It's That Time of Year Again

MOM! Get him off me. I was here first!

It has been downright chilly the past few days.  There is a cool crispness in the air that foretells of winter's approach and the need to pull out the sweaters and comforters and big fuzzy slippers.  I haven't had much time for blogging lately, either. What with the new puppy, Fionnbharr,
and the toddler, affectionately called "The Bear", life is pretty much full, but in the best possible way. As I am trying to write this, I can tell there is something going on in the other room that I am probably not going to be happy about. Still, I love this time of year, when I get to make all of the warm, rich comfort foods that we tend not to want during the warmer months - hang on ... *pauses to go look in the other room*





*15 minutes later* Alrighty, I'm back and I was right.  There was something I wasn't happy about going on. The pup and babe had conspired together to get the empty Gourmet Donuts' coffee cup (complete with droplets of Maple French Toast coffee clinging to the interior) from the trash can and were both contentedly sitting in the middle of the living room floor eating it.  Yes, eating the Maple French Toast flavored styrofoam.  I had to sweep both of their mouths several times to make sure I got it all.  Then, taking that as a sign of hunger, I put down some kibble for the pup and fed the baby some of my homemade Arabian-style Lentil soup.  Now, hopefully, I can continue to write about one of my favorite topics, food, namely, that Arabian-style Lentil soup.

The yummiest Lentil soup in the world.

Now, the recipe to this Lentil soup has been until now a closely guarded secret, so it was no good asking me to share it.  Even the "recipe" which I left behind at The Natural Market is a poor facsimile of the delicious yumminess that is in that bowl in the photo.  Let me start by saying that it has red lentils, lots and lots of garlic and onions, and a homemade concoction of spices commonly referred to as "Baharat" in the Gulf States.  Each housewife generally makes her own blend of Baharat and becomes known for that particular blend.  While the mix consists mostly of all the same spices, every person uses different quantities of each one, imparting a very unique signature to all of her dishes.  At family gatherings, it is easy to pick out who made what dish simply because of the uniqueness of the spice blend.  I am not tooting my own horn when I say that my blend was coveted.  Well ... ok, I am tooting my own horn, but it's still true.  Even my ex-husband's mother used to ask me to make enough so that I could give her some of it. No joke; it's good stuff.  I believe the reason mine was always so much more flavorful is that I never use pre-ground spices. I always grind them fresh when I make a new batch of Baharat.



At some point I will tell you how I make mine and then you can give it a shot, but today, I am going to let you in on a heretofore never revealed recipe:

Branwen's Arabian Style Lentil Soup

1 large onion, chopped 

4 -5 cloves garlic, chopped fine

4 med tomatoes, chopped (or a normal sized can fire-roasted tomatoes if you don't have any fresh)

¼ C ghee (clarified butter)
1½ C red lentils, rinsed, drained
3 t Baharat (your own, homemade is always best)
salt to taste
6 C cold water
optional: ½ C vermicelli or angel hair pasta (broken into 1" pieces)

1. OK, so first things first.  You're going to want to rinse your lentils.  If you buy them in bulk, you may find small stones in them and you'll definitely want to pick over them and remove any stones you find. Rinsing well helps prevent them from foaming when you're cooking. 
2. Fill a large pot with 6 cups of cold water and add the lentils.  Cover and bring to a boil.
3. While you're waiting for the lentils to start boiling, in a frying pan saute the onions in the ghee.  When they're soft, add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes, then add your tomatoes.  If you're using fresh tomatoes, you'll cook this until they get soft and the mixture looks almost pasty.  If you're using canned ones, it'll go faster, but I prefer fresh.
4. Add the Baharat and salt.  Taste it and add more salt.  I always try err on the side of caution because I am a saltaholic.  Saute for a couple minutes more. (Try not to drool into the pan.)
5. Add the vegetable mix to the pot of lentils and stir.  Taste and add a little more salt.  Turn down to low and allow to simmer for 40 minutes or so, stirring so that it doesn't stick, until the lentils are completely soft.  
6. Add the pasta if you're using it and allow to cook for another 20 minutes.  You may need to add more water if it seems to be getting too thick. Do be careful, here.  You don't want to add too much, but you also want it to be soup, not glue.

And that's it! Sometimes I use the pasta, sometimes I don't.  You will definitely want to make enough to freeze for another meal.  I've doubled or even tripled the recipe and frozen it for quick meals on really chilly days.

ENJOY!