Today's recipe for the lovely soup is one of those things that it gets better the longer you cook it. It might not look much, but the taste is going to be so layered and delish that the looks are not important. So set it to go in the morning, and with very little effort you have a great meal waiting for you when you are ready to enjoy it.
What a great way to kick off the autumn cooking! I hope you enjoy this vegetarian lentil soup! Till next time
~ Cheers!
ROOT VEGETABLE LENTIL SOUP
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Sometimes the most simple things are the best ideas.
I am not one of those people who does everything self, from the scratch, just because I can. I am a believer that there is some great quality, ready-made products today that can and should be used. It saves not only time and money, but also energy and the resources we have. That being said - you knew there was a 'but' coming - this simple, easy to make crackers or flatbread, that only takes a couple of ingredients and is ready in minutes might be something you want to try to make at home.
The recipe is just so simple - two parts flour to one part of water + salt. To make four flatbreads I use 2 dl of flour with 1 dl of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt adding 1/2 teaspoon of spices for more flavor. If you have a gluten intolerance, just use gluten-free flour and you are set.
Mix the ingredients in a bowl until they form a smooth dough. Divide the dough into equal parts, and roll them into thin circles. Set the circles on a hot pan (one at the time) and let them cook for a minute or two before flipping over to cook the other side. There will be black spots on the flatbread, and it might puff up if the dough is not very thin. The flatbread will be crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. They are meant to be eaten directly after cooking them.
A cup of tea, some cinnamon flatbread with applesauce, and a good book - just some of my favorite things on an autumn evening... I hope you enjoy it as well.
Till next time ~ Cheers!  As the temperatures are cooling off, it is lovely to start planning one dish meals that can be set in the lower temperature oven for hours to simmer, or in the slow cooker for the day. A couple of weeks ago I took a trip to a specialty grocery store, where I got a variety of dry beans for the winter months to cook with. I felt like I was a pioneer gathering food for the winter, kind of funny but true! I had had this piece of beef in my freezer for a bit too long, so I decided to use it for this dish, even though I wouldn't normally, with a prime piece like that, use it in a slow cooked dish. But I promise you, at the end, it was so tender, it melted in the mouth.
I soaked a cup of black eyed beans and a cup of alubia beans overnight, so they would be ready to cook the next day. Alubia is a small white European-style bean, you can use them in all kinds of cooking from soups, baked beans, salads, bean dips, pot beans etc. You can substitute it with, for example, navy beans. At the bottom of the dish, put the soaked beans and poured over hot vegetable stock, twice the volume of the rehydrated beans. Sear the salt and pepper seasoned meat quickly on a very hot pan on all the sides and set it on the top of the beans in the dish. Toss the washed chanterelle mushrooms and champion mushrooms on the hot pan fast after the meat and set them on the oven dish around the meat. Little springs of rosemary with the rest of the ingredients complete the dish nicely. Set it in the oven on 125-150C/250F and let it cook until the beans are done and tender. For me, this was a little over 3 hours. Remember to check the liquid while it cooks in the oven, and add as/if needed. The dish is lovely just as it is, or you can serve it with rutabaga and carrot purée or mashed potatoes if you want a milder taste for the side dish. I have to say, this dish was a hit. The beans were so full of deep flavors, the meat melted in my mouth, and aromas from the dish that filled the kitchen were mouth watering. I hope you will enjoy this dish and the change of seasons, taking advantage of the harvest time surrounding us. Till next time ~ Cheers!
 I loved this salmon recipe with Thai inspired flavors. It had a great little kick to it without being spicy hot. If you season the salmon with pepper, please be careful with it, because the seasoning mix does have a little heat to it already. This is another one of those recipes that greatly transfers to another meal the day after. I used the leftovers in a salad for a lunch and enjoyed it immensely. I hope you enjoy it! Till next time ~ Cheers! BAKED SALMON THAI STYLE
After the muffins, pasta, casseroles, woks/stir fries, etc. here is one delicious way to enjoy it! It is a great snack, an appetizer, or even a light meal if you so choose. It does not require much skill, but the results are amazing. All you need are the washed zucchini, ground pepper (salt), dry cured ham - like Prosciutto or Jamón serrano, or a local variation if you have one - and cheese. I used a mixture of shredded mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan and it worked well.
I made sure there was an ample space for the ham and that it actually stayed in place. I grind some black pepper on the zucchini, adding salt was not necessary since both the ham and the cheese are salty. Last I put the cheese on top of the zucchini, and then into the oven for 45 minutes at 350F / 180C. If the around measurement to your zucchini is very large, I would cut it in half length wise and make two of the ham and cheese logs, just so that the flavors are evenly distributed to each bite of the delicious thing!
I hope you enjoy the ham and cheese zucchini log, the cooling evenings, the football season, and the pumpkin spice everything...
Till next time ~ Cheers! |
