serves 6

1       pound lentil

6      scallions, chopped

1      red bell pepper, diced

1      yellow bell pepper, diced

2     cups chopped parsley

6     tablespoons olive oil

zest of one lemon

1/2  cup lemon juice

salt to taste

1/2  cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

-Place all the vegetables in a salad of bowl.

-Wash the lentil, cover with water and bring to boil.  Boil the lentil until cooked but not mushy, drain and add to the vegetables.  Drizzle with the olive oil and toss gently.

-Add the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the salt.

-Sprinkle with the feta cheese, if using, and serve.

Lentil Pilaf

serves 4-6

1/2      cup olive oil

1          large onion, thinly sliced

2         cups lentil

1         cup short grain rice

salt to taste

-In a pot, place the lentil with 8 cups of water and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Boil until the lentil cooked but not mushy.  Drain, save the lentils and 2 1/4 cup of cooking liquid.

-In heavy pot, heat the olive oil and cook the onion until golden brown.  Remove from the heat, remove the onion with slotted spoon and place aside.

-Return the pot to the stove, add the saved lentil cooking water and bring to a boil.  Add the lentils and the rice, stir, cover and cook covered for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the rice pilaf to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

-Spoon the pilaf on a shallow serving platter, sprinkle with the caramelized onion and serve.

Lentil Cilantro Soup

serves 4-6

3        large eggplants

2        large onions, julienne

1        red bell pepper, cut into thin slices

4       tablespoons olive oil

1        32-ounces can diced tomatoes

1        clove garlic, sliced

1/2   teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

4        tablespoons crumbled feta, optional

-Cut two 1/2-inch thick slices from top of each eggplant and place on cookie sheet.  Cut the rest of eggplants, lengthwise, into 1/2-inch thick slices and place on the cookie sheet.  Brush each slice with olive oil on both sides. Place the cookie sheet under broiler and broil until golden brown.  Remove from the oven  and set aside.  Take the round slices and set aside for decoration.

-In heavy pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and the thyme, stir and cook for couple of minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes, the salt and the pepper.  Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

-Spoon half of the tomato sauce into baking dish, place the broiled long eggplant slices on top of the sauce.  Spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the eggplants.  Cut the eggplant round in half and arrange them with the cut pepper on top of the sauce.  Cover with foil and bake in 395 degree F. oven for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven, remove the foil, sprinkle with feta cheese and serve. YOU CAN SKIP THE FETA CHEESE TO MAKE VEGAN DISH.

For the milk pudding:

4      tablespoons cornstarch

4      cups milk

4      tablespoons sugar

1      tablespoons orange blossom water

For the orange pudding:

2      cups orange juice

2      tablespoons cornstarch

2      tablespoons sugar

1/2  teaspoons orange blossom water

For topping, optional

1/4  cup chopped unsalted pistachio nuts

-For the milk pudding, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water.  Pour the milk, the cornstarch mixture and the sugar into heavy pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon.  When you feel a slight resistance while stirring, and the mixture coats the back of the spoon, it has thickened sufficiently.  Add orange blossom water, stir and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from the pan from the heat.  Allow to cool slightly, then pour the pudding into ice cream dishes.  Leave at least a 1 inch space at the top to make room for the orange pudding.  Place the dishes in the refrigerator while you are making the orange pudding.

-For the orange pudding: Follow the same steps as milk pudding, replacing the milk with the orange juice.  When the orange juice thicken.  Remove from the heat,  allow it to cool slightly.  Take the milk pudding from the refrigerator and spoon the orange pudding on top the milk pudding making sure it cover the top.  Chill until ready to serve.

-To serve: Sprinkle with the pistachio and enjoy.

Long time ago, when I lived in Washington D.C. I worked in the Watergate office building.  As you probably know, or at least, as you probably suspect, a snow of an inch or so in Washington, D.C., nearly shuts down the city.  The result of such weather is that everyone in the office building eats in the Greek-owned deli on the ground floor, crating a huge crowd.  When I worked in the building, the deli served the best twice-baked potato and the best lentil soup in Washington, D.C.

During one such snow storm, I was in line for lunch at eh deli.  I ordered lentil sop, which was served to me in a Styrofoam bowl.  As I turned to leave, I spilled the entire bowl on the Swedish consular, who was standing behind me.  He was so polite that he insisted that I get back in line ahead of him to get a new bowl of soup.  I did, and immediately spilled the second bowl all over the floor.  Because most of those in line were diplomats, they didn’t say a word as my face and ears turned totally red, and the deli personnel came around the counter to clean up the mess I had made.  The third helping of the lentil soup was given to me in a bowl, placed in the center of a large tray so any spill would be caught in the tray and not by the Swedish consular.

All cultures have great soups. Some soups are light and make good starter and some make a meal on their own. Lentil soups are still my favorite.

Lentil Lemon Soup with Cilantro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krty6C34I2E

12         ounces lite tofu

6           cloves garlic

1            cup chopped fresh basil

4            tablespoons olive oil

1/8       teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

zest of one lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1           pound angel hair pasta

3          tablespoons bread crumbs

-In a food processor, puree tofu, garlic, basil, olive oil, lemon zest, ginger, salt and pepper.  Puree until you have smooth paste.  Spoon into large bowl.

-In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil.  Drop the pasta, stir and cook until al-dente.

-Drain the pasta and add to the basil paste while it is hot and mix well until the pasta is well coated.

-Spray a bundet cake pan with olive oil spray and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.  Spoon the pasta into the cake pan and press very firmly.

-Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.

-Place large flat plate over the pan and turn the pan cake up-side down.  Slice and serve with tomato salad.

In previous years, this event has brought international phone calls among my mother, me, my brother and my sister in an effort to prevent a disaster.  Usually my sister-in-low, who refuses to be adventurous when it comes to food, declines to eat anything her own mother did not prepare when she was growing up.

And usually, my mother is alert to her daughter-in-law’s approval or disapproval.  If my brother’s wife so much as rolls her eyes, it will ruin my mother’s day.  As a consequence, my brother overeats to make our mother feel good about her cooking.

But my mother finally has found a way to overcome stress preparing for a dinner when she has guests-such as my sister-in-law-who are too finicky to please.  My mom becomes a “prep chef,” that is, she asks what the guest wants for dinner.  Then, she asks what the ingredients are.  She buys those ingredients requested by the guests and does the initial preparation, after which she turns the kitchen over to the guest to cook the meal.  This method, she has learned, deprives her guests of all ground for complaint.

When she turns the kitchen over to the guest, she then is able to relax physically and mentally.  She makes herself a cup of tea, sits in the kitchen and enjoys visiting with her son, his wife and her grandkids.  At first, I worried my father wouldn’t eat food cooked by someone else, but my mother reassured me he would eat any thing that has garlic, salt and pepper.

The lesson I’ve learned from my mother is to not be so rigid when preparing for a holiday meal.  I know women who refuse to go outside their traditional recipes when cooking for the holidays.  But I find it’s much better to be a little bit adventurous and relaxed. The idea is to enjoy the company of your guests without worrying about what to feed them and how to impress them with your knowledge of complicated recipes.

Serves 6-8

1       cup olive oil

4       medium onion, jullienne

1       pound lentils

6       cloves garlic, mashed

2       cups chopped cilantro

1/4  cup lemon juice

1/4  cup pomegranate molasses

salt and pepper to taste

1      loaf bread

1/2  cup pomegranate seeds, optional

-Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and saute 1/4 of the onion and saute for five minutes.  Wash the lentils and add to the onions.  Add 10 cups of water, salt and pepper and bring to boil.  Cook the lentil cooked but not mushy.  Remove the lentil from the stove and set aside.

-In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until caramelized.  Line a tray with paper towels.  Using slotted spoon, remove the onions from the oil and place over the paper towel.  Remove the pan from the stove and allow the oil to cool.  Place the frying pan with the oil on top of the stove.  Add the garlic and the cilantro and saute for couple of minutes.  Add the garlic and cilantro mixture to the lentils.

-Place the lentils back on the stove, add the lemon juice and the pomegranate molasses.  Bring back to a boil.  Adjust the seasoning.

-By hand, cut the dough into 1/4-inch balls and drop into the boiling lentils.  Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

-Spoon the lentils into deep serving platter.  Sprinkle with the caramelized onion and the pomegranate molasses.