1000 Lentils For Good Luck

Well here we are again walking around saying Happy New Year to one another and can you believe it is the year 2015 - was it not just Y2K  or Prince's 1999?  
What did you do to celebrate this year...we had a quiet one at home with some Sushi and Sake, it is a little tradition my honey and I share on New Year's Eve.  We love it and have been doing it for quite sometime now.  The other tradition we like to partake in it is making a whole LOT and I mean a LOT of lentil soup, this year 30 cups, and taking half and sharing it!  I read a long time ago that eating something round resembling a coin is good luck for the new year and eating pork was also a symbol of good luck so I decided to make lentil soup with sausage each year to combine both for extra good luck and what better way to share the wealth than to share.  Each year I get so excited to make it and deliver it to someone in my inner circle of family and friends.  I usually make enough soup for a 1000 people regardless and this year was my biggest pot ever!  I loved making it and I hope that my friends did too...

Happy New Year everyone  - I hope it is one filled with much love, joy, happiness, health, wealth and good food!

1000 Lentils Soup

7 sweet sausage links

7 hot sausage links

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 large onions (diced)
1 16 oz. bag of celery (chopped)
1 16 oz. bag carrots (diced)
Salt/Pepper
1 90 oz. (yes that says ninety ounces) of San Marzano Tomatoes
***24 oz. dried lentils (rinsed and drained)
64 oz. low sodium chicken stock

In a very large stock pot slightly warmed over medium heat
Add olive oil
Remove the sausage from the casing
Add sausage meat to the olive oil and cook over medium heat
Break up the sausage meat into crumbles as it cooks
Cook till no longer pink about 10-15 minutes
While the sausage is cooking remove the whole tomatoes from the sauce and crush with
your hand into a bowl and set aside, reserve remaining sauce
Remove sausage from pot with a slotted spoon reserving the fat
Add onions and season with salt/pepper
Cook for 5 minutes
Add celery and carrots and re-season with salt/pepper
Cook for 5-8 minutes
Add the lentils
Stir to incorporate lentils and vegetables
Add in the crushed tomatoes and the reserved tomato sauce
Stir, stir, stir to incorporate
Re-season with salt/pepper
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil
Cover and reduce heat and cook on medium/low for 1 hour and 15 minutes
Stir occasionally
After the 1 hour and 15 minutes taste to ensure lentils are tender and adjust seasoning to taste
Remove from heat and serve hot
Refrigerate remaining soup

Lentils As A Salad...

So you have been invited to a BBQ and you were asked to bring a salad.  Ok, no problem but do you really want to bring that ho hum drum boring pasta or potato salad, you know the one with the mayo that you refrigerate and then leave out in the heat to eat later on.  Or do you want to be different and bring something new, delicious and refreshing?  I think you want new and exciting so how about a lentil salad?!? 

Lentils, in my opinion are far too often skipped over and thought of nothing more than a soup,which either you love or hate,and this is really sad because lentils are so versatile. These little lens shaped seeds come in different colors, they are packed with protein, low in calories, have no cholesterol and take on amazing flavors. Lentils as a salad posses a very interesting twist and compliments burgers, chicken, and fish.  Trust me you will be pleasantly surprised at the flavor of dish and that mayo goopy salad will be a thing of the past. Enjoy...

Dreamy Lentil Salad

1 Cup Lentils (picked over) 

4 Cups of Water 

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar 

Salt/Pepper

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

3 Tablespoons Parsley

3 Carrots (finely diced)

2 Celery Stalks (finely diced)

In a medium stock pot add the water and bring to a boil

Add the lentils and cook for 30 minutes 

Drain lentils and discard cooking liquid

Gently toss lentils with red wine vinegar

Season with salt/pepper and gently toss again 

Let lentils sit for 5 minutes

Add olive oil, parsley, carrots and celery 

Gently toss to incorporate

Taste to adjust seasoning 

Chill or serve at room temperature

*This salad can be made a day in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve.  Taste to adjust seasoning and add a little more olive oil if needed* 

To Eat Vegetables Or To Only Eat Vegetables...

What is a vegetarian?  The interpretation of a vegetarian is pretty liberal these days...is it a person who strictly eats vegetables and consumes no animal protein at all - not even honey?  Is it the person who eats only vegetables but still consumes eggs?  Is it the person who eats no red meat but enjoys fish?  Am I a veg head because I only eat red meat about every 4 - 6 weeks?  For what it is worth my interpretation of a vegetarian is whatever you decide you want it to be.  So go out and celebrate vegetarian month which ever way you please but try this veggie recipe for Lentil Stuffed Peppers along the way.

Lentil Stuffed Peppers

4 Large Green Bell Peppers (halved / seeded and tops chopped)
1 Cup Lentils
1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
3 Cups Water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion (chopped)
Salt/Pepper
1 Teaspoon Hot Red Pepper Flakes
1 Glass Red Wine
1 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Lemon  (zested)
***5 oz. Four Cheese Shred - Asiago, Fontina, Parmesan, Provolone
Panko Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a glass dish place the peppers cut side down. Pour a tad of water around peppers so that they can steam.
Place in oven for 40 minutes.

In the meantime bring the chicken soup and water to a boil. Add lentils and cook till tender about 15 minutes
Drain and season with salt/pepper and lemon zest, set aside.

At the same time as the lentils are boiling, in a separate skillet, over medium heat add olive oil and onions.
Season onions with salt/pepper and red pepper flakes for 5 minutes. Add the red wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add chopped pepper tops and tomatoes. Re-season with salt/pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove peppers from oven and cool slightly. Add the lentils and cheese to tomato mixture. Stir to incorporate. Take each halved pepper and fill with lentil mixture. Place filled pepper back in glass dish and repeat till all pepper halves are filled. Top with a sprinkle of Panko Bread Crumbs. Add a tad of water around peppers. Return to oven for 20 minutes. Serve alongside a salad and garlic bread.

***Your choice of shredded cheese may be used

Lentil Soup

So Heart Warming...

5 Slices of Bacon
1 Medium Onion (chopped)
3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
4 Carrots (peeled and chopped)
4 Stalks of Celery (washed and chopped)
1 Bag Lentils (picked over and rinsed)
1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
1 32 oz. Can of Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Salt/Pepper

In a large pot cook bacon until crisp
Remove bacon and crumble, set aside
Drain off 1/2 of bacon grease and add onion and garlic
Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes
Add in carrots and celery season with salt/pepper
Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until vegetables are softened (stirring frequently)
Add lentils and stir
Add tomatoes and chicken broth
Re-season with salt/pepper
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer till lentils are tender about 1 to 1 1/2 hours
Serve warm with a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese

***Lentils tend to absorb liquid - more chicken broth or water may be added to maintain soup consistency during the simmering stage