Lentils, quinoa and kale seem to be rapidly working their way into our social conscience as healthy cooking and eating option, and are ever-present on our dinner table at home. I never gave them much thought during my early professional career, and it really wasn't until recent years when these items seem to be making their way to restaurant menus everywhere. Heck, you can get bowls of chicken and quinoa, or lentils, veggies and brown rice at your local Starbucks. For a while, Chick-Fil-A was offering a superfood salad featuring kale and broccolini, and even McDonalds added a kale, turkey sausage and egg white breakfast bowl to their menu.
Some of these, may seem to be passing fads or trends, but the truth is, there is something to it. We have become a nation obsessed with food, and as more information (good and bad) is revealed about what we are eating, there seems to be a movement to know not only what is in that food, but also how it is made or grown and where it is sourced.
Organic, local, natural, and farm to table are all buzz words that grab our attention. Sometimes they are helpful, sometimes misleading and sometimes they just don't mean a damn thing. Organic may be strictly monitored, if it has a USDA seal, but what do you really know about that designation? You can slap a local sticker on any food produced in a 400 mile radius. Whole foods says local is 200 miles. I consider myself a local to Signal Mountain, but I am familiar enough with it to call Chattanooga home since it's only 15 minutes away. I don't believe anyone 2 1/2 hours away in Atlanta or Nashville would ever call me for directions, recommendations or offer me a local's discount there.
There is no legal definition to natural, and please don't get me started on farm to table. I consider this to be one of the most over used and misleading phrases of all. Few restaurants really source their food this way, its impractical and expensive. If they do it doesn't mean their holding or cooking methods are any better. It usually means I am going to pay a lot more for a lot less because the chef or owner took a little artistic license with the menu. It's like calling something confit because its been pulled apart or Gorgonzola when it's crumbled bleu cheese delivered in a 5lb bag.
I must admit, I can be a little suspicious. My wife has called me "the jaded chef." Still, the world has shrunk, information has never been more available, and we are fortunate to live in the land of plenty so there is no lack of options of where we can purchase our food. Healthy is in, my wife is on board, (has always been on board), and has now hired me to cook and accommodate this lifestyle and pass it on to our children. It has made me a little healthier, slightly more aware and, in all, a better chef. There are recipes, spices and flavors I am discovering daily that make me yearn less for red meat, and I find myself shopping at various places with a discerning eye to labels as well as price tags and spending a lot more time in the produce section. My wife's mother who is in great shape and beautiful woman in her early 70's attributes much of her health to shopping the outside aisles in the grocery store. Think about it.
Lentils, quinoa and kale can all make their way to our weekly menus in some form. My wife is constantly coming across new things she wants to try and I have many texts forwarded from recipes she has found on Pinterest. Lately I have been leafing through a vegan cook book she fell in love with, Tahini and Tumeric. Yes, I said vegan. Don't worry, while it contains great recipes with cool photos, it's more of a guide or starting point. I rarely stick to script and have no problem substituting chicken broth for veg or incorporating shrimp or fish to the dish and adjusting spices and amounts to my liking. It does have a few great soup recipes, which she loves and I have tweaked. One is a really flavorful "root vegetable" with lots of turmeric, and the other I made yesterday,"red lentil garlic and cilantro." A pot will last a week, and it's easy to heat up in the evening. It's great and very warming on cold winter nights. She also packs it up and takes it to work to share with her friends, and it has become a regular request.
Take large 1 gallon pot, lightly cover bottom with olive oil. I mostly use a decent blend, virgin or extra. Add 4-5 T (7-8 cloves) chopped garlic, saute but don't brown, stir in 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro, 1 diced red. yellow or orange peppers, 1T salt, add 8 cups veg or chicken stock bring to simmer, add 1 cup of red lentils, 1/2 cup of quinoa, stir and bring to boil . You could use 6 cups of broth but I prefer to have it a little soupy. Reduce to simmer cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. In the last 5 or so minutes add 8 oz of chopped kale or spinach. Finish cooking then turn off and cover Add the other half a bunch of cilantro chopped and 1 fresh lemon squeezed, return cover and let sit until cool. Can be served right away or put up for following day. You can always adjust the spices, salt and pepper to taste and add as needed. I like this the garlic and love the cilantro in this one. It's pretty simple and straight forward. The lemon juice at the end as well as finishing with fresh herbs only serves to heighten the flavors.
I call this soup "garlicky, cilantro, red lentil, quinoa and kale" You can see where I got this blog's title.
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