Roasted Vegetable Soup

My neighbor Mary gave me a copy of a magazine page with a recipe for a Thai-style pumpkin soup that she loves. This recipe is on the same page, and while I haven't yet made the pumpkin soup, I've made this one a number of times (including for dinner club when I made the butternut squash lasagna). I made it again today for my dear friend Doris who is having her wisdom teeth taken out tomorrow. I'm not sure what the magazine this is from, but it credits Anne Graziano of Buffalo, NY, for this recipe - so thanks Anne!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots (I use baby carrots and cut them in half)
1 T olive oil
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
5 plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), halved
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups veggie broth (a 32 ounce box)
1 cup cubed baking potato
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Combine onion, carrots, olive oil, salt, pepper, plum tomatoes, and garlic in a jelly roll pan; toss to coat. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender.

3. Combine broth and remaining ingredients in a large dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

4. Add the roasted veggies to the potato mixture. Use immersion blender to blend until smooth.

Koshari

Koshari and Orange and Radish Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette

Cooking Light touts this recipe as a staple of Egyptian street food, but I challenge any of you to make this in a cart. When all was said and done, my postage stamp-sized kitchen looked like Sur La Table exploded inside of it. The end result, however, more than made up for the heap of cookery carnage left in the wake of this dish. The fire of the tomato sauce plays against a pillow of starchy delights (rice, lentils, and vermicelli) and a mound of sweet caramelized onions.

A couple of tips on the preparation...

Notice that the recipe calls for cooked rice, so make it ahead of time. It isn't even imperative to keep it warm, since you will stir it into the warm lentil/vermicelli mixture.

Also, I followed this recipe very linearly: I made the tomato sauce first, then I sautéed the onions and made the koshari. Thus, my tomato sauce simmered for about an hour on the stovetop, and the pepper really lit up. Those who are not chile-heads may want to dial the spice down a bit, so either make the sauce while the lentils are simmering or add less pepper if you know the sauce will be on the burner for a while.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Koshari:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1/2 cup uncooked vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
• 5 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups dried lentils or yellow split peas
• 2 1/2 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

1. To prepare sauce:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
• Add chopped onion to pan, and cook for 15 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally
• Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes
  
• Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, peppers, and tomatoes; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick
• Transfer tomato mixture to a food processor; process 1 minute or until smooth. Keep warm. Wipe skillet dry with paper towels.

2. To prepare koshari:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in pan over medium heat
• Add sliced onion; cook 15 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring frequently
  
• Remove onion with a slotted spoon to several layers of paper towels; set aside
• Return pan to medium heat. Add vermicelli; sauté 2 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.

• Combine 5 cups water and lentils in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
  
• Remove from heat; add vermicelli, stirring well to combine.
  
• Wrap a clean kitchen towel around lid, and cover lentil mixture; let stand for 10 minutes or until vermicelli is tender.
  
• Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt to lentil mixture; fluff with a fork. Serve immediately with sauce and onions.

Mexican Calabacitas

This is another healthy (and tasty) Mexican side dish.

5 medium size zucchini or yellow squash (or a mix), peeled and diced
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 can ro-tel tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
olive oil

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, zucchini, and onions. Cook until the onion is tender, and then add the corn and tomatoes. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.