creamy lentil soup

 

Excellent soup!  I love that it's made in the slow cooker and that pureed chick peas are added to the soup along with kale.  Super healthy and super delicous.

creamy lentil soup ( Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2019 cookbook)

cooking spray

4 cups vegetable broth (I used 5)

1 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3/4 cup chopped baby carrots

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

5 thyme sprigs

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 ounce) can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup water (I used 1 cup)

2 tablespoons olive oil (I omitted)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups thinkly sliced kale

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Coat a 5-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place broth and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in slow cooker; stir well.  Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Process chickpeas, water, oil and lemon juice in a blender until smooth.  Add chickpea mixture and kale to slow cooker; stir well.  Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.  Stir in vinegar.  Serves 5.

tomato feta pasta

 

My oldest made this pasta dish for us tonight and it was beyond fantastic.  I happen to love everything in this dish, especially the feta and basil so of course I thought it was divine.  It's so easy too!  We browned some bratwurst on the side for those of us who like a little meat too.

tomato feta pasta (my oldest daughter)

1 block feta cheese

olive oil

minced garlic

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 pints cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup basil, chopped

16 ounces pasta, cooked and hot

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a block of feta cheese in the middle of a 9x13 casserole dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.  Top with cherry tomatoes.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes start to bulge and pop.

Take out of the oven and stir to combine.  Mixture should be nice and creamy.  Add hot pasta and stir to combine well.  Enjoy!