I love to eat! But I'd rather not spend a lot of time cooking. I developed these crockpot recipes with inspiration from Heaven's Banquet—Ayurvedic Vegetarian Cookbook by Miriam Hospodar, and The Ageless Woman—Natural Health & Beauty After Forty, by Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, an expert in the system of natural medicine called ayurveda.
For a recipe index, see the Blog Archive below.
Crockpot Soupe Basics:
I'm an intuitive cook; I use words like "about" or "handful". My recipes make about four servings of hearty soup. The basic measurements are: 1/4 - 1/3 cup whole grain; approx. 1/3 cup lentils; 1.5 quarts of water; 1.5 - 2 Tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter, highly recommended by ayurveda) or vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon of salt; 1 rounded Tablespoon of spices; and about 3 cups of mixed veggies. I use, and recommend, organic ingredients for the purest food and optimal nutrition. I hope this blog helps you enjoy good eatin', good health, and creative cooking! I love to hear your comments.
Sincerely,
Ondine

Monday, November 23, 2009

Hearty lentil soup


A cozy, nutritious soup for a cold, wet, winter day!

1/3 cup brown lentils or French lentils.
1/4 cup mix of brown rice and millet. (Do I need to say it? Look for tiny rocks, and wash the lentils and grains thoroughly.)
1.5 quarts of water or broth.

Bring the lentils and grains to simmer on the stove top, then transfer to your slow cooker on high. Add about 1 teaspoon of extra virgin expeller pressed olive oil, and 1 large bay leaf, in the crockpot. Come back in about an hour or so.

Warm about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on very low temperature; do not let it get hot enough to smoke. Add 1-2 tablespoons of Simply Organic All Purpose Seasoning (if you're using water instead of broth, use more spice). When you smell the aroma, stir in finely chopped ginger root, and an ample handful of finely chopped parsley (Italian flat parsely or curly parsley). Add a dash of asafoetida (hing)—optional. (Everything is optional, of course...) You could use an "inch" of finely chopped leek or green onions instead of hing. If you've got fresh oregano, thyme, or marjoram, add about a teaspoon of finely chopped herbs for an extra flavorful stew.

Add 2 chopped carrots, 1 chopped medium potato, and a generous amount of finely chopped green kale. You could also add a little tomato puree, or 2-3 chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of mineral salt. Sautée until the kale wilts, then transfer to the crockpot.

If you're feeling abundant, add a handful of pine nuts—or sunflower seeds will do—for extra protein, a little crunch, and delicious flavor.

Important: Scoop out that bay leaf so that you, or your loved ones, don't get a nasty sharp poke in the mouth!!

Ladle up your soup, and away you go with thermos in hand. Or for those, like me, who commute from the home office down the hall, turn your cooker to low, and enjoy the aroma until lunchtime.

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