Lentil Carrot Soup

Several weeks ago my mom sent me a recipe for lentil carrot soup that is so incredibly simple, easy and delicious that it has become a staple of our Winter diet. With only a few ingredients and hardly any prep time, I find myself returning to this soup whenever I need a warm, nourishing, pick-me-up. Since I'm fighting off a cold, I made a batch today, and decided to share it here:

4 large coarsely grated carrots (I use the grater blade on my food processor and it does the job in seconds).
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pound of dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
3 quarts water
Juice of one lemon
1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. salt (perhaps more to taste)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Saute carrot, onion, and garlic in oil, until veggies are soft (around 5 minutes).
Stir in lentils, saute 1 minute.
Add water, bring to boil, reduce to simmer.
Cook uncovered over medium heat until lentils are very soft & soup has thickened, about 45 minutes.
Stir in lemon juice, thyme, salt & pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.

This is especially good served with a wedge of lemon for an additional kick of flavor. Pair with a nice mixed green salad and some homemade cornbread. Total yum.

Breakfast Yum

Photo via Taste of the Test Kitchen

I ran across a great article on inventive, healthy, hot breakfast cereals in the January 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living. There were several great recipes featured, but so far I haven't been able to move past the first one I tried -- it's so good I had it for breakfast every day last week!

The recipe that I'm hooked on is so simple, hearty, and deeeeelicious: Steel cut oats topped with pomegranate seeds, pepitas, orange sections, milk (I use almond milk), and maple syrup.

And on a related note, thanks to a tip from a twitter friend, I now know how to quickly and easily open a pomegranate!

Awesomesauce.

New Favorite Recipes

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to order less food delivery. There is an amazing array of delicious neighborhood cuisine available to be delivered here in NYC, and it has saved us eating pb&j for dinner on many an occasion, but it is time for me to admit that I over-rely on it. In keeping with my goal to prepare more meals from scratch, I have tried out a bunch of new recipes in recent weeks. Two of my favorites are from Mark Bittman's website: Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad and Warm Chickpea Salad With Arugula. They are both incredibly easy and be-YOND delicious. I've already made the quinoa at least five times ;)

Photos via Mark Bittman.

Gingerbread Yogis

Freaking genius.

Buy the cookie cutters here.

Found here.

Lagusta's Luscious

Photos via the Lagusta's Luscious Blog.

Dishes, from top:

Pine nut gremolata;

Teff muffins with caramelized onions;

Persian tempe with mustard greens, flowers, fennel and broccoli;

Mushrooms stuffed with mushroom-walnut pâté;
Spinach fettuccine with artichoke-asparagus sauce and pine nut gremolata.

I just learned about Lagusta's Luscious Vegetarian Home Meal Delivery. If you live in Upstate New York, Manhattan, or Brooklyn, you could be taking advantage of this amazing-looking service for a healthy alternative to take-out or delivery (and an easy alternative to slaving away in the kitchen all day!) Yes, the price might be a bit higher, but as Lagusta points out on her website, it is much less expensive than hiring a personal chef -- and you still end up with fresh, organic, local, meals prepared by hand! And doesn't the food look delicious?! She'll even customize dishes to suit your dietary needs/preferences.

There's no commitment, either -- customers are free to try the service for a week or longer before setting up a standing order. I think I'll totally try this on occasion when I foresee a particularly hectic week on the horizon and I don't want to forgo nutrition and flavor...

Check it out, here.

Lunch Yum

Today I was in need of something hot and nourishing, so I made some miso soup with kale and shiitake mushrooms, inspired by this recipe. It was quick, easy, and refreshingly delicious.

What is your favorite homemade soup for cold winter days?

White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

By popular demand, I present you with the recipe for White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake that my mom prepared during her recent raw food demo. Thanks for the link, mom!

My Mom's Raw Food Demo

One of my mother's many passions is the Raw Food Lifestyle. In the last few years she has become quite the Raw gourmand! These photos are from a recent event she hosted in her home in Jackson, Mississippi (that's her in the bright yellow apron). She gave a "cooking" demonstration, and then sat down with her guests to feast on what they had prepared. Here's the menu (doesn't it sound yummy?):

Fresh squeezed juice to start

Zucchini “Pasta” with truffled Alfredo Sauce

Mixed Greens with Caesar Dressing

White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

I hope to get my very own demo when we go to Mississippi for Christmas next week!

December Photo Project, Day 9

Oh my goodness! In the craziness of the last week I have totally been remiss in taking a photo every day for the December Photo Project :( As of now I am re-committing to the picture-a-day challenge.

I snapped today's photo moments after these cookies came out of the oven. J and I had a blast making them from my mother's recipe and they are DELICIOUS!

This post is dedicated to the most awesomely wrong comment that someone left on the Baby Mamas video on YouTube, which completely cracked me up:

"Ugh. Stop dancing and get in the kitchen."

So, yeah, I'm able to rock the kitchen AND the music video, thankyouverymuch! LOL!!!

Yum

So, my sister shows up and thinks it's ok to feed me her magical fresh baked Oatmeal Cranberry Toffee cookies.

But I was trying to avoid birthing a 15 pound baby!

Help!

When a Pregnant, Breastfeeding Mama Goes to the Farmer's Market...

...she comes home with blueberries, peaches, mint, cilantro, tomatoes, apples, okra, carrots, red and yellow onions, garlic, basil, walnut raisin bread, a baguette, corn on the cob, local cheese (sheep's ricotta, gouda, and goat cheese), ice cream (butter pecan, coconut), eggs, black currant apple juice, free-range local turkey burgers, a sunflower, a zinnia, and two purple gladiolas.

Perhaps she will concoct some of these yummy and simple summer recipes.

Weekend Wonderful

Photo by Jordan Matter, from his book Uncovered, a book of portraits and personal statements from over 80 brave women, who posed bare-breasted for the project in public locations across New York City. Via Smitten.

With much excitement and anticipation, the Kiddo and I are getting ready to attend opening night of the shows tonight!  Hopefully we'll see you there :)

Meanwhile, here are a few interesting links I've rounded up this past week...

Photos of an absolutely gorgeous and moving home birth.  Via The Human Pacifier.

Two awesome baby-naming websites with totally different twists on the usual overwhelming lists:  Nameberry and What A Lovely Name.  Thanks to Celebrity Baby Blog and Use Your Words.

Insanely cool mini modernist bauhaus model house = best dollhouse evah!  Via Minor Details.

Breastfeeding in the news.  Via Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog.

As of this week, The Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists of Canada recommends that vaginal breech birth be offered (a reversal of its previous prohibition of vaginal breech birth). The SOGC's announcement also lays out plans to establish nationwide training programs so that physicians can learn the necessary skills.  Via Stand and Deliver.

Rare photos of Audrey Hepburn.  Via The English Muse.

A new and delightful blog:  Raising Foodies.  

June is more than halfway over!  If you want to hang on to the beauty of the month for much longer than the next week and a half, maybe you should pick up this pretty little print.

Finally, a Checklist for the New Unschooler.  

Now go forth and have a wonderful weekend, beautiful people!  XOXO, Leigh

Feast

When my parents were here we were the beneficiaries of their amazing skills in the kitchen.  On Sunday they prepared an amazing, vegetarian, Italian feast and we chowed down mightily!  A little overview...

Frizzle Sizzle

Look at these amazing toy kitchens made from reworked olive tins!  Each one is handmade and unique.  See more examples here.  Via Rattlesnake Charmer.

Bento Box Brilliance

Check out the delightfully rococo bento box designs of Sakurako Kitsa.  Talk about creativity!  I'm proud of myself when I make a decent-looking sandwich.  Sakurako certainly raises the bar on presentation :)  Via Poppytalk.  

Applesauce Muffins

Yesterday afternoon, while it snowed outside, the Kiddo and I decided to fight off the cabin-fever-blues by baking a batch of applesauce muffins.  It was really fun, and the results were way yummy!

Cake Inspiration

Seriously.  How fab is this construction zone birthday cake? Considering that the Kiddo is a huge fan of the sandbox right now, I'll have to remember this come June...

Friday Morning Color at the Local Greenmarket

Some of our delicious and beautiful finds!

Friday Morning Farmer's Market