Lentil Soup with Moroccan Flavors

I'm clearly on a soup kick as my Kidneys need support and today I really felt like making a hearty main dish soup and that usually means using pulses or beans, so I used lentils since Martin likes them so much. He also loves Moroccan flavors so that's how this soup came to be. I usually make lentil soup that has Italian flavors and that's already been posted. So, what constitutes Moroccan flavors?  For me, it is the combination of ground Coriander, Cumin and a hint of Cinnamon. They are warming spices and mixed with lentils, lots of different vegetables and a big squeeze of lemon, it's delicious! This soup is easy to prepare and cooks in one hour.  Martin loved it so this recipe is a keeper.

Lentil Soup with Moroccan Flavors

2 cups of dried Lentils

2 cups diced onion (1 medium)

2 cups diced carrots (about 3)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon ground Coriander

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1 14.5 oz can petite diced Tomatoes

8 - 10 cups Broth or more if needed (Chicken or Vegetable) - I ended up using 12 cups

1 - 2 teaspoons Salt

Fresh ground Pepper

4 cups washed Spinach leaves (grab by the handful)

Juice of 1 large Lemon (about 1/4 cup)

In a large soup pot, heat Olive Oil and add the Onions, Carrots and Garlic.  Cook until onion softens.  Then add in the spices and cook until they darken slight.  Then add in the Tomatoes and 8 - 10 cups of broth and lentils -  cook for 50 minutes.  Taste and add salt and pepper.  Add additional broth or water if needed to thin the soup down so check every 15 minutes. Then add in the Spinach and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and serve.

Five Element Analysis

Soup by its very nature is a Water food, so this definitely has the Water Element present. But, Lentils are an Earth food and the carrots add even more Earth.  The Onions, Garlic and Spices contribute the Metal Element and the Tomatoes bring in the Fire Element.  The Spinach, Lemon and Chicken Broth add plenty of the Wood Element too.  You might have guessed that this was a balanced soup because it contained so many colors and you'd be right!

Hungarian Goulash

Goulash Soup is one of the first things I ever cooked. Of course, the first time I made, it wasn't exactly like this recipe as I have refined it over the years.  But how and why I made it are actually a funny family story.  When I was 7 years old (yes, you read that right), I told my mother that I wanted to cook dinner. She asked me if I knew what I wanted to make and if I knew how to make it and I said yes, she just needed to take me to the grocery store.  She took me and I proceeded to buy the ingredients to make Hungarian Goulash.  

Now, don't ask me how I knew how to make it, but I did.  And, I remember being very upset at the grocery store, because they didn't have Hungarian Paprika and I had to use regular American Paprika instead. And, I proceeded to make a very simple version of Goulash using Beef, Paprika, Campbell's Canned Beef Consomme that I diluted, Onions and Carrots.  When my father came home, he was astonished because he thought my mother had made it and she only cooked Chinese food.  When she told him I had made it, he was horrified to think that she had let me use sharp knives and cook a hot soup by myself.  But, he liked it and then proceeded to ask me how I knew how to make it. I answered that it was something that I just knew it inside my head.  He asked me if I read about it and I said no or if I had seen someone make it on TV, another no. He kept asking, How did you know how to make it?  I simply didn't know how I knew, but I just knew that I knew and by the way, it was good.  My mother very nonchalantly told him that I was probably Hungarian in my past life, which made my father laugh out loud.  Years later, I was told by a psychic that I was a Hungarian Opera Singer in my past life and lived and worked in Vienna.  I don't know if that is true, but it is an amusing thought and I will admit that I do love Hungarian food and I love Vienna.  

Anyway, this is a soup that I love to eat whenever I am in Austria as I haven't been to Hungary yet to have it there. I especially like eating eat after skiing. It is not something I make very often and I don't know why because I still love it.  So, I am sharing my updated version with you. I now like to add some Red Pepper and Tomatoes to freshen the taste and I love parsnips, so I throw those in too.  I personally like to add Caraway, but it's a spice that's not popular in my house so I usually leave it out.  Goulash is warming and nourishing and rich in flavor.  It's perfect for a cold winter day.  I hope you enjoy my grown-up version.

Hungarian Goulash

2 pounds Beef Chuck Roast, cut into small pieces about ¾ inch square

2 Onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tablespoons Oil

5 Tablespoons Hungarian Sweet Paprika

4 cups Beef Broth

2 cups Water

2 teaspoons Salt

¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

1 small Red Pepper, stem removed and cut into small pieces

2 Tomatoes, peeled and deseeded, chopped

3 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into small rings or halved or quartered

3 Parsnips, trimmed, peeled and cut into small rings or halved or quartered (Optional)

2 medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

Optional: Caraway Seeds

In a large stew pot, heat oil and add onions. Cook until soft and translucent. Add beef and cook without stirring until beef is slightly browned on one side, turn and cook pieces on their other side.  Then add in garlic and Paprika (and Caraway if using). Cook until the Paprika starts to brown slightly (this happens fast).  Add the broth and water and cook for one hour.  Then add in the Red Pepper, Tomatoes, Carrots, Parsnips and Potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 30 – 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Serve over noodles or with some crusty bread.

Five Element Analysis

Beef is an Earth Food and it is cooked long and slow with the onions so they sweeten and become Earthy and the carrots, parsnips and potatoes add even more Earth. So, this is a fundamentally Earthy dish. The Paprika, Red Pepper and Tomato contribute the Fire Element.  The Metal Element is only represented by the small amount of Garlic and the Caraway if you use it.  The Water Element is only represented by the fact that this is a soup, although a thick one, so this element needs support in this meal or some other time during the day.  The Wood Element is missing so it is advisable to serve this with some crusty wheat bread, green leafy vegetables or some pickles.  

Rainbow Chard with Indian Flavors

In my quest to eat more green leafy vegetables, I've been experimenting with flavors to go beyond the usual steamed or sautéed versions. Last night I decided to make Rainbow Chard and use Indian flavors to give it some pizazz.  It worked!  It was a delicious combination of flavors. I used garlic, onion and ginger as the main flavor components along with Cumin and Coriander.  I also added some Tomatoes to help make the sauce.  The Rainbow Chard was cooked in the sauce and it ended up being a big hit on the dinner table.  It was easy and fast and will definitely become a ongoing way to cook Chard.

Rainbow Chard with Indian Flavors

2 bunches Rainbow Chard cut into small pieces (about 4 cups), stems and leaves separated

3 Tablespoons Ghee

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

2" piece of Ginger, grated

1 small Serrano Chili, seeds removed and diced

1 teaspoon ground Coriander

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

3 - 4 Tomatoes diced (nearly 2 cups)

1 teaspoon Salt

Melt Ghee in a large frying pan and add onion.  Cook until it begins to brown. Then add in Garlic and Ginger and the Spices.  Cook until the Spices darken (this happens quickly.)  Then add in the Tomatoes and the Serrano Chili.  Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down and become a thick sauce. Add in the Chard stems and cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until almost tender. Add in the stems and stir until the wilt.  Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

Five Element Analysis

Chard is considered a leafy green and a very healthy one too.  It is full of vitamins and minerals and is very good for the liver. The ancient Chinese considered it a good vegetable for the skin.  It is considered a Wood food so that element is covered.  The Ghee, Onions and Garlic contribute the Metal Element as do the Spices.  The Serrano Chili and Tomatoes bring in the Fire Element and the Ginger contributes the Earth Element and there is a slight bitterness to Chard that makes it a bit Fiery too. Only the Water Element is missing so this would be a good side dish to a Water food like Eggplant or Fish to make a balanced meal.  

Japanese Restaurant Salad

Back when Sushi first became popular, there was a salad dressing that I had at every Japanese restaurant that I loved. I remembered that it had ginger and grated carrot in it and I haven't had it in such a long time. I thought about it the other day and decided to try to recreate it. After a bit of online research, I found a recipe on Saveur's website that was the starting point for this salad.  The Salad Dressing recipe came from Chef Tadahi Ono and was made to be used with only Iceberg lettuce. I tweaked the recipe for the salad dressing to make it more gingery and used Tamari instead of Soy Sauce and Red Onion instead of Yellow, and then served it on Red Cabbage mixed with Green Cabbage and Iceberg Lettuce for some beautiful colors and some wonderful textures  I finished it off with minced Scallions and Black Sesame Seeds.  Not only was it beautiful, it was also delicious. I made a huge bowl of it and loved every bite!

Japanese Restaurant Salad

1/2 cup light tasting Oil (I used Safflower)

1/4 cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Tamari

2 inch long piece of fresh Ginger, peeled and grated

1 large Carrot, trimmed, peeled and grated

1/3 cup minced Red Onion

Sprinkling of fresh Ground Pepper

1 heaping cup shredded Red Cabbage

1 heaping cup shredded Green Cabbage

2 cups shredded Iceberg Lettuce (about 1/2 head)

2 - 3 Scallions (green onions), trimmed and minced

2 teaspoons Sesame Seeds (I used Black Sesame Seeds)

Combine Oil, Rice Vinegar, Tamari Ginger, Carrots and Onion in a food processor or blender (I actually used a hand blender).  Process until smooth and add in salt and pepper.

Place the Green and Red Cabbage and Iceberg Lettuce in a salad bowl.  Drizzle on the salad dressing and sprinkle with the Scallions and sprinkle on the Sesame Seeds. Serve immediately.  Any leftover salad dressing will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Five Element Analysis

Carrot and Cabbage and Ginger all belong to the Earth Element so this is fundamentally an Earthy Salad.  The Scallions add a bit of the Metal Element and the Red Onion adds even more so that element is covered. The Water Element is represented by the Tamari and the Sesame Seeds. The Rice Wine Vinegar contributes the Wood Element and the Iceberg Lettuce and sprinkling of Pepper make sure the Fire Element is present too. This then becomes a balanced Five Element Salad!  

Green Minestrone alla Genovese

Happy New Year!  After a night of celebrating, it is good to have a healthy and mild tasting soup to nourish the body and recover the fluids that your body desperately needs after drinking too much champagne....  So today I made Green Minestrone.  It's a subtle tasting soup, full of all kinds of green vegetables.  I basically looked for anything green that I could find in my vegetable bin that wasn't Asian.  I found Cabbage, Zucchini, Celery, Green Beans and some Parsley and Basil.  I used Chicken Broth as the base, but you could just as easily use Vegetable Broth to make it vegetarian. I called it alla Genovese because of the herbs, especially because I used Basil. I decided not to add any small pasta or cubes of potato or Cannellini Beans as I wanted it to have more broth, but all or any of those ingredients would also be very good additions. This soup would also be good if you added Leeks, Fennel, Spinach or Swiss Chard.  I think it is one of those soups that can vary a lot based on what you have on hand and I assure you that it will always taste delicious!  It came together quickly and I drizzled it with a high quality Olive Oil and sprinkled Parmesan Cheese on it when I served it. My son also sprinkled it with Red Chili Flakes.  This is a nourishing and restorative soup - just perfect after a night of revelry!  

Green Minestrone alla Genovese

8 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

5 cups cut up vegetables  (I used 1/4 of a cabbage, 1 large Zucchini, a Handful of Green Beans and a large stalk of Celery)

1/4 cup chopped Parsley

1/4 cup chopped Basil

1 teaspoon Salt, if needed

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, grated Parmesan Cheese and Red Pepper Flakes for serving

Optional:  1 large potato, peeled and cut into small pieces or 1 can drained Cannellini Beans or 1 cup small Pasta like Orzo added for the last 10 minutes. 

Bring the broth to a boil in a soup pot.  Put in all the vegetables and the Parsley.  Return to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.  Taste and add salt if needed.  Then stir in the Basil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, grated Parmesan Cheese and Red Pepper Flakes

Five Element Analysis

Soup by its dry nature is a Water Food and this is a broth based soup, so that Element is present by default. If you make it a thick soup, be sure to serve some other Water Foods. Chicken Broth belongs to the Wood Element as do the Green Beans and Celery. The Cabbage and Zucchini contribute the Earth Element.  And, the Onions, Garlic, Parsley, Basil and Parmesan Cheese make sure that the Metal Element is represented as well. Only the Fire Element is missing, so the Red Pepper Flakes help with that. But, it would be wise then to serve this soup with another Fiery food, like a Tomato Salad to achieve a Five Element balance.