Winter's Last Hurrah

Well, let's hope it's the last.

It's been snowing since yesterday at 6am. Here are photos from my kitchen windown into the backyard, starting yesterday morning through this morning, and if you pay attention to the deck railing on the right, you'll see the snow piling up.

You can't really tell from these photos... but it was snowing when I took each. In fact it snowed constantly for more than 24 hours.

Fortunately, it was often a light snow, so we had probably only a total of 8-10 inches. Schools are closed today and although the sun is peeking out a bit, it's getting colder. We're due for below-zero (degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures tonight, with single-digits tomorrow.

Brr! (Are you tired of my whining yet?)

While Mr.W still has to go to work, the dogs, the cat and I are hunkered down inside. This kind of weather calls for lots of cuddly naps. Thundercat is a great nap partner--she cuddles up sweetly in the crook behind my knees. The heat that rolls off that little cat could power a small city!

Yesterday I made a batch of yummy Lentil Soup--but with green lentils instead of pink ones. We gobbled it up in record time!

I also have a lovely cube steak, rice and gravy recipe to share with you. It's a real southern specialty that Mr.W loves! I'll be sharing that soon.

Meanwhile, I also have to find something to do with a bunch of swiss chard I have in the fridge. I'm leaning toward a simple saute, perhaps with a poached egg on top. Though there are plenty of ways to use this beautiful green, sometimes simple is just right. Don't you agree?

Red Lentil-Apricot Soup

I found a bag of red lentils (which are really more orange-salmon in color--at least in my bag) at the grocery last week. Remembering the foodblogging event, A Legume Love Affair hosted by the spicy Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, I thought I'd give them a try as my entry. See the roundup here.

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com called Red Lentil and Apricot Soup and, for once, I stuck closely to the directions as written. It's quite easy, and although the ingredients seem unorthodox, it is surprisingly delicious! You don't really taste the apricots outright--but they do act to balance the flavors out nicely. That said, I think the soup needs a bit more zing--next time I think I'll add some freshly grated ginger along with a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper. That should do the trick.

This soup has superb, complex flavor that is a treat for the tastebuds. Two friends and I enjoyed it as part of a soup-and-salad tasting lunch (there were two soups to try along with a nice salad). That said, next time I make this soup I'll probably add some freshly grated ginger and a good sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a little zing.


Red Lentil-Apricot Soup
serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1-1/2 cups dried red lentils
5 cups chicken broth or stock
3 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (I cheated here--used 4 small canned peeled plum tomatoes, seeds and all, squished up well)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about the juice of 1/2 lemon)

Heat oil in a soup pot; add onion and apricots. Saute until onions are transparent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.



Add lentils and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender (about 30 minutes).



Stir in tomatoes, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. (As you can see, the lentils turned a golden yellow after cooking--go figure!)



Remove soup from heat. Using a stick blender (or transfer soup to a blender), puree soup to desired consistency. (I gave it only a few whirls to thicken the soup--I wanted some texture to remain. As you can see, there are still some chunky bits in the soup.)



Add lemon juice and stir; serve hot.

Snow... and Soup!

Well it's been snowing this morning. Big, fat flakes... but they were doomed to melt as soon as they hit the ground. And that's the kind of snow I like--pretty as you please, and no accumulation! (Which means no shoveling. Yay!)

You can't see the snowflakes in this photo, unfortunately. But they're there! Really! Stupid cell-phone camera. These are the big trees behind my house. Years ago when these houses were built someone decided it was a good idea to plant a row of pine trees--and there they are. Tremendous. But aside from some sap & needles, the trees do insulate the house considerably from wind in the winter and sun in the summer.

So with all this cold weather--enough for the short snowfall here and there--I'm in soup mode. Today I made up a quick batch of lentil soup. This is my first try at using them, and it was super easy!


Lentil Soup

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute in olive oil:

1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced

When onions are transparent, add:

3 cloves garlic, minced

Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add:

pinch dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)
1 small bay leaf
6 cups chicken broth (I used homemade low-salt broth)
1/2 pound lentils, carefully inspected and rinsed well
1/2 celery rib, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped pepperoni, or 1/2 cup chopped leftover ham

Yes, that's right. Plain old pepperoni. I buy it already sliced in a pillow-pack so I can make quick pizzas for lunch. And it's perfect for a little porky goodness.

Bring soup to a boil and cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 45-60 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Add:

1 tablespoon tomato paste or your favorite spaghetti sauce from a jar (that's what I used, optional)

Now is the fun part. I put in my stick blender to lightly puree the soup, for thickening and textural interest. I only whirled it around a few times--there are still chunks, but some is pureed. Serve steaming in mugs.


Dee-lish, and just right for sitting at the computer on a cold day! This big batch will keep me in soup lunches all week.