/4 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups water
zest of an orange and juice of the orange
juice f 1/2 lemon
1/4-2/3 cup additional orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes (optional)

Wash and dry the cilantro, cut the bottom 3 inches off the stems and mince. Coarse chop half of the tops, reserve the other half for something else.

In a 6 qt sauce pot over medium high heat, add the oil and coat the pan. Add 2/3 of the onions, some salt and pepper. Saute until the onions start to brown. Add the cilantro stems, garlic, ginger, ground coriander, cinnamon and zest. Stir about 20 seconds and scrape into a bowl, set aside. In the same pot, add stock, lentils, remaining onions and water. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover for 7 minutes. Add the sauteed seasonings, cover tightly and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Before serving, stir in the orange and lemon juice. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. T serve, ladle into bowls and top with the chopped cilantro.

Nutrition Information: Calories 251; Fat 6g (Sat 1g); Protein 12g; Fiber 6g; Carbohydrate 39g; Sugars 9g;
BONUS! Vitamin C 78% DV; Folate 29% DV; Iron 20% DV

WW points: 5

Throw back Sunday

"Sunday Dinner" at my house growing up didn't exist. Of course, we ate dinner on Sundays but it wasn't the Americana so many people I know took part in. Thankfully my boyfriend understands this and, probably because he feels a little sorry for me, does his best to make it a tradition in our home. This is a GF recipe if you take the flour out. Serve it with a baked potato and salad or broccoli.

*Smothered Chops*
(serves 4)

1# lean, boneless pork chops (4 each)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1T olive oil
2T flour
1.5 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper the chops. Place the flour in a plastic bag, add the chops and shake it to dredge them slightly. In a large skillet (that has a lid) heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown, about 3 minutes each side. Remove them to a plate and put in the onion and garlic. Saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the stock. Add the chops, reduce the heat and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chops to a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn up the heat and boil the sauce until it reduces a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve chops with sauce on top.

Nutrition Info: Calories 224; Fat 11g (3g sat); Protein 26g; Carbohydrates 4g; Fiber 1g; Sodium 230mg; Potassium 616mg; Phosphorus 261mg; Vitamin C 18% DV**; Iron 7% DV
BONUS!: Thiamin (Vitamin B1) 1mg (that's 66% your DV!)
WW points: 5

**DV=Daily Value. A value set for people 4 years and older and based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. Your daily values may be higer or lower depending on your dietary needs.

And the livin' is easy...

In my head, its summertime. A balmy 85 degrees. Its salad day.

*Tuna Stuffed Cherry Peppers*
(serves 4)

1 jar mild cherry peppers (12 each)
1 can tuna packed in olive oil, drained (reserve about 2 tsp of the oil)
2T minced red onion
1 scallion, minced
3 T grape tomatoes, quarted lengthwise (about 8-10)
1 clove of garlic, minced
tip of a jalepeno (or serrano) chile, minced
1 T parmesan or romano cheese, grated
1/4 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
fresh lemon

In a bowl, combine tuna, onion, scallion, garlic, salt, pepper, chile, cheese, fish sauce with a fork. Squeeze lemon over it, and combine lightly with a fork, just until mixed. Set aside.

Drain the cherry peppers. Cut the stem out with a paring knife, in a circular motion. Dig out and/or tap out the seeds. Rinse them inside and out and allow to drain in a collander, cut side down.

Place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepot. Heat over medium high until bubbling, and reduce by half. Be really careful here: it can burn quickly if you don't keep an eye on it. When it coats a spoon, its done. Remove from heat.

Fill each cherry pepper with about a tablespoon or so of the tuna mixture. If you have remaining, divide it among them. To serve, place them on a dish and drizzle balsamic reduction over the top.

I love this with fresh green beans. I always thought it would be great if I made a breading and baked them for a bit to get a crispy top...

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
Per 2-pepper serving: 42 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 293 mg sodium; 6 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1/2 lean meat
WW points: 3

Just Dessert

I don't care who you are or how much you protest: Everyone eats dessert sometimes. Everyone. This is another of Bob's creations. Its great because you prep it right before you make dinner, and by dessert time, its ready to GO.

Lemon Angel Food Cake with Berries

1 whole angel food cake (yes, from the store)
1 pint Sharon's Lemon Sorbet (Trader Joes, of course.)
1 cup fresh sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries (you can use frozen, unsweetened)
1 tsp sugar

Melt the sorbet in the container either on the counter or in the microwave. Don't let it boil. Invert the cake, in its container, and take the bottom off. With a long skewer (or knife, or anything else poky that wont maul the cake) poke holes all over the cake, down to the bottom of the package. Pour the sorbet all over it, and place the bottom back over it to cover it. This protects it from cat hair in our house. Place the berries and sugar in a bowl and toss. Allow both to sit at room temp while you make dinner.

When you are ready for dessert, cut the cake into 12 portions and serve it with about 2 heaping tablespoons of berries.

Nutrition information:
Calories:128
Fat: 0
Carbohydrate: 30g
Protein: 2g
WW points: 2

Pho Phooey

You know what people say about pizza and sex? That even when its bad, its still pretty good? I have to disagree because I have had bad pizza and bad sex during my lifetime. But I have never had a bad bowl of Pho. I took this recipe from The Splendid Table's new book "How to Eat Supper". I recommend this book to people who don't cook much. The broth takes a little while, with a couple steps, but they are worth it. To the unfamiliar, Pho is a Vietnamese rice noodle soup with beef and fresh herbs. To the familiar, I bet you are pretty excited to get reading.

*Pho*

Cheater's Asian Broth

1 medium onion, thin sliced
4 large garlic cloves, thin slliced
One 2-3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thin sliced
6 whole cloves
1 whole star anise
4 14oz cans chicken broth
2 T sugar
2 tsp Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam...don't fear it, love it!)

Soup

6 oz rice noodles
8 oz top round steak, sliced extremely thin (you can buy raw shaved beef...or sub chicken or tofu or seitan)

Table Salad

10 sprigs fresh cilantro
6-8 sprigs Thai or Italian basil
2 serrano, jalepeno or long chiles, sliced thin
bean sprouts
1 large lime, cut in wedges
(hoisin sauce and hot sauce if you DARE)

Position a rack 6-8 inches from teh broiler. Double a very large heavy piece of foil and scatter the onion, garlic, ginger, anise, 5 grinds of pepper and clove. Broil 5 minutes, turning once. You want the onion to have some toasted edges and you want to smell the spices. Scrape it all into a 6 qt pot.

Add the broth, sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cover the noodles with VERY hot water in a bowl. COver with a plate and allow to sit 10-15 minutes. Drain and rinse them in cold water when they are almost tender, still a little firm (remember, they are going to go into boiling broth soon). Divide into 2 soup bowls.

Place the table salad on a platter on the table.

Divide the beef between the bowls. Ladle the hot broth over it. The broth will immediately cook the super thin beef. Allow people to add their own salad fixins! You can double this easily. Have a Vietnamese themed dinner party, just add summer rolls.

Serves 2Nutrition Info
Calories: 505
Fat: 8g (3 sat)
Protein: 28g
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fiber: 4g
WW points: 6