It's been a while!

Due to health related yuck and school related schedules, I haven't had the time or the motivation to update this in a while! To make up for my long absence I'll give you a few recipes to enjoy during the colder fall weather. :-)

Lentil Stew You Will Actually WANT To Eat!
The typical lentil stew is made with brown lentils, onions, and perhaps some tomatoes. In a word - BORING! I've never really liked lentil stew, but red lentils are a powerhouse of nutrients and very affordable ($2 for a bag that contains 3 cups), as well as having a brighter flavor than brown lentils. The carmelized onions and winter squash give this stew a surprisingly sweet flavor. Most lentil soup recipes call for running the ingredients through a blender for a creamy consistency, but the texture of this stew is great just the way it is.

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium carrots, sliced thinly ($.25)
1 medium onion (sweet or yellow) coarsely chopped ($.40)
1 cup dried red lentils ($.60)
2 cups raw winter squash, peeled and cubed (acorn, butternut, delicata, hubbard, or even sugar pumpkin would all work well) ($1.10)
1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes ($.50)
2 cups of water with 2 tsp bullion ($.20)
2 tsp diced garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp fennel seeds (sub cumin seeds if you don't have these, or omit)
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to grease pot

Total Cost: $3.05
Servings: 6 generous
Cost per serving: $.51

To Make:

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat with 2 T olive oil. Add garlic, onion, carrots, and fennel/cumin seeds. Cook 3-5mins, or until the onion becomes clear. Add the raw squash and cook 5mins longer, or until the onion and carrot begin to carmelize (they will brown on the edges and smell sweet).
   
2. Add canned tomatoes (no need to drain!), water/bullion, and lentils. Bring to a boil and cover, simmering 20mins or until the lentils are soft. Stir periodically, and add water if necessary. You want all ingredients to be covered by liquid.
   
3. When the lentils are cooked through, add salt and pepper to taste. I actually threw in a few red pepper flakes to counter balance the sweet flavor of the stew, but it would be good without them too.
   
4. Enjoy! Serve with a crusty bread (watch for upcoming posts on breadmaking! It is even better the next day. :-)
   

Corn Chowder That Won't Give You Heart Disease
Most chowders are filled with rich cream and butter to give them a velvety texture - tastes great, but it's rough on my digestive system and not too healthy either. This recipe uses starch from well-cooked potatoes to replace the heavy cream, and you know what? It's not too bad.

Ingredients:
1 bunch green onions, roughly chopped ($.60)
2 cups frozen corn ($.75)
2 medium potatoes, washed and chopped into bite sized pieces (Yukon Gold are best, but red or baking potatoes will work as well) ($1)
1 cup milk (2% worked fine) ($.19)
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese ($.75)
1.5 cups water with 1 tsp bullion
1 tsp diced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt (you can put in 1/4 and reserve the rest to taste)
Bacon bits (optional) to top
Olive oil to grease pot

Total Cost: $3.26
Servings: 6 generous
Cost Per Serving: $.55

To Make:

1. Heat a large stockpot with 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Add green onion, garlic, and corn. Cook until the onion is wilted the the garlic is fragrant.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil (add more water if needed to cover the potatoes). Simmer, covered, 10-15mins until the potatoes are very soft and begin to break down when you stir them.
   
3. Stir the mixture roughly with a wooden spoon, breaking up some of the potato chunks. At this point the chowder should begin to look, well, chowdery. Add the milk in during the last minute or two of cooking.
   
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with cheddar cheese and bacon bits. If you want to serve it with bread, reserve the cheddar cheese for topping toasted bagel halves and use the bacon bits only to garnish the chowder.
   

Hope these two recipes work well for you. I enjoyed both of them far more than I anticipated, since I usually become ill after eating chowder (too much rich dairy!) and have never had a lentil soup that I liked! I think the lentil stew would freeze well, in an airtight plastic freezer bag, but the chowder would likely become grainy once thawed.