Tag Archives: bacon

spiced green lentil soup with spinach and lemon

25 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by in cook

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I love this soup and make it often. The addition of lentils make this soup a hearty meal -especially when served with a wedge of homemade crusty brown bread.  Lentils are high in protein, fiber and iron. They are also an excellent source of essential B vitamins.

Spiced Green Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 medium potatoes, diced (note: I used yams today)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup green lentils

6 cups organic vegetable (or chicken) stock

1 lb spinach or swiss chard

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pot. Add the onion, garlic, celery, potato and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, over medium low heat until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat, partially cover and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Add the spinach or chard and cook until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into warm bowls and serve hot. Enjoy!

Variation: Hearty Green Lentil Soup with Bacon and Red Wine Vinegar

Omit the ground cumin. Add 4 chopped bacon slices with the onion, celery and potato to the pot. Cook as directed. Replace the lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.

Resource:

Elliott, R., & Trueille, E. (2001). Organic Cookbook: Naturally Good Food. New York: Dorling Kinderley.

eggs benedict for breakfast

29 Thursday Dec 2011

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Eggs Benedict is a household favorite here at cabinorganic. Use organic, free-range eggs and the highest quality organic butter you can find to make an outstanding Hollandaise sauce.

Eggs Benedict

To make Eggs Benedict you simply need Hollandaise Sauce (recipe below), poached eggs (2 per person) and bread to stack these on. Traditionally English muffins are used but you can use any bread you like. You can also add a meat layer under the eggs, such as a slice of ham, a piece of bacon, smoked salmon or prawns (I’ve used prawns here). I like to garnish with finely chopped fresh chives.
Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon or lime juice

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Bring a small amount of water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler or in a small pot. Turn down the heat to low. In top piece of double-boiler or in a metal bowl that fits over the small pot of hot water, whisk the eggs yolks and lemon juice together. Begin adding the chilled butter a few cubes at a time to allow the butter to melt slowly and giving the eggs enough time to cook. Whisk constantly until butter is melted and the sauce is thickened.

Hollandaise Sauce can be tricky to make as it is easy accidentally over-heat the sauce which causes the eggs to curdle. If your eggs curdle, try adding 1 tablespoon of boiling water to 3/4 cup of sauce and beating vigorously with a hand beater until smooth.

I also use this sauce over broiled salmon along with a dollop of pesto. Enjoy!

 

cooking with kids: a holiday brunch

25 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by in appreciate the seasons, cook

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My good friends, M and E are ‘home’ at their cabin for Christmas holidays along with their cousin Mi (these are three of the five kids who built that amazing fort last summer). Whenever we get together, we always seem to end up either exploring outside or doing something fun and creative inside. As it was Christmas Eve morning, we thought it would be fun to give their parents a nice break and cook a big brunch for them here at the cabin.

M was in complete charge of the waffles, making the batter himself and doubling the recipe (we tease him about the math and fractions!!!) to ensure that we would have enough for everyone.

His sister, E collected the finished waffles and put them in the oven to keep warm. They were delicious!

Cousin, Mi was in charge of the eggs and scrambled them to perfection.

E was in charge of fruit punch. She mixed the juice, then poured it into a nice glass pitcher and added frozen Saskatoon berries and wild raspberries as fruity ‘ice cubes’.

I made bacon and some cheese tarts earlier in the morning. After only an hour of team-cooking we were ready. The kitchen was even clean as E and I had washed a load of the cooking dishes and put them away. The grown ups arrived right on time and were seated. M kept making waffles while M and E served the food and I poured hot coffee.

It was a delicious brunch and everything tasted great! After a few hours of taking our time eating and chatting around the table, the grown ups left (we told them they were not allowed to help) and the team got back to work cleaning up. Actually, the boys did the dishes while E and I took turn providing the music (E on piano, me on guitar).  M couldn’t resist a dance with Lucy (she adores him)…

It was truly a fun morning spending time with my good friends, laughing together, getting caught up on their lives, and working as a team to give their parents a nice break and the gift of a leisurely brunch. Merry Christmas, Everyone!