Creamy Hummus Lentil Soup

The first time I tried hummus I did not like it. Let me explain. I tried it at a Girl Scout "multicultural night" when I was eight years old. Hopefully now that first statement doesn't seem so offensive! My troop went to a regional activity to learn about the countries of the world. Moms from several different troops had set up dozens of booths in a gymnasium, each one representing a different country. They had pictures, dolls, clothing, pottery, and food at each table and a short speech prepared to give us a brief cultural background. This is something I would thoroughly enjoy now, but sadly my pea-sized eight year old attention span only made it twenty minutes. As my troop was herded from country to country, I feigned interest for the sole purpose of receiving a foreign snack at the end of my visit. Because they were adept at catering to young girls, most of these ethnic bites were cookies. Except Turkey. After sampling wedding cookies in Mexico, we touched down in the Middle East to learn about Muslims and the Black Sea. My gaze soon wandered into Germany and the enticing plate of shortbread-jam linzer cookies there. I prayed my stay in Turkey would be brief. After the presentation I was handed a baby carrot with some strange goop on the tip. Not a cookie. Definitely a vegetable. I ate it while glaring bitterly at the troop in Germany devouring their linzer cookies, greedily licking their jam-smeared lips.

I didn't try hummus again for years, but I'm happy to report that when I did, I fell in love. Today, if I'm offered hummus, veggies (yes, even baby carrots), and Stacy's Pita Chips, I'm on board. So, when I saw this recipe for lentil soup with hummus in Bon Appetit, I knew I had to make it. To make this soup, you start with a basic lentil soup, which is delicious on it's own, but then comes the brilliant twist of stirring in hummus.

The result is a creamy, thick soup that begs to be scooped into your mouth on a steaming piece of pita bread.

Pick through the lentils for small rocks or other non-lentil items and rinse well. Heat the olive oil in a stock pot on medium heat. Add the chopped carrot and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 Tbsp curry powder and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

 

Add the rinsed lentils, 4 cups of water, and the bay leaf. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft. 

Meanwhile, make the hummus. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, ginger, garlic, pepper, and olive oil until smooth. Adjust lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and pepper to your taste.

Stir the hummus, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp curry powder into lentil soup. The soup will be thick, so add water to thin if desired. I added 1/2 cup. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper according to your taste.

You can actually SEE the creaminess the hummus adds to the soup. Serve with warmed pita bread and enjoy!

Creamy Hummus Lentil Soup 

recipe adapted from Bon Appetit 

Ingredients:

Lentil Soup:

 

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped 

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 Tbsp curry powder, divided

1 cup French green lentils, picked through and rinsed

Bay leaf 

Hummus:

15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 tsp pepper

4 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 Tbsp curry powder and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the rinsed lentils, 4 cups of water, and the bay leaf. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Meanwhile, make the hummus. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, ginger, garlic, pepper, and olive oil until smooth.

Stir the hummus, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp curry powder into lentil soup. Add water to thin the soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Southwest Loaded Baked Potato

Ahhh the potato. Is there a starch more versatile than this glorious spud? What would a hamburger be without french fries? A summer BBQ without potato salad? A late night snack run to the kitchen without potato chips? Your Thanksgiving feast without mashed potatoes? And it's not just Americans that have perfected recipes highlighting this staple crop. I adore potatoes in perogies, spicy Indian curry, or Spanish tortilla just as much as the recipes I grew up with! When I bought the "on sale" sack of potatoes this week at the grocery store, instead of exploring the variety of international cuisines and cooking techniques that a potato can adopt, I decided to take the spud back to basics. We are making a baked potato!

I am guilty of fake baking potatoes in the microwave. When I'm starving, and not in my right mind, 5 minutes cooking time ALWAYS trumps 60 minutes cooking time. However, my apartment in Spain does not have a microwave. Sure, I could invest in a new appliance, but I like that I'm forced to be a little more resourceful than I am back home in my fully stocked and completely operable kitchen. Here, I am required to do a little more menu planning.

When you give a potato the hour it deserves to bake slowly in an oven, it rewards you for your patience. Its crispy exterior crunches delicately under your fork before opening to reveal a burst of steam and soft, cloud-like, creamy potato flesh. At this point, a little salt and pepper is all you need to make a baked potato sing. I'm giving it some Southwestern flair with a roasted red bell pepper, sauteed onions, an egg, and lots of melty cheese!

This is another infinitely adaptable recipe. You can fill your baked potato with just about anything you have in your fridge, including diced chicken, turkey, or ham. After you've tried my Southwest inspired recipe, tweak your potato filling to make this recipe your own!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a fork, prick the potato a few times on all sides. Rub a teaspoon of olive oil on the outside of your potato and salt and pepper liberally. Bake for 1 hour until a knife inserts easily into the potato. Set potato aside to cool briefly.

  

While your potato cools, start working on your onion and bell pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the diced onion until soft and translucent, 10 minutes. Set aside. Turn your broiler on to high and place the pepper in the oven skin side up. Check its progress often and rotate if needed to achieve an even char on the surface. If you have a gas stove, char the pepper on your burner directly over the flame.

 

Place pepper in a ziploc bag until cool enough to touch. This will allow steam to accumulate around the bell pepper, making it easier to peel when cool. Peel the skin from the pepper and dice the flesh.

Now, back to the star of the show! Remove a layer from the top of the potato and scrape out the insides. You can either save the inside of the potato or eat them. I almost always eat them! Leave a thin potato layer on the sides when you're hollowing it out.

Now we are to the fun part. Fill your potato with the diced onion and pepper leaving enough space at the top for.....

 

The egg. Just crack that baby directly into your potato.

Sprinkle some cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the egg white is set and the yolk is soft.

Here is the finished product. Fresh out of the oven, it looks quaint and semi-interesting....

but after you attack the potato with your fork and the soft egg yolk cascades over the melted cheese and roasted vegetables, you know it's time to dive in! I made a little side salad out of my leftover vegetables. Waste not, want not! 

Southwest Loaded Baked Potato

Recipe by Sweet & Savory

Ingredients:

1 medium potato
1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper
cheese (the amount you use is up to you!) 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. With a fork, prick the surface of the potato a few times on all sides. Rub 1 tsp. olive oil on the outside of the potato and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour until a knife inserts easily into the potato. Set aside until cool enough to handle with your hands.

While your potato cools, prepare the onion and bell pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute until the onion is translucent and soft, 10 minutes. Set aside. Heat your broiler to its highest heat setting. Place the bell pepper half under the broiler skin side up. Check the pepper's progress often, as you may need to rotate it to get an even char on all sides, and remove from oven when skin is charred black. If you have a gas stove, you can also blacken your pepper directly on your stove top over the flame. When the bell pepper skin is charred black, place in a plastic bag until cool enough to touch. Peel off the skin and dice the pepper flesh.

Slice a layer off the top of the potato and hollow the inside out with a spoon, leaving a thin layer on all sides. Fill your potato with the diced onion and bell pepper. Crack the egg on top of the vegetables and sprinkle as much cheese as desired on top. Return potato to the oven for 20 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk is still soft.

Easy Italian Herb Blend

Ahhh herbs. I love using fresh herbs when my herb garden is in full bloom, but in an off-season pinch, dried herbs can pack just as much flavor. I keep this dried herb blend in the pantry to add fast flavor to soups, stews, pasta, etc. My favorite way to use this blend is to mix it with butter and olive oil and brush over hot rolls, bread sticks, or pizza dough! 

Dried herbs lose their flavor much faster than spices, so make sure to replace the lid and secure it tightly between uses. This herb blend would make an inexpensive Christmas gift and would look very festive in a small mason jar tied with Christmas ribbon. Make some for yourself and make some to share!

Italian Herb Blend

Recipe by Sweet & Savory

Ingredients:

1 large mason jar

dried oregano

dried basil

dried rosemary

dried thyme

dried sage

dried marjoram

Directions:

Fill mason jar with equal parts dried oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, and marjoram. Can be kept in pantry for 1-3 years.

Split Pea Soup (with vegetarian variation)

My favorite thing about cooking ONE of my many favorite things about cooking is finding recipes that were invented to re-purpose leftovers. I´m not referring to post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches, although they are fabulous, I´m talking about the more resourceful peasant dishes. The stews simmered with vegetables about to spoil, quick breads baked to save overripe fruit, and custards whipped up to save dozens of egg yolks from being wasted are some of my favorite recipes because I´m so interested in the history behind them. For example, while eating my way through Portugal, I discovered the pastry of my dreams-el pastel de nata. To me, it tasted like creme brulee nestled in a bed of flaky puff pastry. Are you booking a plane ticket yet? I learned that these pastries were invented hundreds of years ago by nuns. The nuns used egg whites as starch for their clothes, so they had a regular abundance of egg yolk byproduct. For this reason, Porto, Portugal is famous for its egg yolk-based confections. I can never remember a single thing from history class, but if you put a food spin on a history lesson, I eat it up! (Ha) Why is that?

I paused halfway through my pastel de nata to snap a picture. Note the buttery, flaky exterior,the tender egg custard in the center, and the sweet, broiled sugar crust on top. Yes, that is the perfect pastry. I do not have a kitchen tested recipe for pastel de nata (give me time), but I do have a belly warming split pea soup recipe invented to reuse the ham bone!

Those of you who look forward to holiday hams, look forward to eating this soup for days after. Like all soups, the flavors are always better the day after it´s cooked, so I like to make this soup at night after a holiday meal and eat it the next few days. This soup can easily be made vegetarian if you skip the ham bone and add vegetable stock instead of water. Still satisfying and delicious!

This soup is simple to prepare and very inexpensive. Rinse and pick through the peas. Leave peas to soak in water while beginning the soup base.

Like all good soups, this one begins with a mirepoix (meer-pwah), equal parts celery, onion, and carrot. Roughly chop or large dice the vegetables. They will be pureed later, so uniformity is not important.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and stir to coat the mirepoix. Sprinkle with salt to encourage the vegetables to release their water to start the cooking process! Cook for 5 minutes, until the onions start to appear translucent, then add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add water (or vegetable stock if making the vegetarian version), rinsed and soaked peas, bay leaf, and the beautiful ham bone (or not if making vegetarian). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and allow soup to simmer for 70-90 minutes, until the peas are tender. The longer it´s simmered, the thicker your soup will be.

Remove ham bone from stockpot. Add pepper, italian herb blend, and paprika.

Puree with an immersion blender or puree in batches in a blender. Be very careful, the soup will be hot! If the soup appears too thick, add a little water or vegetable stock and blend.

If meat remains on your ham bone, remove from the bone, chop, and add back into the soup. If you do not want meat in the soup, simply skip this step. That´s the beauty of split pea soup, you can make it just how you like it. Top with garlic parmesan croutons and serve hot. Enjoy!

Split Pea Soup

recipe by Sweet & Savory

Ingredients:

1 lb. split peas, rinsed and soaked
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 bay leaf
2 quarts water or vegetable stock
1-1 1/2 lb. ham bone
1/2 tsp. italian herb blend
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

Rinse and pick through peas. Leave to soak in water while beginning soup base.

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery and stir to coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5 minutes, until onions become translucent. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes more. 

Add ham bone, water (or vegetable stock for vegetarian variation), peas, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Simmer for 70-90 minutes. The longer the soup is simmered, the thicker the end result.

Remove ham bone and add italian herb blend, paprika, and pepper. Blend with an immersion blender or puree in batches in a conventional blender. Remove meat from the ham bone, chop, and add to soup. Taste to adjust seasoning and add more water or stock if the soup is too thick for your taste. Serve hot.

Mexican Rice

After sharing my Creamy Chicken Enchiladas post the other day, it feels only natural to share my recipe for Mexican rice. This dish is the best of both worlds; an inexpensive, one-pan recipe that is both colorful and flavorful. Just look at it! And if you like my enchiladas, which I hope you do, you will need to learn to make Mexican rice. After all, what is a Tex-Mex dish without beans and rice? It's sad that's what it is. Sad and lonely.

Rice is a great go-to side for any type of cuisine. It can be steamed, stewed, fried, or stirred to creamy perfection. From risotto to fried rice, pilaf to wild rice, and sushi to rice pudding, this little grain can take on any flavor, sweet OR savory.

In this picture, I have canned tomatoes. If at all possible, do not use canned tomatoes. A real tomato is infinitely better. On the day I made this post, I made a crucial cooking error and did not check my pantry before cooking! See, everyone makes mistakes:)

In a medium saute or cast iron pan, heat the canola oil over medium heat until it ripples.

Meanwhile, rinse the rice with lukewarm water, removing excess starch from the grains.

Add the rinsed rice to the heated oil and stir to coat. Toast rice for 10 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the onion to the toasted rice and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is brown and the onions are translucent.

Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, tomato, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Give the rice a good stir, then pour in the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring rice to a simmer and cover. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer the rice for 30 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the rice. Just put the lid on the pan and do something very productive for half an hour. Like watching an episode of the Office.

Remove lid from the pan. At this point, the liquid should be absorbed, but the rice should not be bone dry.

Stir the rice to fluff and serve.

Mexican Rice

recipe by Sweet & Savory

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 cups rice
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, julienned
1 roma tomato, sliced
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:

In a medium cast iron or saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, rinse the rice in lukewarm water. Add the rice to heated oil and stir to coat the rice with the oil. Toast the rice for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lower heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is brown and the onions are translucent. Add garlic, bell pepper, tomato, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Increase heat to medium and stir in chicken or vegetable stock. Bring the rice to a simmer, decrease heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer the rice for 30 minutes, do not uncover or stir the rice during this time, until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the rice and serve warm.

**If dinner is not ready, fluff the rice, re-cover, and turn the stove to medium low. This will keep rice warm until you're ready to eat**

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

It is believed that food memories are some of the strongest we keep. Certain flavors and smells remind us of experiences, people, and places. For me, Tex-Mex food reminds me of the first decade of my life, spent in southern Texas and New Mexico. I can not remember many concrete occurrences from my early years, but I do remember eating bean and cheese burritos as often as other kids ate PB & J's, licking the honey and cinnamon off my fingers after sharing a dessert of hot sopapillas with my family, and begging my mom to stop by Taco Cabana for their fresh flour tortillas. My comfort food is Tex-Mex. For those of you who don't know what Tex-Mex is, it is a Mexican-American fusion cuisine. Basically, everything labeled "Mexican food" in the United States is actually Tex-Mex. Taco Bell, Chipotle, Cafe Rio, Barbacoa, Costa Vida, and all those delicious chain restaurants feature plates as authentically Mexican as fortune cookies are to Chinese food. Ground beef tacos and flour tortillas are not traditional culinary staples in Mexico, neither is it common to smother a burrito, rice, and bean platter in melted cheese, but who's complaining? It's delicious! 

And so is this recipe. The enchiladas are so easy to make, and the recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd. Ethnic food can be intimidating to cook because sometimes recipes call for ingredients only found at specialty stores, but since this recipe is more on the Tex-Mex than authentic Mexican side of things, all the ingredients should be readily available to you.

 

The enchiladas are best if assembled the night before, refrigerated overnight, and baked just before serving. You can also make and bake them in the same day. If you choose to refrigerate the enchiladas overnight, the baking time will be slightly longer because they will enter the oven cold. Either way you choose to make them, when ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, minced olives, green chilies, and black pepper and salt. Personally, I do not like to add more salt to this mixture due to the high sodium content of the soup. If you like your enchiladas on the saucier side, thin the filling mixture with 1/4 cup milk.  

 

Spread a thin layer of the filling on the bottom of the baking dish. The size of the baking dish will be determined by the size of your tortillas and the amount of enchiladas you choose to make.

Time to build! Spread a healthy dollop of filling mixture on the tortilla,

add a little chicken,

add a little cheese,

and roll up the enchilada and place seam side down in the baking dish.

Repeat, filling all the tortillas and placing them in the baking dish. Reserve a few tablespoons of filling mixture the spread on top of the enchiladas.

Sprinkle with whatever cheese you have leftover, plus some extra if you're feeling generous, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the enchiladas are golden brown and bubbling, 30-45 minutes.

Let cool slightly, garnish with sour cream and cilantro, and serve with Mexican Rice. Delicioso! 

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas 

recipe by Sweet & Savory 

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream, plus extra for garnish

1-10 oz can cream of mushroom soup

1-7 oz can diced green chilies

1-4 oz can diced black olives

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt (optional) 

1/4 cup milk (optional)

2 cups shredded chicken 

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided 

8 small flour tortillas OR 6-12 inch flour tortillas

chopped cilantro for garnish 

Directions:  

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cream of mushroom or chicken soup, chilies, olives, pepper, and salt, if using. If you prefer your enchiladas on the saucier side, add the 1/4 cup of milk to thin the filling at this point. Spread a thin layer on the bottom of a baking dish. Set aside a few tablespoons of filling mixture before assembling the enchiladas. 

Spread a few tablespoons of the filling mixture, chicken, and cheese in the center of a tortilla, roll it up, and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat, filling the remaining tortillas and placing them in the baking dish. Spread reserved filling mixture on top or the enchiladas and sprinkle with any remaining cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Bake the enchiladas until golden brown and bubbly, 30-45 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve garnished with sour cream and cilantro.