Hot Lentil Soup

Cabbage was on sale this last week! And I snagged a head or two while I could. Cabbage is becoming an increasing favorite vegetable for me. This recipe from “The Essential Asian Cookbook” can also use red or yellow lentils, if you’d rather. The next time I make this I’m already plotting on adding more water or broth and using a combination of all 3 kinds of lentils. This was also my very first time using tamarind paste! Exciting! This was a great soup recipe. I don’t know how to describe it other than that it tasted really healthy…but not in a bad way.

Hot Lentil Soup
1/2 cup brown lentils
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 large potato, cut into small cubes
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
4 cups water
1-2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
5 oz. finely shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves and mint leaves, to garnish

1. Place the lentils in a medium pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or till tender. Drain well.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and ginger and cook over medium heat till deep brown.
3. Add the potato and tomato and cook 5 minutes. Then add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili and coconut and cook another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the drained lentils and the water and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer till the lentils and potato begin to break up.
6. Add the tamarind and cabbage. Cook till the cabbage is soft.
7. Season with black pepper to taste and serve with chopped coriander and mint as a garnish.

Hot Lentil Soup

Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed Zucchini

When I went home to Ohio for my cousin’s wedding I brought back all of my cookbooks that had been waiting so patiently for me at home all this time. One of them, the “Vegetarian Cuisine” cookbook, was the first vegetarian cookbook I ever bought. It’s a decent cookbook. A lot of the recipes take more time and effort than I have to put into my cooking these days, and some recipes are better than others, but it’s not a bad cookbook by any means. I have been meaning to stuff a zucchini since…I don’t know…forever! And the recipe for a stuffed zucchini in this book was quite simple and contained ingredients I keep around the house all the time anyways. I love that! This was not my most favorite recipe, but it was simple. I will tweak it a bit next time to account for my own tastes. It was sweeter than I like my zucchini to be. Anyway, I am definitely on the prowl for new stuffed zucchini recipes…yum!

Stuffed Zucchini
4 medium zucchinis
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, very finely chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 oz. creamed coconut, grated
fresh herbs, such as parsley, to garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.
3. Remove the flesh of the zucchini using a teaspoon by scoring the flesh in diagonals to make little diamonds, taking care not to cut all the way through, then scooping out the flesh. Leave 1/4-inch of flesh in the shell.
4. Finely chop the flesh and set it aside.
5. Sauté the onion in the oil, stirring till the onion is softened.
6. Add the carrot, chopped zucchini flesh and spices and cook, stirring frequently, till softened.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and add the creamed coconut.
8. Place the zucchini halves in a greased casserole dish.
9. Put the mixture into the zucchini shells, making sure to cover the exposed flesh.
10. Cook 30-45 minutes till the zucchini shells are soft.
11. Serve garnished with fresh herbs or a dollop of white sauce.