101 Lentils

Winter in New England is a time for chili, stews and soups. So on Saturday when I saw this recipe for Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup over at 101 Cookbooks, I decided to give it a try. That usually means "when I get around to it" but I love lentils, and something about the simplicity of this recipe struck me, so I made it last night.

I made this soup using organic kale, one bunch from my local Whole Foods Market, and organic French green lentils, since I was unable to find black beluga lentils. I also used fire-roasted tomatoes, just as Heidi suggested, and an organic yellow onion. I added in copious amounts of freshly cracked black pepper and a few pinches of crushed red chili flakes for a little extra seasoning.


This is a quick and easy soup, from board to bowl in under an hour. But since I was waiting for J to return from an afternoon out with a friend, I let my pot simmer on low for an extra hour. All the flavors came together nicely. The firm, yet soft green lentils, the fire-roasted tomatoes, the kale, the onion, and the cool saffron yogurt made this a perfect Sunday evening supper. The cracked black pepper and crushed red chili flakes I added in gave the soup a nice little kick that warmed me through. We enjoyed this soup with a fresh herb salad with sliced English cucumber and organic grape tomatoes. With a little Annie's Natural Goddess dressing on the salad we had ourselves a complete and healthy, delicious meal. I highly recommend giving this soup a try. It's simple, flavorful, and great the next day. It's also versatile, as Heidi mentions in her recipe, you can use any dark, leafy green and add little things to change it up the next time you make it. I'll try the crunchy, fried shallots suggestion next time, that sounds great!

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls (discontinued)

It's no secret that I'm an adventurous eater and always willing to try something new. Like the ostrich burger I ate at Crazy Burger in Rhode Island, or some of the items I order off of a sushi menu. In any case, I'm always willing to try something new if someone recommends it. After all, if it's for sale, someone think it's good, right?

This Tuesday's Tasting is an item that I learned of while waiting for a table at the restaurant Carmen in Boston's North End. I was sitting at the bar with my wife and we struck up a conversation with this nice woman sitting next us. We were looking at the menu together and as we salivated over what sounded like a delicious lamb dish, this woman suggested two items from Trader Joe's freezer case that we must try. The first is Trader Joe's Seasoned Frenched Rack of Lamb and the second, Vegetarian Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls. Tonight I'll be tasting Trader Ming's Vegetarian Spinach & Tofu Egg Rolls.

The instructions on the package suggest 25-30 minutes at 400°, which I suppose may be appropriate in a conventional oven, but in my toaster oven that is much too long. I bake these between 375° and 400° in my toaster for about 18-20 minutes, flipping them 10 minutes in and keeping a close eye on them for the last few minutes. In a previous post I explained how my toaster oven seems to run a little hot and I always need to keep a close eye on things that I place in there when it's on bake. These egg rolls need that attention even more as they can burn quickly if you're not watching. The ooey gooey insides, which taste so good, can sometimes ooze out of the seams as well if you don't tend to them. The wrapper bakes up crisp and the inside is a delicious blend of spinach and fat-free soy cheese, not tofu like the name suggests. Although by definition tofu is soybean curd, and the first ingredient in the soy cheese is soybean curd, the name is still slightly misleading.

Once removed from the oven, these egg rolls will be EXTREMELY hot! I strongly suggest cutting them in half on a bias and waiting a few minutes before eating. From oven to mouth is sure to result in a seriously burned roof so please be careful.

For about twenty minutes in the toaster oven, these Vegetarian Spinach & Tofu Egg Rolls are a great lazy Sunday mid-afternoon snack or precursor to a meal that takes some time to prepare. They are crunchy, chewy, gooey and delicious and I always have a package in my freezer.