Soup season is coming to a close at our house. This brought great concern to Ballerina who wanted to know what we would be eating on Thursdays. I stop making soup at the end of March, I feel that April is too warm for soup. However, I do make Matzoh Ball Soup for Passover.
This past Thursday I made Lentil soup. It was the best Lentil soup I've ever had. Ballerina even declared it her favorite soup!!! (That's a big deal.)
I got the recipe from Lucinda Scala Quinn's Mad Hungry TV Show.
I doubled the recipe so I could freeze half of it for later this month!!
Serves 6 to 8
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup)
2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped (2/3 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 small tomato, chopped (1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups brown or green lentils
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
4 cups water, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Garlic Croutons, optional
Directions
1.Heat a large soup pot over high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and saute until the vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
2.Add the lentils, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Add the broth and water, and bring to a boil, skimming and discarding any foam as it rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (The cooking time depends on the age of the dried lentils.) Stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If needed, thin the soup with additional water or broth for the desired consistency. Serve in a bowl topped with fresh croutons, if using.
Now, this next recipe came from "The Pioneer Woman" Cookbook. In the cookbook it says that you have to make this Chocolate Cake right away because you haven't lived until you've eaten this cake.
The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever!!
Image from Pioneer Woman Blog
Ingredients
•FOR THE CAKE:
•2 cups Flour
•2 cups Sugar
•¼ teaspoons Salt
•4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
•2 sticks Butter
•1 cup Boiling Water
•½ cups Buttermilk
•2 whole Beaten Eggs
•1 teaspoon Baking Soda
•1 teaspoon Vanilla
•_____
•FOR FROSTING:
•½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
•1-¾ stick Butter
•4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
•6 Tablespoons Milk
•1 teaspoon Vanilla
•1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever!!!!!
Ballerina helped me make the cake
Our Review of the cake....
Tommy thought it was AMAZING!!!!
I thought it was very good. I'm not a big fan of chocolate cake I prefer a chocolate bar. I also woke up around 2:00 am with some bad heart burn.
Speed Racer sang the entire time he ate the cake and then he cuddled up with me and thanked me for dessert. (I think he loved the cake)
Ballerina also loved the cake.
If you want to be a rock star then you want to make this cake!!!
As you all know I decorate for every holiday. That includes St. Patrick's Day!! We are proud Irish people here!!! (Ballerina thinks that St. Patrick's day is a day we celebrate her second cousin Patrick.) I try explaining it to her but she wants to celebrate her cousin. What's the harm?
I have this decoration that I usually put by the kitchen sink, but this year I thought that I would put it on the coffee table.
Here is the cute little leprechaun that I thought the kids would like to look at.
The other day I heard Speed Racer say to Tommy "That little man is looking at me."
Speed Racer made a big mistake by telling Tommy that piece of information, because Tommy likes to tease Speed Racer. Tommy moves the leprechaun closer to Speed Racer when he is not looking so he thinks that the leprechaun is coming to get him.
Speed Racer laughs very uncomfortably and moves the leprechaun away from him. It's something that has happened a dozen times this weekend.
We have plans to move it all around the house where Speed Racer can find it!!!
I know we're mean but it's sooooo much fun!! LOL.
Hope you had a great weekend!!!
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