Light Summery Lentil Vegetable Soup

Light Summery Lentil Vegetable Soup

Nutritionnix

I made this Light Summery Lentil Vegetable Soup on Sunday to break the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, but I've been enjoying the leftovers ever since. And my husband has had it for lunch with pasta added to make it more filling. It's labeled "light," because the orange lentils cook quickly and disintegrated, unlike peas, rice, barley or pasta.

Since I didn't measure the ingredients, I'll just list them. My cooking is very flexible. Measuring is very rare. 

• orange lentils
• onion 
• carrot
• squash
• pumpkin
• mushrooms
• a bit of vegetable oil, coarse salt and coarse pepper
• water, of course

Cooking was in two steps. First I poured boiling water over the lentils, covered and waited over an hour. Then I added the cut up vegetables and the oil. Once it was boiling, I added more boiling water, plus the salt and pepper. Once it's boiling nicely, lower the flame to simmer for 35 minutes to an hour depending on your pot.

You can add other vegetables or leave some out. Generally I add some dill or parsley-- dehydrated is fine, but since I was fasting my mind wasn't fully there.

This is a very easy to make soup. Enjoy.

Super Summer Breakfast, Pineapple & Watermelon

One of our Shabbat guests brought us a perfectly ripe pineapple. I served most of it at the meal, and it was enjoyed by all.  This morning I cut off a bit to have as part of my breakfast.

As proof of its ripeness it was very easy to cut, and I enjoyed eating the "inside" of the peel. I added some watermelon and then sesame paste for protein. 

To be honest, I was very curious about the relative calorie counts and nutritional benefits of those two summer fruits. I knew already that watermelon is surprisingly low in calories, but I knew nothing about pineapples. 

Pineapple, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	209 kJ (50 kcal)
Carbohydrates	13.12 g
Sugars	9.85 g
Dietary fiber	1.4 g
Fat	0.12 g
Protein	0.54 g
Vitamins	Quantity%DV†
Thiamine (B1)	7% 0.079 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	3% 0.032 mg
Niacin (B3)	3% 0.5 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	4% 0.213 mg
Vitamin B6	9% 0.112 mg
Folate (B9)	5% 18 μg
Choline	1% 5.5 mg
Vitamin C	58% 47.8 mg
Minerals	Quantity%DV†
Calcium	1% 13 mg
Iron	2% 0.29 mg
Magnesium	3% 12 mg
Manganese	44% 0.927 mg
Phosphorus	1% 8 mg
Potassium	2% 109 mg
Sodium	0% 1 mg
Zinc	1% 0.12 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	86.00 g

Watermelon flesh, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	127 kJ (30 kcal)
Carbohydrates	7.55 g
Sugars	6.2 g
Dietary fiber	0.4 g
Fat	0.15 g
Protein	0.61 g
Vitamins	Quantity%DV†
Vitamin A equiv. beta-Carotene	4% 28 μg 3% 303 μg
Thiamine (B1)	3% 0.033 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	2% 0.021 mg
Niacin (B3)	1% 0.178 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	4% 0.221 mg
Vitamin B6	3% 0.045 mg
Choline	1% 4.1 mg
Vitamin C	10% 8.1 mg
Minerals	Quantity%DV†
Calcium	1% 7 mg
Iron	2% 0.24 mg
Magnesium	3% 10 mg
Manganese	2% 0.038 mg
Phosphorus	2% 11 mg
Potassium	2% 112 mg
Sodium	0% 1 mg
Zinc	1% 0.1 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	91.45 g
Lycopene	4532 μg

While I'm at it I'll add the nutritional information about sesame paste:

Sesame Paste (Sesame Butter Made From Whole Seeds)

Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 tbsp Amount Per Serving Calories 95   % Daily Values* Total Fat 8.6g 11% Saturated Fat 1.205g 6% Trans Fat - Polyunsaturated Fat 3.77g Monounsaturated Fat 3.248g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 18mg 1% Total Carbohydrate 3.39g 1% Dietary Fiber 1.5g 5% Sugars 0.08g Protein 2.72g Vitamin D - Calcium 68mg 5% Iron 1.43mg 8% Potassium 66mg 1% Vitamin A 0mcg 0% Vitamin C 0mg 0% * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Perfectly Filling and Tasty Vegetable Soup

 

I discovered how to make vegetable soups decades ago, and to be perfectly honest now two are ever exactly the same. That's why I'm not very specific about quantities. I don't measure, though I do have a very good eye for quantities. I instantly know how much to put in a pot. You may have to experiment, but on the whole, especially if you're using dried beans, barley, lentils or peas, remember that they swell. So they should only cover the bottom of the pot. 

Ingredients

lentils, pearl barley and split peas
onion
fresh garlic
celeriac 
carrot
squash
coarse salt, coarse black pepper and dehydrated parsley

Instructions

1. Put the lentils, pearl barley and split peas in the pot, and check for small stones or anything that shouldn't be there.
2. Pour boiling water and cover. Wait at least a couple of hours.
3. Cut all the vegetables, and add them to the pot. 
4. Add a couple of spoons of vegetable oil, whichever you like for cooking.
5. Start cooking, and add boiling water, not too close to the top of the pot. Two-thirds full is good, usually.
6. Add the seasoning.
7. Heat to a boil, and then lower flame to simmer. 
8. Simmer for at least an hour.

That's it. Enjoy!

PS You can add other vegetables, seasoning etc.

"One Pot" Meal, Fish and Vegetables

There was a time when I planned on writing a cookbook. I thought of calling it "The Lazy Cook Cookbook," because I don't like complicated food preparation. This "One Pot" Meal of Fish and Vegetables served over simple cooked salad is so typical of the my sort of cooking.

This "One Pot" Meal of Fish and Vegetables can actually look quite impressive if you bake it in a nice dish. The colors can be stunning. Use any of the following ingredients or others. There's no real "right or wrong." Not all the ingredients are included in this version. Please let me know how your version came out, thanks.

Ingredients: 
fish, filet or whole fish
onion
sweet potato
squash
pumpkin
eggplant
potato
fresh garlic
cabbage
beets
zucchini
lemon or just some juice

Layer in your baking dish. To keep the fish moist, cover with onion or squash. Dribble a bit of vegetable oil before baking 190 Centigrade/380 Fahrenheit. 

Check that vegetables are soft and fish fully cooked before taking it out of the oven. Enjoy

Simply Delicious Power Salad

Here are the Ingredients*: beet, celeriac, carrots, apple and raisins
For the dressing, just some olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice

Equipment:
Either a hand shredder/grater or a food processor. Use the shredder attachment. This is one of the most important attachments to my food processor. It's the only one I've ever had to replace. The last time it broke I ended up buying a new food processor in an outlet store for less money than the attachment would have cost me, if I had even found one. My food processor is very old.

Preparation:
1- Rinse all the vegetables.
2- I only peel the celeriac and beet.
3- Cut to the size that can easily be shredded.
4- Put all the shredded vegetables in a bowl.
5- Add raisins.
6- Pour olive oil over the ingredients.
7- Squeeze sliced lemons.
8- Let it sit for at least half and hour, on counter or table if you're serving it immediately, and in the refrigerator if the salad is for another time.
9- Stir before serving.

ENJOY!

Perfect healthy, colorful salad.
Easy to make

*Quantities are flexible, and you can add different dried fruit, canned pineapple, cabbage either red and/or green.

Variations are certainly permitted and encouraged. How did yours come out?

"Sauerkraut Salad," Corona Lock-down Recipe #3

This is the third in the series of recipes I've been making with the goodies we've received in "care cartons" for senior citizens here in Shiloh during the Corona Lock-down. See, sample and share:

Cooking With Canned Beans, Corona Lock-down Recipe #1
Cooking With Canned Pineapple, "Apple-Pineapple Compote," Corona Lock-down Recipe #2

When I was putting away the cans, my head/mind kept trying to figure out what to do with them. Waste was not an option. Normally there's almost no canned food in my pantry, other than cans we received on Purim from others. But I believe that I must use these gifts, so I've been trying to figure out recipes.

Sauerkraut? Gevalt! That was never on our menu. Apparently sauerkraut is very healthy. Since simplicity is one of the hallmarks of my cooking or food preparation, I decided to add some to a salad. After half a century here in Israel, salad means minimally cucumbers and tomatoes. So I added  a few spoonfuls of sauerkraut. Yes, it's that simple.

Sauerkraut Salad

Yes, easy to prepare, healthy and surprisingly tasty, too.

Cooking With Canned Beans, Corona Lock-down Recipe #1

Life in Corona Lock-down. This week I "gave in" and accepted the offer to get some ready-made meals. There are perks to being 70+. We're registered as one person, not two, because I do cook. It's just that the idea of receiving ready-made "restaurant meals" seemed irresistible. The meals are like TV Dinners or kosher airline meals with a bag of pre-washed salad.

The day after we received our first meals, we got two cartons of food staples, disposable eating utensils and a few dozen rolls of toilet paper.

As you can see there are lots of canned goods, and I almost never use canned food.

"Never say never."

Presuming that the cartons will arrive about monthly, I decided that our lunches will be based on the food we've received. Since I had baked sandwich rolls the day before, my husband got a tuna sandwich and I ate the other half of the can with cooked vegetables.

The following day I challenged myself to come up with a meal using the Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce. So I cut up an onion and two nice squashes and put the pieces in a pot, added the contents of the can plus some water.

After the vegetables were fully cooked, I served the "stew" with fresh salad, as you can see in the photo below. My husband also got a serving of pasta.


It was delicious,frugal and we ate much too much. This bean vegetable stew was easy to make, healthy and inexpensive. Call that a success, thank Gd.

Perfectly Simple Stuffed Squash

I'm not the "strictly plan a menu and shop" type of person. I decide what to cook according to what I have, or spontaneously when seeing something special in the shop.

So, when I saw these squashes, almost mini-pumpkins, which were just perfect for stuffing, I grabbed a couple. Then I got some ground turkey, even though ground beef or chicken could also be used. Years ago when I was the cook for the local day care center, we learned that turkey had more minerals than chicken and less fat than beef. It was highly recommended, so I started cooking with it more than before.

I mixed the ground turkey with diced onion, granulated garlic, dehydrated dill and a small container of tomato paste. That was it. Of course you can add whatever seasonings you like or have in your pantry.

With a strong knife I split the squash and emptied the halves of seeds. Then I stuffed them and baked on a Pyrex type of baking dish 180c (360f,) though any baking pan would do. I have a fan oven and turned it off when I could see that the meat was done and the squash "bubbly."

If you're serving the stuffed squash as a simple meal, just add a salad and carbohydrate, if you eat carbs. They also reheat very well.

Enjoy, and let me know if you've tried the recipe and how you changed it, thanks.

"One Pot Meal," Dairy Vegetable Kugel

Notice that I used a different, for me, shaped pan, so the frozen kugel will be easy to recognize in the freezer, without having to uncover them.

Since my husband and I found ourselves eating alone on the Shavuot holiday, when it's traditional to eat dairy meals, I tried to come up with practical foods.

I used this Dairy Vegetable Kugel as a side dish, but with the addition of a fresh salad, it (certainly the leftovers) makes a perfect and tasty "One Pot Meal." An additional advantage is that you can make more than one at a time and freeze them.

Ingredients:
1 package broad noodles, (you may use any pasta)
1 package cottage cheese
6 eggs
3 fresh mushrooms
1 large onion
1 squash
2 tomatoes
seasonings to taste
You can vary/change the vegetables to your liking and what you have in stock.

Instructions:

1. boil the broad noodles
2. while they're cooking cut of the vegetables
3. Put the vegetables, cottage cheese, eggs and cooking/rinsed noodles and a large bowl and mix. Add whatever seasonings you wish.
4. Pour the mixture in baking pans. Optional to line with baking paper.
5. Bake in moderate oven 160c or 320f until firm and "bubbly" on sides. 
6. that's it
7. serve with salad if you wish

I used to make a sweet version of it, adding fruit, apples, raisins rather than vegetables, seasoned with cinnamon and sugar.

Delicious and Simple Passover Chicken Soup and Meal

This chicken soup with kneidlach, matzah balls, was the most delicious and super easy to make soup.

Before the Passover Seder, my main cooking contribution was to bring two types of kneidlach, regular and vegan kneidlach. This time when I boiled the kneidlach I used Chicken Broth.

First I prepared the kneidlach mixture, since it's supposed to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. Click Kneidlach.

Chicken broth is also, so simple to prepare. All I had to do was to boil the cleaned chicken until just cooked, not until crumbling and disintegrating in the liquid. Then I removed the chicken and refrigerated it.

When you're ready to make the kneidlach, boil the chicken stock and either roll the kneidel mush into balls, or just get two spoons ready to "drop" ball like pieces into the broth/stock.

While the broth/stock is boiling carefully drop/add the kneidlach. When all the "mush" is in the broth/stock, cover and lower the flame, so that it just simmers for about 40 minutes.

After they cool a bit, remove the kneidlach and refrigerate or freeze if you won't be using them for more than a few days. Or you can make a large quantity and just freeze some.

I brought them all to my daughter's for our family seder, but afterwards she gave me leftovers to take home. When serving at the seder, those who wanted kneidlach got them added to the soup she had made.

Yesterday I made a wonderful meal with the chicken and the stock and the kneidlach, plus my all time favorite oven-roasted vegetables.

To turn the stock/broth into a delicious chicken soup, I cut an onion, a couple of carrots,a parsley root and parsley leaves. I put them plus the kneidlach in the pot, added the stock and covered it. After the soup began to boil, I lowered the flame to simmer for about 40 minutes.

I carved the chicken and took two pieces, added some diced onion, seasoning and olive oil to another pot, covered and cooked on a low flame.

We had an amazingly delicious lunch. It was very easy to make. The soup was rich and didn't have a drop of salt.

Easy to Make, Tasty Sandwich Rolls, Vegan, Parve

 Sandwich Rolls, Vegan, Parve
very easy to make, and you don't need a mixer

The basic recipe is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe,  FRENCH BREAD ROLLS, which I tweaked. I also doubled the recipe, since I had a kilo of flour to finish off.

These are very easy to make and tasty rolls. I don't have a mixer, just my hands, so they're low-tech too. I baked them with 100% whole wheat flour and brown sugar, which not only is supposed to be healthier, but I find it much tastier than white. I make a point of labeling vegan foods as such, since now I have a vegan daughter-in-law, which makes me more aware of ingredients, besides our being strictly kosher. Parve means neither meat nor dairy, not even the grease or oil.

handwritten version of Tasty Sandwich Rolls, which I worked from
My typed recipe below is more accurate and hopefully w/o spelling errors.

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons dehydrated yeast
4 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
pinch plus coarse salt
1 kilo* (approximately) 100% whole wheat flour

Instructions:

1. mix water, yeast, sugar, oil and about 2 cups of flour in large mixing bowl
2. cover and wait at least 15 minutes until bubbly
3. start adding the flour topped with the salt
4. mix with large strong spoon, or dough hook if you're using a mixer
5. keep adding flour until it doesn't stick to your fingers 
6. start hand (or dough hook) kneading for at least 7 minutes, a bit more if by hand
7. coat with oil, cover and leave to rise, double, (at least 25 minutes)
8. when doubled, punch down and shape on baking pan; I just made balls and squished them
9. let rolls rise and then bake at 400f or 200c, depending on your oven
10. between 17-20 minutes should be all they take to be ready, tap for hollow sound
11. Enjoy! They freeze well too.

*kilo = 2.2 lbs or about 8 cups flour

Attractive, Easy to Make Healthy Shabbat or Anytime Food

Bake and serve dishes are favorites for my Shabbat Menu. Here are a couple of Attractive, Easy to Make Healthy Shabbat dishes you may like. I'm vague about quantities and ingredients, because I don't measure, and I also don't obsess about having specific ingredients. That's my approach to cooking:

• be flexible, spontaneous
• don't obsess

When I have an oven, not something I take them for granted*, baked vegetables are on the menu. I have a variety of bake and serve oven pans, so that even the simplest of baked vegetables can look very fancy.

The photo on the right shows "orange vegetables," baked with just a bit of cinnamon and oil. On a "bed" of onion slices, no need to cut exact anything, I placed carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin in that order. I bake them in a medium oven, heat from the bottom, until they look baked and are soft.

Tonight's main course is pretty much a "one pot meal," besides being "bake and serve." It doesn't include any carbohydrates, so if you eat carbs, have them on the side with salad.

I layered onion and squash, maybe eggplant, too, on the bottom of the baking pan. I used chopped/minced turkey (500 gram, just over a pound) with onion and a small 100 gram container of tomato paste, plus garlic.

Spread the turnkey on top, with a large spoon and then, as you can see, top with fresh tomatoes. I then added just a spoon or so of vegetable oil and then baked it in a medium oven, heat on top, until it drew from the sides of the pan.

You can substitute ground meat, beef, chicken or a combination. Consider it a version of a meatloaf or musaka.

Cooking should be enjoyable and creative.

Shabbat Shalom UMevorach

Have a Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat

*During the year before our kitchen was renovated, we didn't have a functioning oven.

Simply Marvelous Apple Compote

Friday afternoon, I decided to make apple compote. I had hoped that it would distract me from eating cake on Shabbat for dessert.

First I cut up a bunch of apples, keeping the peels on, and put them in a pot. Then I added cinnamon bark, though the ground cinnamon would have been fine, too. For a bit more flavor and sweetness I added very little dark brown sugar.

While it was cooking, I got inspired and decided to add some pitted prunes.

Our guest and I absolutely loved it. My husband was happy with the cake and isn't a fruit lover.

The prunes added so much to the richness of the flavor, and to be honest, if you're adding prunes, leave out the sugar. BTW prunes have more flavor than raisins.

Now that I have four burners, bli eyin haraa, I ought to remember to make compote more often.

Ingredients
apples
prunes
cinnamon
dark brown sugar (optional)
water

Directions
slice apples, cutting out core
add cinnamon, prunes and optional sugar
other fruit, fresh and dried, can be included
water, almost to cover
cover pot
bring to boil then simmer until colors change
turn off flame
leave covered until it cools down

Eat warm or cold from fridge.

Impressive, Easy Stuffed Vegetables

 One of the best and easiest dishes to prepare, if you want something "impressive," healthy and even limited in serving size is Stuffed Vegetables.

There was some chopped meat (about half a kilo, or over a pound) in the freezer I wanted to use, and I saw that some of the peppers in the fridge were getting soft, so I made a "shidduch."

I mixed the thawed meat with chopped onion, an egg, the "inside" of a couple of round squashes, about a half a cup of canned diced tomatoes and some garlic.

Then I filled/stuffed the waiting vegetables. I dabbed more diced tomatoes on top, added a bit of water and oil, covered it with foil and baked it in a hot oven. I considered it "ready" when the top looked cooked and there was liquid boiling on the bottom.

It was a great success and popular with everyone at the table.

Easy Recipes and Enjoying The New Kitchen

Yesterday we had guests for a Succot lunch. They had been great fans of my new kitchen during the years I just talked and complained. I got a lot of support from them, so it was very exciting to host them. I served a fish meal, mujadarra, eggplant, baked vegetables, salad and salmon.

Mujadarrah:
1 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
small/medium onion cut
a bit of cooking oil of your choice
4 1/2 cups boiling water

Put all but water in pot, saute a bit, then add boiling water, cover, bring to boil, lower to a simmer until you can't see any water. Leave covered at least another 10 minutes. Serve.

"Impressive" Eggplant:
eggplant
tomatoes
onion
fresh garlic
vegetable oil

Slice eggplant partially, so it opens like a book.
Fill with sliced tomato. Sprinkle diced onion and garlic, then oil. Bake in medium-high (or whatever is recommended by your oven manufacturer) oven until cooked.

"Fancy" Salmon:
Filet of salmon
lemon slices
fresh garlic
mustard
Decorate your salmon. Wrap in foil, if you're baking it at the same time as the other dishes, so it won't overcook. Otherwise just bake in a medium-high (or whatever is recommended by your oven manufacturer) oven until it seems ready. You can check that the salmon has changed color and is flaky where thickest. Yes, it's that simple.

I enjoyed the meal and hope everyone else did, too.

PS It was so much fun being able to cook so quickly. I could fit all three baked dishes in the oven at the same time. I love my new kitchen!!

Turkey Wings, Easy to Cook

I found a good deal on frozen turkey wings and decided to serve them on the first night of Succot.

After thawing and soaking them, I added just a few ingredients:
onion
carrots
orange juice
water
and a bit of pepper
I almost added fresh ginger, but my husband doesn't like it

Then I covered, cooked, first high flame and then simmered until it all seemed ready. I served it with salad, rice and baked/roasted vegetables.

The meal was easy to make, but very festive and tasty.

Precarious Cooking, Kitchen Chaos

Last night I really didn't feel like schlepping the food out to a neighbor for cooking. Being that it was the last really full day of work in the kitchen, every few minutes I was called in for something.

These were good "somethings."

Wall tiles needed my input, and there were other questions the "kitchen guy" had for me. So I couldn't disappear for half an hour or so.

So I decided to see where I could set up the two-burner hotplate I'd been cooking on for almost two years. I managed to find a "safe" surface within read of an electric outlet. The truth is that the place on the laundry room sink was more "precarious" than "safe."

So I cut up an onion, potato, carrots and a nice sized sweet potato. On top of that I placed two pieces of filleted frozen fish. Then I added some oil, covered an placed it on the burner.

Once it began cooking, I lowered the flame a bit and kept checking until the potatoes were soft. White potatoes take longer to cook than sweet potatoes and unlike most other vegetables, they are awful when not totally cooked. Only eggplants, which are a "cousin" to white potatoes need even more cooking.

I'm glad I decided on that fish meal, because it was nice, filling, tasty and so easy to make, even under the difficult conditions we have right now for cooking.

Mangos, Yum

Early yesterday morning, when I was in a Jerusalem supermarket looking for fruit to have with my goat yogurt for breakfast in Matan I noticed these mangos. I felt them, and they were soft, ripe, edible. To be perfectly honest there was something a bit suspicious about them. They seemed a bit too ripe, a bit too soft in some places and colorful to be fruit of the new season.

My guess is that they had been in cold storage over the winter, but I bought one anyway.  It tasted great!