culinary exploration

FAKES (Greek-Style Lentils)

I’m a big fan of giving my tummy a break from meat every so often.  Not only with oh-so-tasty-and-good-for-you seafood, but with beans/legumes as well.  Lentils are one of my favorites and I’m probably biased because of my Greek upbringing, you’re pretty much expected to love lentils if you’re Greek!  Dal makhani is what I typically order from my favorite Indian restaurant.  But fakes (pronounced fah-kehs) bring me back to childhood memories of socializing in my Yiayia’s kitchen as this pot of tomatoey lentil soup simmered on the stove. 

I pulled some inspiration from this recipe on Souvlaki for the Soul.  It’s pretty simple to bring a few ingredients together and get a big pot of hearty, comforting soup!  My number one rule with lentils… make sure you sort through them to get rid of any bad beans and RINSE! 

GREEK LENTIL SOUP (FAKES)

1 c. lentils
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T. oregano
a couple bay leaves
3 c. water
1 14 oz. can tomato puree
1 T. tomato paste

Saute the onions, carrots and garlic until tender. 

Add lentils and stir well to coat. 

Add water, tomato puree and paste, bay leaves, oregano, salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Serve immediately with a splash of red wine vinegar.

(I added a kick of richness by sneaking in a splash of cream to finish… mmm!)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

I was sick last weekend, so that meant a lot of laying on the couch watching movies, shows on my DVR and Food Network.  When I saw this recipe on 5 Ingredient Fix, I mustered up the energy to whip this up in hopes that it would comfort me in my sickly time of need.  :)  I love how Claire Robinson manages to only use 5 ingredients, but the recipe always turns out so flavorful. 

This was super easy because after you roast the squash you pretty much throw everything in a pot and simmer it until it’s finished.  It was well worth waiting for the squash to roast for an hour!  The added curry powder gives it that extra little something and will make anyone you make this for say “what is that?”

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) butternut squash
Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting, plus 2 T.
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 shallots, chopped
1 quart (4 c.) low-sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons curry powder (mild or spicy)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the squash in half through the stem and remove the seeds.

Drizzle the cut edges with oil, season with salt and pepper, and put it, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast until very soft, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven, turn the halves over and let them stand until cool enough to handle. Scoop the flesh from the shell, into a bowl and discard the shell.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.

Add the squash flesh, chicken stock, and curry powder and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the squash is broken down, about 10 minutes.

Cool the squash mixture for about 5 minutes before adding it to a blender. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, transferring the puree to a clean saucepan as you work. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer a few minutes over medium heat to combine the flavors. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve immediately.

Lentil Chicken Soup

One of my favorite shortcuts in the kitchen during the colder months is to make a HUGE pot of something warm and comforting, then freeze half of it for a rainy day.  It’s even great to freeze it in individual containers so you can just thaw it a serving at a time.

I was craving my Yiayia’s (Greek grandma) lentil soup, or fakis, this past weekend because the temps dropped into the 30’s at night.  But, I’ve been consciously trying to eat better these past few months so I don’t want to indulge with a meal - I’d rather eat sweets or have some wine instead!  So I found this recipe from Gina at Skinny Taste which is Weight Watchers friendly and only 3 points per serving.  It’s filling, comforting, healthy and tasty. 

LENTIL CHICKEN SOUP

1 lb dried lentils
3 small chicken breast halves on the bone, skin and fat removed
8 c. water
2 chicken bullion
1 packet Sazon (in Latin section)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato

In a large pot combine lentils, chicken, water and chicken bullion. 

Boil, covered over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes.  Remove chicken from the bone and shred, then return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a mini chopper, finely chop onions, scallions, garlic, and tomato.

Add to the lentils with sazon and cook 15 more minutes, or until lentils are soft.  (Add more water if needed)

Make sure you check your bullion and Sazon.  I made the mistake of not looking at the ingredients and BOTH have MSG!  Try to get MSG-free brands if possible.