Spinach and Lentil Stew

Meatless, easy and fairly quick to make.  Everyone liked it, though Elliot and Cole tried to pick out the spinach.

Spinach Lentil Stew

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB Olive Oil
5 cups homemade chicken stock (or use water and vegetable bouilon granules)
1 cup lentils, rinsed
3 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped carrots
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes undrained
1 (10oz) package of fresh spinach
1 TB red wine vinegar

Saute onion & garlic in oil until tender. Add water, lentils, Bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add carrots, tomatoes and spinach; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer 15-20 minutes longer or until lentils are tender. Stir in vinegar

Hamburger Barley and Vegetable Soup

This is one of my favorite soups.  I took this pot to a study group and it disappeared, with a couple people asking for the recipe.  Try to find hulled barley (not pearled) as it is a whole grain - less refined and still contains the bran.  I used beef broth instead of the water and bouillon, but homemade beef broth would be best.

Hamburger Barley Vegetable Soup


1 ½ pounds ground beef
6 cups water
3 beef-flavored bouillon cubes or 3 teaspoons beef bouillon
2 cups sliced carrots
1 ½  cups coarsely chopped onions
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped celery
½ cup coarsely chopped green pepper
2/3 cup barley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
¼ cup ketchup
28-oz. can tomatoes, undrained, cut up
8-oz. can tomato sauce

In a 5 qt. Dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 hour or until vegetables and barley are tender.  Remove bay leaves.

10 (1 ½ cup) servings.

Chicken stock

I've been trying to make more and more things from scratch, and one of my favorite things to make homemade is chicken stock.  It is very easy, much less expensive than buying it, and much better for you as most brands contain additives like MSG.  I especially love that I can control the amount of sodium since it is hard to find sodium free chicken stock and it's usually expensive.  It makes a big batch (like 6 quarts) that I freeze in one cup containers to use for all kinds of things - the base for soups, cooking rice, making baby food, stir fries, etc...  there are lots of dishes that call for a little chicken stock.  When I know I'm going to be using the bones to make stock I will spend the extra money on the good quality free range chickens.  It helps justify the cost knowing I'm going to use every bit of the bird!

Just today I read in Nourishing Traditions about how great homemade stock is for you.  There are over two pages talking about the benefits of minerals, electrolytes, and gelatin found in homemade stock.  She says that adding a little vinegar "helps to draw minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium, into the broth."  So I will probably try that next time.  She uses 2 Tablespoons for 4 quarts of broth.  I usually make about 6 quarts, so will put in 3 Tablespoons.  Here's my version:

2-3 Chicken carcasses (or 4 pounds), including necks, gizzards, and feet if you have them.
2 onions, unpeeled and quartered
4 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 celery stalks, with leaves
2 bay leaves
fresh thyme
fresh parsley
a clove of garlic, halved
2 Tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons peppercorns
water to cover (about 6 or 7 quarts)
3 Tablespoons vinegar

Place everything in a large stockpot, bring to boil and simmer 4-8 hours.  Strain out solids and put broth in refrigerator overnight.  The next day skim fat from top and divide into containers to freeze.

Miso Soup with Asparagus and Broiled Salmon

I'm always looking for new ways to eat fish.  This was a wonderfully light soup, perfect for springtime.  Ben said it was the best soup he's ever had.  I liked that it has some veggies in it that we don't eat very often, like bok choy and sugar snap peas.  It comes together quickly, especially if you have the veggies already chopped.  With some crusty bread it would be a great light Sunday lunch.

I found this recipe in my Sugar Solution cookbook by Prevention, but they have the recipe online too.  I used homemade chicken stock instead of the vegetable broth and included some of the bok choy leaves.  The picture is from Prevention's website.



Ingredients:

4 3-ounce salmon fillets, skinned
2 tablespoons miso paste
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons shao-hsing cooking wine* or dry sherry (optional)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups 1/4" slices bok choy (halve stems lengthwise and slice crosswise)
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup 1" pieces asparagus
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup diagonally sliced scallions

Directions 

Place the salmon in a pie plate. Mix 1 tablespoon of the miso paste and the soy sauce in a cup and spread over the top of the salmon. Put on broiler pan and set aside.  Preheat broiler.

Place the oil, garlic, and ginger in a heavy large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant.  

Add the shao-hsing or sherry (if using) and vegetable broth, increase the heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bok choy, peas, asparagus, and carrots. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the scallions and remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon miso and cover to keep warm.  

After adding the vegetables to the broth, begin to cook the salmon. Broil the salmon 5" from the heat source for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned and just opaque in the thickest part.  

Transfer the salmon to soup bowls, ladle the soup on top, and serve immediately

* Shao-hsing cooking wine is found in any Asian grocery and many large supermarkets. It's also inexpensive.