Lentil Soup {A Fall Favorite}

Fall is in the air.

I can smell it, see it, feel it.

I love it.

Doesn't it just make you wanna curl up on the sofa with a snuggie and chow down on a big bowl of SOUP? It makes watching a football game with Husband so much more tolerable fun.

My mother is obsessive compulsive an expert in finding hearty and healthy soup recipes. I mean, if she looks THIS good, then she MUST be eating well, right?!

Here is the recipe for the Hearty AND Healthy Lentil Soup she makes...I happen to love it. I just made it for me and Husband so we can enjoy this week. (I froze a bunch so we can enjoy throughout the Fall - so easy!)

Here are the ingredients you'll need: 

3 cups chopped onions2 carrots, grated1 teaspoon marjoram1 teaspoon thyme1/2 cup olive oil In large kettle, saute vegetables and spices, stirring often, until lightly browned.  about 5 min. 2 1 lb. cans tomatoes with liquid, lightly chopped10 cups water6 bouillon cubes (vegetable or beef)2 cups dried lentils, rinsed1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper Add.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer 1 hour or until lentils are tender.1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley or 3 tablespoons dried parsley.

Pour in bowl (a bread bowl would be delightful) and eat up! 

And, for you cheese-aholics lovers, sprinkle some grated sharp cheddar cheese on top of a steaming hot bowl of soup (don't burn yourself though!).

Do you have a soup recipe that reminds you of Fall? Please...do tell...

Eat This, Not That

Lately I have been obsessed with the books "Eat This, Not That." They are excellent handguides to choosing the right foods, from restaurants to your own kitchen.   The one Michael and I recently purchased was the "Supermarket Survival Guide."  It details what your healthiest choices would be for just about anything you can purchase in the grocery store.  It gives an outline of food additives and preservatives, when certain produce items are 'in season,' what you should really buy organic and much more.  It's amazing what big brands have tricked us into! So, if you want to know what exactly you are eating, read more about these books and their general concepts here.

The book also has a few recipes in the back which we tried and took some pictures of.  We also made the healthier version of Eggs Benedict but forgot to take a picture.

"Fish and Chips"

(Baked Panko-Crusted Tilapia with Baked Sweet Potato Fries)

Heart-Healthy Lasagna

Here's to eating this, not that!
-Lynn

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

This recipe is really yummy and different tasting. There are a lot of strong flavors, including 1.5 tablespoons of cumin!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked couscous

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
4. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

*recipe from allrecipes.com

-Sarah

Sausage Potato Soup

This is a very hearty soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (48 ounce) can chicken broth
• 6 ounces chicken tenderloins, cooked and cut into pieces
• 6-8 white potatoes, washed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh kale, washed, chopped into pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. In soup pot, crumble and brown sausage with olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 3-4 minutes longer. Add salt, peppers, broth, chicken pieces, potatoes and parsley. Bring to boil and immediately turn down to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes add kale. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers.

*recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

-Sarah

Happy Birthday Kristen!

Last Sunday was foodie friend Kristen's 26th birthday...here is a belated birthday shoutout to our group's first Mommie.  We love you KT!

Can't wait to eat some cake with you in a few weeks!

Taco Seasoning

I found and altered this recipe tonight while trying to make a dish that called for taco seasoning. Instead of buying taco seasoning, I thought that with all of the spices I had, surely I could make my own...and I did! And saved a few bucks!

Homeade Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1 /4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/3 dried oregano

Mix all of the spices together and store in a plastic bag or airtight container. Use in any recipe that calls for taco seasoning, or on any burrito, enchilado, taco, etc..!

-Lynn (with help from allrecipes.com)

Yummy Salsa!

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 peach

1 mango

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 green bell pepper

1/4 yellow onion

Mix all ingredients with a little bit of EVOO, lime juice, salt and pepper. Goes great with fish or chicken or my personal favorite blue corn tortilla chips...ENJOY!!

love, kristen

Homeade Pesto

Homeade Pesto:

1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
3 cups packed basil leaves
6-7 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


Toast the nuts in a heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Finely chop the packed basil leaves and place into a food processor (or blender) with the nuts and garlic. Begin processing the basil mixture, slowly adding the olive oil one tablespoon at a time until all is combined. You made need to stop when necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Transfer to a small powl and stir in the parmesan cheese. Adjust the salt to taste.

Love,
Lynn

*adapted from The New Best Recipe Cookbook

Pork Tenderloin with Avacado-Mango Salsa over Couscous

Rachel made this when I visited her in Greensboro and it was so good I had to make it again and put it on the blog! It is very fresh and tangy.

Ingredients

1 cup diced ripe mango

1 cup diced ripe California avocado

2 tablespoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped and seeded jalapeno pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (10-ounce) box couscous

12 ounces cooked sliced pork tenderloin rounds (1/2-inch thick rounds)

1 tablespoon hot chili oil

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine mango, avocado, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, and cumin. Mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous, stir and cover. Remove from heat. After 5 minutes remove cover, fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, set a stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat to preheat. Brush both sides of pork slices with hot chili oil and season with salt and black pepper. Add slices to hot pan and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Serve pork over couscous with salsa spooned on top.

We didn't put in the spicy ingredients and it's still so delicious.

*recipe courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com

-Sarah

Good Ol' Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits

One of the greatest things about living in the south is that it is OK to eat biscuits with every meal! This recipe is Paula Dean's, but I've tweeked a little of course...


Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 heaping tablespoons sugar (2 is a little too sweet for me, so I use only 1 -- so add sugar based on your sweet tooth!)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes (I cook them in the microwave sometimes b/c that is quick, but steaming them produces the least "stringy" potatoes)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
2 to 4 tablespoons milk (depending on the moisture of the potatoes)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate, large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and butter. Add the flour mixture to the potato mixture and mix to make a soft dough. Then add milk a tablespoon at a time to mixture and continue to cut in. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and toss lightly until the outside of the dough looks smooth. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a greased pan and coat tops with melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes. (Watch your oven: If the biscuits are browning too fast, lower the temperature.)

I like to make a compound butter to put on top instead, by adding a little maple syrup and cinnamon or brown sugar in with the butter.

love you gals! rach

Dark Chocolate and Toffee Cookies

I know Lynn is the queen of cookies.... but these are delicious too! I'm talking I got proposed to by a married man over these...

Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I think Dark Chocolate is way better though!)
1 (6 ounce) package almond brickle chips (I use the Heath Bar chips)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix sugars, margarine and shortening until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and brickle chips.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Make 9-10 minutes until lightly brown.

I have found that if you measure them out with a TBS and cook them for 8 minutes they are perfect! Enjoy and be loved.

Peace, Rach

Courtesy of allrecipes.com.