Notes
This soup was an unexpected pleasure, especially considering how easy it is to make and how humble the ingredients are. I served it with baked chicken flavoured with a lemon garlic marinade and slaw very loosely based on Jamie Oliver’s Kimchee slaw. My version is below
I used 1/2 cups of lentils, water instead of chicken stock, added 1 carrot diced and left out the lemon, spinach and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each dried oregano and thyme leaves
Pinch each dried rosemary leaves, crumbled and pepper
3 cups (750 mL) vegetable stock
1 can 28 oz (796 mL) diced tomatoes, including juice
1 can 19 oz (540 mL) lentils, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 cups (750 mL) fresh baby spinach leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Method
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings, vegetable stock, tomatoes, lentils and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach leaves until wilted, about 30 seconds.
Serve with Parmesan, if desired.
Makes 8 cups (2 L), 4 servings.
Source: Mediterranean Tomato, Lentil and Spinach Soup, Homemakers.com
Shelley’s Fennel Salad
I have no business comparing this to Jamie Oliver’s recipe, except I used the Cuisinart. The result is refreshing, quick and a nice counterpoint to heavier winter fare, for me at least. Jay enjoyed it as well.
Ingredients
1 fennel bulb
1 carrot, peeled
1 bunch radishes, with leaves (if in good shape)
1 hunk ginger, peeled
1 chill ( remove spine)
Dried chili flakes or fresh red/green chili (stalk removed)
1 lemon
Sesame oil – a few glugs
Salt and Pepper
Method
Cut the fennel so it will fit in the feed tube of the food processor, same with the carrots, and radishes. If you are using the leaves, wash very, very well, put the leaf side down. If using fresh chilis, remove stalks.
Squeeze the lemon over the salad, pour a few glugs over, season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
Serves 4
Lemon marinade
This is a good way to add light flavour and juiciness to chicken breasts, to save them from Monday night, and in this case, post Grey Cup oblivion. Use any and all time-saving tricks. It’s quick enough to get in play before going to work in the morning.
Ingredients
1 lemon
Vegetable or olive oil, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup
2 cloves of garlic
handful of parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Squeeze the lemon into a bowl. Mince the garlic or use a garlic press. Chop the parsley. Dump all the ingredients into the plastic bag with your chicken. Marinate for anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. Turn if you can.