lentil pumpkin soup

Last week when I was feeling my worst, I just wished for soup.  But there were no black beans (cooked or defrosted) in the house for one of my favorite when I am sick soups, black bean.  I put this together with lentils and pumpkins.  It is not hard but I am writing it down so I do not forget.

I ate it with whole wheat oatmeal toast and walnut sour cherry rye toast.  Both were excellent but the rye brought out the flavors more.  I probably got more food in me that way so that was probably a good thing.

pumpkin lentil soup

1 cup mixed lentils

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/4 onion, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ancho chile pepper

1/8 teaspoon chipolte chile pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup agave or to taste

water

Wash your lentils well.  I actually sautéed my onions later but if you are not wandering through the kitchen in  a sick haze, put the oil in a small cast iron Dutch oven and heat.  Add the onion and make cook until golden.  Add all the other ingredients except the agave.  Make sure the water fills the pot.  Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cover.  Let simmer for 45 minutes or more, until the lentils are very well cooked. 

Blend.  Add agave to taste to bring out the flavors.

Serve with toast. 

Eat for the next three days.  I really did.  I wish had more in the house but that will have to wait until travels are done.

yeasted sopapillas

I have had the quiet weekend I hoped for but I probably did not heal as much as I hoped.  My throat is still sore and my stomach is still sensitive to what I eat.  I will just try to rest for the week before the travels start.  A funeral and Alaska.  We will get to spend some time on our mountain though.

One of the people I worked with in an Artistry in Clay and Lime class posted a link to New Mexican recipes.  One the recipes was a yeasted sopapilla.  This appealed to me because of sourdough and I always do better when yeast is involved.  I am a very strange baker because most people are scared of yeast.  I never have been.  Started baking with yeast when I was about eight. 

I find I like these yeasted sopapillas better then the just baking powder ones.  I can let the dough sit in the refrigerator as long as I wish.  Also, they get puffy then the ones made just with baking powder.  Okay, baking soda and cream of tartar in my case.

yeasted sopapillas

Note:  I started with the I love New Mexico recipe.  I also did not need 4 dozen sopapillas so I cut the recipe.

sourdough starter

1 cup flour

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cup flour

Canola (rape seed) oil for frying

honey

Mix the sourdough starter, 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup water in a medium size bowl.  Cover and let sit overnight, or until the starter gets very bubbly.  Remove a couple tablespoons and put in refrigerator for next time.

Mix in the milk, sugar, olive oil, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Mix in 1 cup of flour.  Mix in as much of the last 1/2 cup flour as needed to make a soft dough.  Knead just a bit until smooth. 

At this point, I usually put the dough in a ziploc bag and into the refrigerator until later in the day or week.  You can also cover and let sit a bit before using.  Both work.

Heat the canola oil in a deep pan over a medium high heat.  I use a cast iron chicken fryer with two or three inches of oil.  You want the oil to be hot but not too hot.

Take a golf ball size ball of dough and roll out.  Put in the oil.  Let the dough cook for a few minutes until the underside is golden.  Turn to let the top become golden.  Remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels if you have them.

They are best a bit warm served with honey.  So good.  I have actually had sopapillas requested multiple times sends I found this recipe I rifted on.

more orange and tropical

I am a bit surprised I am writing tonight.  I overtired myself today and the bad tummy became an issue.  But after a bit of sleep and a very little food, I have enough energy to think.  Tea is one of those mainstays of my life but this week it has been one of the few things that have settled my stomach.

Before this bug though, I tried another sangria recipe.  I like the berry one I posted better but if you like rum, orange, and pineapple, this is good.  I added some berries to it and it appealed to me more.  This one I have to drink cold and has sat overnight.  The other, I can drink as soon as I mix it.

But this could be a nice change.

tropical sangria

750 ml merlot

1 1/2 cups dark rum

1 cup agave

1 cup orange

11 ounces of pineapple chunks

1 cup each strawberries and raspberries, optional

1 orange peeled and sliced into pieces, optional

Mix the merlot and rum in a 1/2 gallon container.  Mix in the agave and orange.  Mix very well.  Add the fruit.  Mix.  Cover and refrigerate at least overnight.

Like I said, very drinkable but I prefer the other.

asian style bowl

There has been definitely a stomach bug going on around here.  All the boyos have been complaining.  Usually, they are much too macho to say anything.  Men in their twenties and thirties.  What are you going to do?  Me?  I am making myself a lentil pumpkin soup and toast for dinner.  I am going to try dinner even though my breakfast did not settle well and I have not eaten since then.  My Beloved will just have to deal. 

What I really want is miso soup!  But the wonderful artisan miso I had is all gone.  It was purchased in Portland, OR and I have not found any here I like yet.  Maybe when I go to my Grandmother's funeral in a couple weeks on our way to Alaska, I will be able to pick up more.

And the miso I do have?  Not artisan and I have been using it in the Asian style bowls I have been making.  Local Milk wrote a post about a farro bowl with a miso vinaigrette.  It got me to thinking.  We do not eat farro here but we do eat rice.  And I did not have everything on my shelves that she did so substitutions took place.  

I would say the Asian bowls I made were a hit.  Rice, greens, egg, avocado, a vinaigrette.  The next time I left off the egg and add a piece of baked salmon.  As much as I love salmon, I think I liked the egg version better but I would not turn up my nose at either.  I have been asked to try something similar with noodles.  I have the buckwheat flour to make my own udon so it is a possibility. 

These bowls come together very quickly.  I have cooked rice in the freezer due to the kraut making (do not ask please) so I am not cooking rice currently but the time it takes to cook rice is more then enough time to put everything else together.  It can be much faster then going out!

asian style rice bowls

Note:  I rifted on Local Milk's recipe mostly because I did not have everything she did in my cupboard

Enough hot cooked rice for two people

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 of an onion, peeled and sliced

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

a large handful amaranth or spinach greens, cleaned well and sliced 

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks

a bit of green onion or scallions sliced for garnish (it is a nice additional flavor)

Chose a protein:  2 soft boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half

                          salmon, roasted with salt and pepper until medium rare

For the vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons miso

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon olive, sesame, or olive oi

1 tablespoon agave

In a large skillet, wok, or cast iron porridge pot (yes, that is what that pot is.  It works like a small wok for me), heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion.  Let it start to get soft and start to get golden.

While the onion is cooking, mix all the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl.

When the onion start to get some color, add the garlic.  Let the garlic and onion cook until some color is happening.  Add in the greens.  Amaranth takes longer to cook then spinach so keep stirring until the greens start to wilt and lose volume.  Pour 1/3 of the vinaigrette over the greens.  Let cook a bit until everything is hot and well mixed.  Take off the heat.

In two bowls, put the rice.  Add the greens.  Add avocado.  I chose not to have avocado and it worked well.

Add the protein of your choice.

Egg, salmon, something else.

Split the rest of the vinaigrette between the two bowls.  

So yummies.  I have made this twice since I started making these Asian bowls.  I need to make it again, even if noodles are not done.

white bean gravy

I am currently avoiding most animal flesh and bird flesh currently. I am finding that both are aggravating inflammation.  If someone cooks for me, I am grateful.  I say a prayer of thanks and ask for the food to give my body strength.  If I cook for myself or go out, I eat vegetarian or fish.  This is not the first time that a food sensitivity has come into play where animal and bird flesh is not consumed lightly in our house.

But Sunday morning, I received a text "eating biscuits and sausage gravy."  That sounded so wonderful.  Sourdough biscuits are easy, other then just not making too many.  I went for an old trick from the first time around for the gravy.  I cook a pot of white beans and use them as a base.  Then I go from there. 

No.  It is not sausage gravy and I would never tell you it is.  But I will say there is enough flavor that it is a lovely substitute.  It is also one of those recipes that I need to write down for myself. 

white bean gravy

2 cups cooked white beans with cooking liquid

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional (this is just to add more depth)

In a medium heavy pot over medium heat, warm the oil and add the onion.  Let the onion get golden.  Add the salt, pepper, and paprika.  Stir around for a couple minutes until the onion is well coated.  Add the beans.  Add the liquid smoke.  Heat until start to boil.  Blend the mixture in the pot.  You might need to add a bit more water for gravy consistency.

Serve over biscuits.