East Meets West Veg

It's TV Tuesday and I have a recipe I discovered on the food network. This recipe is loaded with goodness. Chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach, garlic, onion, spices . . . It's a nutritional powerhouse. There's not much prep work and not much hands-on time. It's no wonder that it has a 5 star rating with over 150 reviews on the food network website. I knew the first time I made it that this recipe was a keeper. It bridges the divide between east and west because it has some of the spices of the east, but also familiar ingredients to westerners.

I might be partial to soups and stews, but I can't help it. I think it's in my DNA. When I was growing up, we ate a lot of soups and stews. I would say they were our favorite meals. My dad's brother and sister used to laugh about the fact that my dad loved eating soup for breakfast! I didn't realize that this was abnormal. I remember my dad's sister asking if my dad still ate soup for breakfast and laughing when the answer was yes. I made a mental note of that. Huh, this is somehow amusing. Maybe people don't normally have soup for breakfast?

My mom told me just recently that when she was younger, she also wanted to eat soup all the time and was sometimes teased for this. She said that when she met my dad, they knew that it was meant to be because the two ridiculed soup-lovers finally found someone share their passion for soup with. Okay, they weren't really ridiculed - more like lovingly teased from time to time.

I remember being home on weekends and smelling the savory aroma of a fresh, homemade soup or stew cooking on the stove. I can still smell the tomatoes, the vegetables, noodles, beans . . . Both of my parents were great cooks, but I looked forward to the weekends when my dad cooked. I don't know why but it seemed special to have something made by my dad.

I was honestly a little skeptical about the cinnamon in this stew, but I tried it without and it's just not the same. It's also not nearly as good without the spinach either. When I tasted this before and after the spinach, there was a huge difference.

This is a really great meal to warm you up on a chilly day, but I could enjoy it any time of the year.

Recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/moroccan-spiced-chickpea-soup-recipe/index.html

Friday night while I was taking care of Buddy, my mom was entertaining guests. She was the only vegetarian among a generally health-conscious and open-minded crowd so she decided to make Lentil Soup and Middle Eastern Salad. She was planning on bringing the leftovers back to my husband and me, but everyone loved it so much that there was nothing left to bring to us! For a few days she's been hearing how good her soup was so we decided to share it with you! Here in Detroit, it is the perfect day for a big pot of soup and I'm sure there will be more days like this coming soon as fall draws near.

Just like Mom's Simple Pea Soup, this soup tastes great the next day so I love to make it on the weekend and divide it up for lunches and dinners during the week. Also like the pea soup, this is great alone or served over a baked potato, rice, quinoa or with bread or crackers.

Ingredients:
1 lb green lentils
8 cups water
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp celery salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes, diced

Method:
1. Rinse your lentils.
2. Bring lentils and water to a boil.
3. Skim off froth from the top. (This helps eliminate some possible gas)
4. Add everything else, except the potatoes.
5. Let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
6. Add potatoes and continue cooking for about 30 minutes.

I was in a local warehouse store and I happened to notice a giant bag of a new-to-me vegetable, Broccolette. It looked like broccoli, but I knew that it must be different somehow or else it would just be called broccoli. I took it home and decided to do a little research on this veggie so that maybe I could figure out what to do with it. I read that it has a slightly sweet, asparagus-like flavor, but I thought it couldn't be true. Nonetheless, I took my inspiration for making it from a favorite asparagus dish I used to get at a local grocery store deli. I have made this several times, but every time using a different amount of EVERYTHING based on how much we have left, the preferences of those eating it, etc. so I'm going to leave it to you to figure out your own measurements. You can't really go wrong here if you know what you like. (And by the way, it really does taste like asparagus!)


Ingredients:
Broccolette
Lemon Infused (or Flavored) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, to taste
Garlic, chopped (we use at least 4 large cloves, but we love garlic)
1 lemon
salt

Cooking Time:
Keep in mind that this whole process should take you maybe 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Method:
1. Put a little bit of water at the bottom of a pot - maybe 1/2 inch, depending on how much you're cooking. (I use my stockpot because it's very tall, but not too wide at the bottom and you're essentially going to steam the brocolette, not boil it.) Put your washed brocolette into the pot, turn it on medium-high and put the lid on.
Note: Could you use a steamer? Absolutely, but that means more dishes and this is the quick and easy method so I don't.

2. Check the broccolette after a couple of minutes. You want it to be bright green and just tender crisp. Even if you're making a lot, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes or so. Do not overcook.

3. Once it's bright green and tender crisp, drop it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and keep it's beautiful color.

4. Rinse out your pot and return it back to the burner.

5. Turn the burner on medium heat and add enough olive oil to almost cover the bottom of the pot.

6. Add crushed red pepper flakes.

7. Add garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.

8. Add broccolette and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. (You are just trying to infuse it with the flavors you have in the pot already and get the broccolette warm again. Do not overcook.)

9. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on, mix.

10. Add salt and serve.