Italian Lentil Soup with Zucchini Chips

Italian food is one of my favorite. I love trying recipes which has cheese, meat and pasta. One day I was walking  by a store called World Market and just hopped in to check what they carry. I heard about this store from one of my friends and did wanna go some day. I found that the store carried many Italian foods and I got his soup mix to try and did like it very much.

Ingredients:

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Soup:

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1 package Italian Lentil Soup Mix

1 tsp Lemon Pepper (optional)

Water as needed

Zucchini Chips:
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1 large Zucchini sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil for deep frying


Method:
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Soup:
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1. In a heavy bottom sauce pan add water and bring to the water to a boil. Add the lentils and cover and cook until done or according to the package instructions.
2. Before it's done add the soup mix and mix it well and cover and off the flame.
3. Transfer some to a serving bowl sprinkle with lemon pepper if needed.


Zucchini Chips:
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1. In a heavy bottom vessel add enough oil for deep frying and let it reach 359F.
2. Using a slicer slice the zucchini to thin slices.
3. With a dry paper towel, wipe off excess water from the zucchini slices and drop one by one into the oil carefully. Make sure that you do it in batches and also don't overcrowd the pan.
4. Flip once and fry until the chips turn golden brown or just for 3-4 min on each side.

Coriander Thogayal

This Coriander Thogayal has became a part of my family's day to day food. It was a day to day side in my lunchpack right from my school days. This thogayal is a bit sweet due to the jaggery content in it. If you don't like the taste of sweet Coriander thogayal, then you are free to ignore the jaggery from the list of ingredients.

Ingredients:



Coriander Leaves - 1 large bunch, finely chopped

Garlic  - 5 cloves

Tamarind - 1 gooseberry size

Dry Red chillies - 6 nos

Jaggery / Sugar - 2 teaspoon (Optional)

Salt - to taste

Oil - 3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:



1) Wash coriander leaves and chop them finely.

2) Take a Kadai / Wide Pan and add the chopped coriander leaves. Saute them until they are mashed completely.

3) Allow the mashed coriander to cool down.

4) Meanwhile, soak tamarind in a 1/4 cup of warm water.

5) Grind the mashed coriander leaves, red chillies, garlic cloves,  Jaggery, soaked tamarind and a little bit salt to a fine thick paste. While grinding, add only a little bit of water.

6) Take a Kadai / Pan and heat oil in it.

7) Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.

8) Add the coriander paste to the kadai and stir fry it.

9) Continue frying the coriander paste until the paste's colour changes to olive green / thick green

10) Coriander thogayal is now ready to be used as a side for Idly, Dosa, White Rice, Chapathi etc. Store it in a dry container. You can also refrigerate this and use it for a week or even more depending on how good it is.

Note:

1) I usually select the size of the tamarind to be added according to the mashed coriander leaves.(i.e.) Tamarind size is 1/2 the quantity of mashed coriander.

It Won't Last Strawberry Lemonade

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

(2011 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved)

This recipe was inspired by a drink I had at Holy Trinity High School in Wicker Park. I stopped by the school in April to see how Chef John Boundas and his staff are innovating Chicago's school lunch program, one meal at a time. At the end of the visit, a woman handed me a glass of the strawberry lemonade they stir up with frozen berries from the commodities program. The blush-colored drink had a fruitiness, a tang, and a touch of sweetness that would outshine any processed beverage. It is proof that John and his staff really do perform miracles in the kitchen.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Tip: Two years ago, I visited my Aunt Regina who lives just outside of San Francisco. At the time, her lemon trees were heavy with fruit. She taught me to pour extra lemon juice into an ice cube tray to store it for later use. Use this tip if you end up with more lemon juice that you need for the strawberry lemonade.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine 3/4 cup water and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Using a blender, puree strawberries with 3 tablespoon of lemon juice. Push juice through a sieve to filter out seeds.

In a pitcher, combine sugar syrup, strawberry juice, the rest of the water and lemon juice. Stir.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)