Thursday, November 12, 2009

Vegetable Lentil Soup

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm starting to get that Christmasy urge -- the one that makes me believe it's totally sensible to stay up till midnight stringing lights just so on the Christmas tree, or re-arrange the furniture to accomodate another Christmas tree, or generally string tinsel and garland over anything and anyone foolish enough to stand still while I rush about in a holiday frenzy. Some people would write this off to a typical young married woman's urge to create the "perfect holiday," something that no sane person has ever attempted, nor achieved. No, in truth, I rush around and get too little sleep because I truly believe this is the most wonderful time of the year. There's a feeling I get at the holidays that I don't really have any other time of the year -- everyone is kinder and friendlier (unless your holding the last Tickle-Me-Elmo doll still available for purchase, in which case, people are vicious, but still...).

Anyway, for several years (ever since I got married, as it turns out), I have been wanting to make soups in the late fall. Thick, luxurious, warming soups that I can eat with a chunk of warm crusty bread while curled under a fleecy blanket. Don't that sound wonderful? Ah, but sadly, life has always gotten in the way: there are errands to run, papers to grade, clothes to launder...you know what I mean.

But this year, I vowed, would be the year that I actually followed through and made...something!

So tonight, on my way home from school, I stopped at the store and picked up the ingredients for Vegetable Lentil Soup. Overall, it came together easily and is bubbling merrily away as I sit here, typing. For anyone keeping track, this is yet another Ina Garten recipe, although healthier than most of her other recipes. I liked that too -- I need to be watching my girlish figure as we head into the holidays (the better to scarf down my grandmother's cookies and other assorted goodies on Christmas Day!).

Vegetable Lentil Soup
Slightly Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 pound French green lentils
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onionss)
4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (about 2 leeks)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves) -- I used more; I love garlic!
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (or about 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium-diced carrots (4-6 carrots)
*2 cans diced tomatoes
3 quarts chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

**Denotes my addition to the recipe -- I never met a vegetable soup that I didn't want to add more veggies to!

Directions:
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Double check the seasonings and adjust if needed. Serve hot and enjoy!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Christmas Cookie Ornaments

I have given in...

It's only November 11th, and in the past week I have caught myself humming Christmas carols, planning holiday cooking, scheming ways to sneakily purchase Christmas gifts, and generally getting into the Christmas spirit nearly a month too early.

Each time I realize I'm doing one of these things I guiltily force myself to stop. I caution myself to enjoy each day (it's been ludicrously warm around here lately, so it hasn't been difficult to do that...but still...), stop and smell the roses, whatever I can to distract myself from Christmasy thoughts.

Well, I officially give up. I've thrown in the towel, I'm waving the white flag -- basically, pick your favorite metaphor for surrendering -- I"m doing it!

I found a recipe at allrecipes.com for a white cookie dough ornament. In the past, I've made gingerbread-looking ornaments with cinnamon, but hadn't found a good recipe for a white flour/bread dough-type ornament....until now.

Yesterday I made a double-batch of the ornament dough and stuck it in the fridge before running errands and going back to work for a couple hours. The dough was simple, came together easily, and has only three (inexpensive) ingredients. Today I had lots of fun cutting out all sorts of shapes using cookie cutters, and even worked on a couple free-form ornaments.

Best of all (or the worst, depending on your perspective), the house smells like baking sugar cookies. It's wonderful for the house to smell so good, but the downside is that the dough isn't meant to be eaten. Let me say again: THIS IS AN INEDIBLE RECIPE!!!

Here's the recipe. I'll be posting pictures of cookies as they are finished.

Christmas Ornament Cookie Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cup of warm water

Combine flour and salt in a bowl and mix well. Slowly add water, mixing as you go. When all the water has been incorporated, stir well (no need to worry about developing those glutens!). When you've mixed the dough as well as possible in the bowl, dump onto a well-floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and supple. You can either use the dough immediately or refrigerate it until ready to use.

When you are ready to make cookies, you can either pull, squish, and squeeze pleasing shapes from the dough or roll it to about 1/4 inch thick and cut using cookie cutters. Either way works well.

Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about an hour.

*Mine got a little brown after an hour, so for the second batch I cut the cooking time to around 45 minutes. Bottom line: use your best judgment.

For decorating cookie dough ornaments, I have found that using fabric paint (also known as "puffy paint," those of us alive in the '80s probably remember this as the last word in fashionable t-shirts) accurately simulates the look of royal icing on cookies. After that, I raid the local craft store for buttons, beads, etc. -- anything that resembles candies, dragees, and other decorations.