Lentil Soup and Kale for New Year's Eve Dinner

New Years Eve I started our new year's resolution to have more vegetables. We went to the Turnip Truck, our local organic food store, to buy something green things and dried fruit. We got cabbage for new years day and some Kale for the eve to have with our Lentil soup. I have never cooked Kale or lentils before the eve. Not sure as much as we love turnip greens, collards, and such that we have never had Kale. It only took about 30 minutes to cook with just a little water in the bottom of the pot, salt and pepper to taste, and some pieces of ham from Christmas dinner. Wash them and tear into bite size pieces. I think they would be good with a few tablespoons of finely chopped onion.

Oh how wonderful. So rich, tinder, delicious, and bright green. Made a pan of cornbread with stone ground flour that our friend Doug bought for us at Stone Mountain Georgia.

Lentil Soup

Dec. 31, 2009

Ingredients

• 2 links Italian sausage made into small bite size pieces and about a cup of left over Honey baked ham pieces
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2 to 3 large carrots, scraped lightly and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian and garlic seasoning, Mrs. Dash, a few dashes, ho ho
• 2 cardboard containers chicken broth 32 oz. each, total of 64 oz.
  
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, my favorite is Delmonte
• 1 and ½ cups lentils, rinsed
• Cook Kale separately and add some pieces to the bowl of soup. Makes it beautiful and even more delicious!
  

Directions

• Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
• Sauté the sausage and ham, add onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
  
• Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
  
• Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice.
  
• Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper, Ms. Dash, Italian spices, or other of your favorite spices.
  
• Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all blended stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
  
• Add the lentils.
  
• Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

I put a generous helping of Kale in my soup. Oh my. That made it even more delecious.

One Bowl Fresh Apple Cake

I used to make a fresh apple cak for Kelly when she was little girl. I lost that recipe and have been trying all kinds of recipes during the last few years. Kelly say this one on her friends blog. http://mayamade.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-grandmas-one-bowl-apple-cake.html

THIS IS IT! This one tastes just like the cake I remember. We made it yesterday. Oh yum, yum.

So dark, rich, and tender. Really great warmed up with vanilla ice cream. ENJOY.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely diced, peeled and cored apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup flour

Make:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Into large bowl add diced apples and sugar. Let stand for about 15 minutes.
• Pour in oil and egg. Stir.
• Add dry ingredients. Stir.
• Add vanilla and walnuts. Stir. It will be quite stiff, don't worry.
• Pour into a well greased and floured 8 inch square pan. Bake for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a cake rack.
• Dust top with confectioners sugar before serving.

Kate Learns to Make Pancakes

Pancake Breakfast with Kate

Our friend Kate came one Saturday morning to help Lewis cook pancakes and learn to be a expert flipper. It was much fun and she learned the joys of buttermilk, griddles, and pan fried potatoes with Cajun seasoning.

Lewis and Kate actually following the recipe!

This is not necessarily always the case with Lew in the kitchen.

We had an apron for Kate but she brought her own.

Banana and Pecan Pancakes with Maple Butter

Recipe form the Food Network with Tyler Florence

* 2 cups buttermilk

* 3 eggs

* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 pinch salt

* 4 tablespoons sugar

* 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla together so they are well combined. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and stir with a spoon to get rid of the lumps. Fold in most of the melted butter and whisk until batter is smooth. Keep a little butter for the griddle.If you want pecans Fold in the pecans.

* 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and finely ground (not chopped)

Or place bananas on the pancakes:

*bananas, peeled and sliced in 1/4-inch circles

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium low heat and swirl around a little melted butter to keep the pancakes from sticking.

Cook the pancakes on 1 side until they are set and then lightly press the bananas into the batter. When small bubbles appear on the uncooked surface, flip the pancakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer pancakes to a warming plate in the oven while you make the rest. Put pancakes in oven to keep warm: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Watch the pancake and when it gets lots of bubbles, then it is ready to flip.

Kate flipped perfectly.

To serve, slice the maple-honey butter, layer it between the stack of pancakes and place in the oven to melt for 1 1/2 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and candied pecans.

*Cook's note: The trick to perfect round pancakes is pouring all the batter in the same spot and letting it roll out to a complete circle.

Now those are some beautiful pancakes and yum, yum, yum!

Maple Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

1 piece parchment or greaseproof paper

In a mixing bowl, using a spatula mash the butter with the maple syrup and honey until well blended. Roll it up in the paper, like a tube and twist the ends. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Lew boiled some potatoes in Grab Boil the night before then refrigerated. He sliced with peelings on and pan fried till golden brown for breakfast.