Red Lentil Soup

Red lentil soup

Lately I’m obsessed with lentils.  Our pantry shelves are lined with them—bags and boxes filled with miniature rounds of black, green and brown.  To those who rifle around looking for more readily edible snacks, my compulsion is slightly puzzling.  A collection of shoes in the closet or books on the shelf is easier to understand.  But mothers have other odd obsessions as well, best ignored, as teens well know; simply shove the legumes aside and move on to the chips.

Loving lentils makes sense to me, if to no one else.  I cook dinner every day for a vegetarian family, and legumes and beans offer us a rich source of vegetable protein that’s essential to our diet.  And beyond the nutrition, they’re a treasure trove of inspiration as well.  I’ve no doubt I could add lentils to the pot day after day, week after week, and never repeat the same concoction twice (unless I wanted to).  One day it’s soup, another a main-dish salad.  Then on to a stew or dal.

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Thai Peanut “Noodles”

Thai peanut noodles

This week we welcome back health coach and Freshness Farms participant, Christine de la Cruz, as our first guest writer of this summer season.  Check out Christine’s earlier post on juicing and healthy eating.  This week she shares an ingenious dish that fashions “noodles” from summer squash.  Diners of all ages will adore these sneaky noodles, bathed in a nutty, Thai-inspired sauce—and be none the wiser about their vegetal identity.  

Be sure to stay tuned for more guests throughout the next few months…

Do you, like most Americans, love pasta? I know my family does. Pasta is one of those go-to meals we are all looking for, that EVERYONE will eat. I love pasta too, but it doesn’t really love my thighs. As soon as I eat a comforting bowlful, I immediately feel a bit fluffy and bloated. I don’t like feeling fluffy. Or bloated. Well, guess what? I’ve found a way to have my pasta and eat it too.

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Springy Summer Rolls

Spring Rolls

Whether you call them spring rolls, summer rolls or even plain old salad wraps doesn’t really matter—unless you feel the need to be culturally precise.  Whatever name you choose, Vietnamese-style rice paper wraps are an irresistibly fun and tasty, hands-on approach to pushing fruit and vegetables.  Call it sneaky if you want, but what kid (or adult) doesn’t embrace the idea of choosing the food on their plate—and having the chance to play with it, too?  Pull out all the veggies, Mom.  This is the day you’ve waited for.

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Couscous Salad with Cilantro Pesto and Spring Vegetables

Couscous Salad with Spring Peas and Cilantro Pesto

Fresh cilantro pesto brightens up this easy pasta salad.  Vary the vegetables as you like or substitute toasted walnuts for the pepitas.  Spring asparagus or pea shoots would be a nice addition.  Look for Israeli couscous at high-end and specialty markets such as Whole Foods or Gene’s in Saratoga.  In a pinch substitute jarred pesto for the fresh.  You may not find ready-made cilantro pesto, and if not, basil pesto will do.  Add as much as you need to moisten the salad and give it plenty of flavor.

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Parsley Oil

Parsley Oil

This recipe is adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s vegetarian cookbook, Plenty.  We’ve reduced the garlic and lemon juice slightly from the original recipe. The parsley oil can be served in many ways, but the one we like the best is parsley oil on sliced, toasted baguette with roasted baby tomatoes. This would make a great appetizer. Another way to use the parsley oil is on Smashed Roasted Potatoes. This recipe is good for a nice, acidic pop to complete a dish.  Try substituting other seasonal herbs, such as basil, cilantro or arugula.

This recipe was photographed and tested by Emma P, Ashley J, Ariana C and Katelyn E—7th graders at The Girls’ Middle School.

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