Chilly outside and only soup and a sandwich will do!

I picked up these flowers at a local market and they completely set the tone for the weekend.

Even the colors inspired this Sunday’s menu.

Creamy baby lima bean and yukon gold potato soup with Kerrygold cheddar grilled cheese.

Fragrant rosemary and roasted garlic add to the rich creaminess of this meal.

Start by soaking the beans overnight.

Pour out the water and add fresh water for quick boiling.

When you’ve brought these beans to a boil pour out this water, as well.

For the final cooking add enough water to cover plus about 4 cups.

Add a large sweet onion and allow to cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Meanwhile, roast a head of garlic in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes

When the onion is done remove and place in the food processer with the roasted garlic, about 2 Tbspn of dried rosemary, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 Tbspn flour.

Blend until creamy.

Add this to the boiling beans.

Add 2 Tbspn of vegetarian boullion and salt and pepper to taste.

Chop 5-6 Yukon Gold potatoes and ad to the soup and allow to cook on medium heat for 2 hours.

Grilled cheese is perfect with this soup!

This is the perfect winter meal for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy!

Although I am not a fan of “fake meat”; TVP, or any other ersatz animal products I must admit that Texurized Vegetable Protein works really well in this chili.

The secret to this amazing chili is the copious use of fresh cilantro! Added at the end of cooking to ensure fresh and intense flavor.

I also soaked the TVP in vegetable broth for and hour or so before adding it to the chili. This adds flavor to something which basically tastes like cardboard. The good thing is that it soaks up the flavors of everything around!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 sweet onion
5 cloves garlic
4-5 Tbspns chili powder
2 cups TVP soaked in broth or water then drained
1-1/2 cups fresh cilantro chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
4 cans dark red kidney beans
Salt and pepper to taste

This recipe provided chili for a crowd. You can always adjust the amounts and vary the beans to include your favorites.

I also missed an opportunity to add fresh corn!

Method:

Soak the TVP in 2-4 cups of broth or water
Sautee the veggies in 1/4 of olive oil until soft
Add the tomatoes, beans, and TVP
Allow to cook for about an hour on medium heat and add the fresh cilantro
Allow to cook for about another hour then serve with cornbread or rice or anything you like!

Sauteeing the TVP with the veggies adds more flavor.

When I ask my girls what they would like for dinner I secretly hope that it will be something really simple like a salad or a soup or a sandwich.

So, when my little one said that she wanted chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes and corn, how could I say no? This is the stuff that kids love.

I tend toward healthy, vegetarian meals. She was having no more of it. And I couldn’t deny her.

I must admit that I love the smell of this food in my house. It reminds me of holidays, my childhood and visits to grandma’s house.

It’s not pretty, it’s not trendy and I’m not quite sure how healthy it is but it makes us all feel good, even if I only get to smell it.

I try to “gourmet it up” as much as I can and add as many vegetables as I can.

I start with butter, of course, this is old school.

I add:
two cloves minced garlic,
two onions,
4 stalks of celery
1 Tbsp dried sage
I let everything sauté.
I added ¼ cup of flour and about a ½ stick of butter
Then I added a ½ cup of heavy cream
And 1 cup of chicken stock

I happen to have leftover chicken pieces so I threw that in. It had a lot of pan juices so it added extra moisture.

I let everything simmer while I made the mashed potatoes.

I just peeled, chopped and boiled, 10 Yukon Gold potatoes, leaving some of the skin on.

When those were done I drained them and whipped them with more butter and some salt. When they were almost done I added 1 cup of heavy cream and gave them a quick 30 second whip.

I just boiled some frozen corn with butter.

Then I piled it all in her favorite bowl.

She loved it; Full of butter and carbs. Kid heaven!

What do you cook when you want to treat your body very well, are on a tight grocery budget or need a comfort food to feed your soul?

This is one of my favorite comfort meals; staple go-to cheap dinner of all time.
You can vary this dish in so many ways. I have added tofu, broccoli and spinach; or any veggie on hand, spices, coconut milk, mushrooms, etc. I also eat this hot or cold, sometimes adding a bit of olive oil to create a kind of lentil salad.

I have also served it over brown rice on cold winter days with a dollop of yogurt and fresh herbs.

With a warm chunk of crusty bread and a nice glass of Pinot Noir is probably my favorite way to enjoy this inexpensive, highly nutritious favorite.

Ingredients

3 Cups of lentils
3-4 cloves garlic
5-6 medium sized carrots
6-7 celery stalks
1Cup White wine
2TBS olive Oil
3-4 Cups water (vegetable stock)

Method:

1. In a large skillet or pot add olive oil, thinly sliced garlic, chopped celery and chopped carrots. (Adding these ingredients together helps to maintain enough moisture in the oil to prevent the garlic from browning).

Cook until vegetables become soft.

2. Add lentils and stir them around to get coated in the oil and vegetable mixture.

3. Add the wine and let simmer for a minute or two.

4. Add veggie stock or water; place a lid on the pot and cook until liquid is completely absorbed.

Add salt to taste.

This is the basic recipe. I have added crushed red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, cumin and curry. (Not at the same time, just variations on a theme) I like to keep a container of lentils in the fridge and eat them in pitas with yogurt. I also like them burrito style with fresh veggies and cheese.

You can also make this dish with chicken; sautéing the chicken in the olive oil before adding the veggies and adding chicken stock to cook.