Indian-inspired lentil soup

We all need a little lift from now and then to keep our spirit high. When something goes wrong, we have to remember all the other good people & things that are still there with us, and it may sooth the pain. These are times when we need to keep our heart & tummy warm, because the temperature refuses to collaborate.

I came to making this soup out of literally whatever I had in the house. The only thing that I had to go buy, was the fresh parsley. Let me tell you, tough out the cold bum and run to the store to get it, because it adds a really nice touch.

 Indian-inspired lentil soup (makes about 10 servings)

• a splash of olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• a couple cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 can of Italian tomatoes, whole
• 2 boxes of chicken broth (about 2L)
• 1 large bunch of curly parsley, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped. And a few for garnish
• about 1 cup of dried lentil, rinsed and picked over
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp curry powder (or more depends on your taste)
• Chili flakes if desired
• Lemon, sliced 

Heat oil in a big pot over medium heat, add onions and garlic, cook for a few minutes until fragrant but not burnt. Add the tomatoes & the juice, mash them up in small chunks with a wooden spoon. Then add the chicken broth, leaving about half of a box for thinning the soup later.

Turn heat to maximum, add the parsley and the lentils. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Add the masala, curry and chili flakes half way and mix well.

Serve with fresh parsley for garnish, with some freshly ground black pepper, and a small wedge of lemon. It really kicks it up a notch (unfortunately I didn't get the lemon when I made this, boo!)

****I put this soup into individual microwavable containers for lunch, and before taking them to work, I would add a bit of chicken broth, because it thickens up quite a lot

It is Valentine's Day weekend, and I made some cakes for the occasion, for an order. One was a "kitsch" Birthday/Valentines Day theme (yes, "kitsch" was an important part of the order) It was chocolate layer cake with fresh strawberry buttercream.

Yeehaw!!!!! Chocolate layer cake with fresh strawberry butter-cream

And then there were the cute cupcakes *sigh*...

From front to back: Cinnamon "bun" & Orange butter-cream, Double amaretto, Green Tea & Lemon butter-cream, Double Root Beer

I wish you all a wonderful weekend with your Valentine (although I am sure that everyday is Valentine's Day for a lot of you *wink*) Share some soup, share some cupcakes. Most importantly, spread the love!

Sauté Shrimp Primavera Ptitim (Israeli couscous)

Ptitim, also called Israeli couscous, is my new favorite pasta! There is a slight chewiness to them that is very pleasing to eat, somewhere between a pastina and barley.

I've had them before in restaurants, but this is the first time I cook them. They really keep their shape through cooking, reheating and they don't clump like couscous. They cook a tad faster than other pasta because of their small shape, and the sauce really cling to them. It's awesome!

I made something pretty simple, with stuff that I already have in the fridge: primavera sauce purchased at Jean Talon market, broccoli and shrimp. Quite straight forward, really....

Sauté Shrimp Primavera Ptitim

• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup Ptitim/Israeli couscous
• 6-8 shrimps, peeled, devained
• pinch of salt, pepper & chili flakes
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups of your favorite sauce, ready-to-eat
• About 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Boil the water, then add the ptitim, and simmer covered, for 10 minutes. Drain under cold water, set aside.

In the same pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat, sauté shrimps just until they turn opaque (which means they are cooked) sprinkle the salt, pepper and chili flakes, stir around to coat, set shrimps aside in a bowl.

Use the same pot & add the sauce over medium low heat until it starts bubbling. Add the cheese, it will thicken the sauce. Stir to mix well, then add the ptitim.

Udon noodle soup with watercress

Sun dresses, bermuda shorts and flip-flops were frantically pulled out from the closets all over Montreal this morning. The humidity was suddenly quite present in the air.

This is it! This is when the ice cream machines take over the ovens, when cold treats are invading the brownies & bread puddings. This is when I'm prone to making noodle soups for lunches & suppers instead of well... everything else!

I always have a couple of boiled eggs still in the shell for quick snack or "emergencies" that i keep in the fridge. I'm not a vegetarian, I like meat but I actually don't eat a lot of it, so a boiled egg slightly pan fried face-down for colors, sounds good for the protein part of the meal.

So for this bowl of goodness, you will need:

• A splash of olive oil
• Some minced garlic
• One hard boiled egg, halved
• A handful of chopped tomato
• Broth (homemade of chicken, or vegetables, or boxed)
• A bunch of watercress
• Fresh instant udon noodles (I only eat half a bag at a time, but put more if you eat more)

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Put in garlic. Put the egg halves in, face down, for about a minute. Shake the pot a bit so they don't stick. Scoop out into bowl.

Throw the tomatoes in, cook 1 minute. Pour broth in. Turn heat up to high and when broth boils, put in noodles. Swirl the noodles around a bit until the strands detach themselves from one another. Then immediately put watercress in to cook, about 30-45 seconds. Turns off heat. Pour everything into bowl. Crack some pepper on top if you'd like.

Oh "sole" mio!!!

First of all, I have to announce that I got my 1st post on Tastespotting today!!!! What a great way to start the day!!! I mean, Tastespotting is only... like... OMG... my FAVORITE website EVER!!!

Yes, we've already established that I am a nerd, moving on!

Gonna keep this one short & sweet, well, actually, short & savory, then I'm off to make a chocolate ricotta cake for my friend J. & the baby that is still hibernating in her belly. So I give you an uber quick meal to prepare with sole & spinach.

Pan-fried sole with "garlicky" spinach & tomato
per portion

• a pinch of sea salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried rosemary (it's up to your taste)
• 2 splashes of olive oil
• a couple of garlic cloves, minced
• 2 fillets of sole (or any other white fish that you prefer)
• 1 tomato, diced
• a bunch of spinach, washed

Sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried rosemary over the fish fillets.

In a pan, heat 1 splash of olive oil over medium high heat. Cook fish til done. Carefully lift fish out onto plate with a spatula (sole fillets are thin)

Add the other splash of olive oil, add garlic. Scrape up bits of the fish if there is any. Throw the tomato cubes in. Stir around for about 30 seconds & throw the spinach in. Cook for another 30 seconds or til spinach is wilted.

Enjoy!!!!!!

Lemony Peppered Shrimp on Pasta & Asparagus

Yummy. Quick to prepare. That's all I need to say!

I used asparagus, tiger shrimps and pasta meat sauce that I made & stocked in my freezer. Which you can substitute with whatever you prefer or have on hand (string beans, chicken, you get the point)

So, pour yourself a glass of wine, and here we go...

Lemony Peppered Shrimp on Pasta & Asparagus
per portion, approximately

• 6-7 asparagus (because I like a lot of vegetables) washed.
• spaghetti (the amount that you want to eat)
• 1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce (I don't like a pool of sauce in my pasta dish) with meat or without.
• a splash of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 3-4 shrimps, shelled & cleaned
• a couple of grates of lemon zest & squeezes of lemon juice
• pepper

In a medium large pot, boil water. Throw asparagus in for about 2 minutes. Take out and dump into a pot of really cold water to stop them from cooking any longer.

Keep the water boiling, cook pasta until al dente. Remove pot from heat to drain.

Put a pan on the burner, lower heat to medium high. Put meat sauce in and stir. Heat til bubbly, which takes only a half minute or so, drop the pasta back in. Cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Place asparagus on plate. Put pasta & sauce on top.

Bring the pan back on the burner. Heat olive oil & swirl it around. Throw in the garlic. The immediately the shrimp. Stir. While shrimps cook, add in a couple of squeezes of lemon juice. Once they are cooked, grind pepper on top, and add the lemon zest. Place on top of everything else in the place.

What? you already finished your glass of wine???? Tsk tsk tsk!!! Go on, quick! Pour yourself another and grab a fork. I won't tell....