Curried Lentils and Butternut Squash with Kale

I recently went through the 3-ring binders I have been collecting for 8 or 9 years, that are full of recipes. I would go through magazines and tear out recipes I wanted to try or recipes that I printed off the internet. I won't mention how many of these binders I have collected over the years, but needless to say, when I saw them all together, I was more than embarrassed!

I decided to take a few recipes that I had forgotten about and try them. I found this in Parents magazine and it was supposed to be a side dish for Thanksgiving. The link below has the original recipe, which I didn't really follow. The butternut squash was supposed to be cooked along with the lentils, but I like it better roasted in the oven. And I had some kale that needed to be used, so I sauteed that and made it a bed for the lentils and butternut squash!

Here is the inspiration for this recipe, but I did my own thing

Red Lentils, Eggplant and Chickpeas

My eggplant plant is still producing quite a few eggplants. A few weeks ago, I harvested 12 or so in one week and the next week I had about 10. That is a lot of eggplant. Even for someone who really likes it! I had to share some of it with friends, but I used most of it.

This recipe is something similar to what we eat on a regular basis. More often than not, I take a a look at what veggies I have on hand and pick a protein/whole grain to compliment it and then I make up something for dinner. I did kinda use a recipe as a base for this, but, like usual, I didn't really follow it. The result was delicious and very comforting.

Here is the recipe which I use mostly used as an idea to go from, I didn't really follow it
* I didn't use barley- I added bulger when I added the lentils
* I added chopped green peppers with the onion
* I added chopped kale
* I added curry powder
* I added more tomato paste
* I didn't puree it or cook it as long

Baked Curry Sweet Potato Fries

I don't really like sweet potatoes that much. I love what sweet potatoes can do in baked goods, but I've never cared for them at Thanksgiving, especially when they are made even more sweet by adding sugar, marshmallows, etc. I don't mind an occasional baked sweet potato or sweet potatoes that are mixed in with other things, but I know that they are healthy choice, so I want to like them more.

I saw this recipe over at Joy the Baker and I knew that if anything could help me to like sweet potatoes more, it would be turning them into fries and using curry powder to flavor them.
I've used the egg white technique before in helping an item crisp up in the oven- on these Spiced Pecans, so there wasn't anything really too new in making these fries. I already know that roasting veggies in the best way to cook them, so I was pretty sure these fries were going to be spectacular.
And they were. I made them for lunch one day and they were so good. I love the flavors of the spices and the yogurt dip was the perfect thing to go with them.

My photo doesn't properly showcase how yummy these turned out, so make sure to go and look at the Joy's post and pictures.

Here is the recipe for Baked Curry Sweet Potato Fries from Joy the Baker
* I baked my fries at 425 degrees F

Cauliflower and Spinach Curry over Red Lentils & Brown Rice

More and more frequently it seems that when the end of the week comes, I look at what is left in my fridge and end up throwing something together for dinner. Most of the time it turns out really great. I don't usually share these dishes because I am not really measuring anything, but I cook enough to know that what I am doing will turn out deliciously.

The other night I had a huge bag of spinach, a cup of chickpeas, a head of Fiesta Flower (orange cauliflower), and most of a can of lite coconut milk. First, I was thinking that I would make a quick stir-fry, but then I decided to make a curry instead. I had some leftover cooked brown rice, so the red lentil/brown rice accompaniment was perfect.

I just used the 2 recipes below as sort of a guide, I didn't really follow them, but this dish turned out so yummy. No complaints from the kids. I love it when that happens. They all gobbled it down. And when my husband came home from work and took a bite, he was inspired to find a new station on Pandora called "Bollywood Beatdown". I guess it was all those spices. Anyway, the kids and I started dancing around the table while he was trying to eat.

I can't promise the same results, but this was a really fun dinner for us.


I served the curry over the red lentil mixture
Here is the recipe for Cauliflower and Spinach Curry
* I loosely followed this recipe-
* I added chickpeas
* I omitted the tomato paste
*I didn't make the thick paste at the beginning- I just cooked my onion and added garlic, ginger, and spices

Here is a recipe for Red Lentil Soup from 101 Cookbooks
* I added less liquid so this would be less like soup and thick
*I added cooked brown rice when the red lentils were done cooking
* I added cumin and curry powder
*I omitted the red pepper flakes

Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa

I've never had Latkes before, so I am certainly not an expert. I have no idea how they should taste, what they should look like, etc. I just saw a section of Cooking Light recently that was dedicated to different types of latkes and these ones, with the combination of butternut squash and potatoes, caught my eye. I liked the idea of the apple salsa too.

I tackled this recipe the day after Christmas.
There was all this talk of it snowing here in Georgia for Christmas and I really didn't think it was going to happen. Maybe it is because I can't stand the white stuff or just because I like to think that it is impossible for snow to come here (even though it has on occasion), but sure enough, Christmas night, it started to snow. And it didn't stop until the next morning. Church was canceled, we were snowed in and it felt like the perfect day to try these guys.

The peeling and shredding of the squash and potatoes is what takes up the most time, but when you are snowed in, what else are you going to do?
Draining the liquid in a colander didn't work for me, I had to literally squeeze out all the liquid. I had read or heard somewhere that this is a very necessary step to have good latkes.
There was a nice bit of heat in these from the jalapeno (I used this instead of a serrano pepper) and I have to say that I think the apple salsa was a really nice compliment to these latkes.

My daughter & I really loved these, some of the others thought they were just okay. I served them with a little bit of unsweetened, natural applesauce and a dab of greek yogurt, alongside the apple salsa.

Recipe for Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa
* I used a jalapeno pepper instead of a serrano pepper

Eggs Poached in Curried Tomato Sauce or in my case, Curried Tomato Sauce with a Fried Egg

Has anyone else been enjoying the articles and recipes by Mark Bittman in Cooking Light Magazine?
I sure have. I like his food philosophy. I can't say that I am a expert on him or what he thinks, but he has been popping up in different magazines lately and I like what he has to say.
He is trying to help people realize that you can enjoy lots of vegetables/plants and less meat/animal products and still have delicious food. That isn't his only point, but it is one that stuck out to me and I agree with him.

This is one of his recipes that was featured in recently in Cooking Light.

I decided to make this on a weekday morning just as a special treat for me. I don't usually do that with new recipes that I want to try- I usually make them for the entire family. But, my husband hates tomatoes and refuses to eat them, so this was a special treat for me after my morning workout. I was also excited about having leftovers for later in the week.

I am not a fan of runny yolks, so I decided to fry my eggs in a little bit of olive oil, instead of poaching them, although I am sure that the original way of preparing this dish is really delicious.
I love curry powder and the flavor that it gives to a dish. It really added something to this tomato sauce.
I loved how spicy this was. It was great. Such a yummy way to start the day, but it would be good for lunch or dinner too.

Recipe for Eggs Poached in Curried Tomato Sauce
* I didn't poach my eggs, I fried my eggs in a little bit of olive oil and then served it over a whole wheat english muffin
* I used olive oil instead of peanut oil and only used 1 Tablespoon


Have a great weekend everyone!

FFwD- Curried Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

This week's selection for French Fridays with Dorie, chosen by Dorie herself, was Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup.
One thing that I love about Dorie's cookbooks, is that she always includes different options and ideas to add a little flair to the basic recipe. This recipe had the option of making a version with curry powder. I love curry powder and I thought it would give great flavor to this soup.

So, I made the curry version. I couldn't help but add some veggies- mushrooms and spinach. I used rice sticks because that is all I could find. Topped with chopped cucumber, chopped peanuts, basil & mint leaves and lime wedges. I omitted the sugar.

This soup was delicious. The flavors all melded together into something wonderful. The fresh mint and basil leaves were the perfect little compliment.
I was really happy with the results. Dorie does it again! You should really get a copy of this book and try the soup for yourself.

Go check out the other versions of this soup by heading over to French Fridays with Dorie!

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

You probably thought I was done with pumpkin. I think this is the last one.

My sister sent me the link to this recipe and told me that she had made it, but that she left out the banana because she didn't know how that would affect the taste. Yes, this soup recipe has you saute chopped banana along with the onion, carrot, and celery when you start out making the soup.
She said she absolutely loved the soup but was curious if the banana made a difference.
I decided to give the soup a try.
I cut the recipe in half and made it with the banana. The only thing I changed was that I started the whole thing out with canola oil instead of butter.
I try to avoid butter in cooking whenever I can and just use canola or olive oil instead.

This soup definitely has some very interesting ingredients. Besides the obvious- pumpkin and spices, there is the banana, coconut milk, condensed milk, chicken broth, curry powder, cinnamon, sage, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, bay leaf, etc. I mean, this soup really has it all.
It is really interesting how all those flavors and spices melded together to make a delicious soup!
This is definitely an adventure in the making and the tasting.

My son was not a fan of this soup. He said it tasted like pumpkin pie with vegetables. I had to laugh at his comment because some of the flavors and spices were there, but I didn't exactly agree with him. I thought it was delicious.


Recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans & Seeded Cornmeal Biscuits

I have professed my love for red lentils before. I actually love all types of lentils, but red ones are just so delicious.
One of my good friends, who I was able to reconnect with recently, shared a great recipe with me a number of years ago and I shared it HERE. (along with another great red lentil soup)

Ever since I tried my friends soup years ago, I have been buying red lentils- at the local health food store, in the bulk section) and trying different recipes with them.
I love it when lentils are combined with dark greens and swiss chard is a definite favorite. I always use the stems and ribs of my swiss chard, because they soften up nicely and are yummy.

This Stew contains curry powder and garbanzo beans, so it is super healthy. And so tasty.
Perfect for the cold weather we are having. I know lots of places are colder than here right now, but this morning when I went to exercise it was a whopping 18 degrees! Not fun.

I found the Seeded Cornmeal Biscuits when I was searching on myrecipes.com for a hearty bread item to go along with this stew. They sounded perfect- a combination of whole wheat flour, cornmeal and lots of seeds on top. I have had great success with other biscuits on this site and knew they would be fabulous.
Once again, I like hearthy, healthy tasting breads. Some people in my family do not- mainly my hubby. He prefers Wonder Bread.
But the good news on these biscuits is that they were really popular with my kids. And they tasted good the next day and the next one after that.
I wish I had some of this leftover right now because I would eat it for breakfast.
(The recipe uses plain yogurt as a topping, I used Greek yogurt)

Recipe for Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans

Recipe for Seeded Cornmeal Biscuits

Okra, Okra- What do I do with you?

The other day my husband came home with a huge bag of fresh okra.
I really love that people are willing to share their fresh produce with us.

I already mentioned my problem with okra-mainly, that I don't really know what to do with it besides fry it and I am not a big fan of frying things at home.
This time, I took my problem to Twitter. I got lots of great ideas and recipe links- oven roasted whole okra, grilled okra, stews, gumbos, etc.
Kayte of Grandma's Kitchen Table sent me the link for Easy Indian style Okra on allrecipes- it looked easy, the spices sounded good and it was perfect for a quick side dish.
I reduced the butter by a little bit and this easy okra dish was a real hit for us.

I also did some searching of my own and found this recipe on epicurious, Curried Okra with Chickpeas and Tomatoes. I love chickpeas and thought it would be fun to try a recipe that left the okra whole. My only comment on this one is to make sure that you don't cook the okra too long, because it tastes better when it still has a little firmness to it. I had to pick the tomatoes out of my husband's serving, but other that that, everyone liked this recipe too.

I am glad that I have found more ways to cook okra-these were both really delicious!



Recipe for Easy Indian Style Okra

Recipe for Curried Okra with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

One Year Ago-Lemon Cupcakes with Raz-Pepper Preserves and Pierre Herme's Chocolate Eclairs

Blogiversary Giveaway- Creamy Parsnip Soup, Curried Carrot Soup with Grilled-Cheese Croutons, and Glazed Lemon Mini-Cakes

Since yesterday was my blogiversary, I decided to do a little giveaway. Now, I don't know if anyone out there loves cookbooks as much as I do. Maybe you do or maybe you don't. Whatever the case may be, I am going to give 1 lucky winner a copy of Everyday Food:Great Food Fast. This cookbook is really a great asset. It is similar to the magazine Everyday Food, which comes from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. What I particularly enjoy about this cookbook, is that it is arranged by the seasons of the years, featuring ingredients that are fresh and available during that particular season.
Here is an editorial review that was featured on Amazon.com- "If you are a fan of Everyday Food magazine (and you should be), you will be wowed by Great Food Fast, a gorgeous full-color cookbook filled to bursting with recipes for fresh, flavorful food that is easy to prepare. Organized by season, Great Food Fast features simple recipes for year-round cooking, including no-cook pasta sauces, main-course soups, one-dish meals, and more." --Daphne Durham
I decided to showcase a couple of the winter recipes (since it is still snowing and cold around here) from this book. I made the Creamy Parsnip Soup, Curried Carrot Soup, and Glazed Lemon Cakes. I added the super cute Grilled-Cheese Croutons that I saw in Family Fun Magazine to the Carrot soup, just for a fun topper.
Both of the soups were very good and easy.
The Parsnip soup was a little bit sweet, due to the apples and parsnips, but nice and thick also. I think I used too much of the leeks, which led to a green color soup, instead of the nice white color pictured in the book, but it still tasted great.
The Curried Carrot Soup was the definite favorite. Carrots and curry make a great combination. We loved the grilled cheese croutons on top. I didn't follow the recipe- I just used the same idea. I make grilled cheese sandwiches in my Foreman Grill, which eliminates the need for any butter. The next day we had the carrot soup for leftovers and stirred in some leftover, cooked brown rice.
The Glazed Lemon Cakes were amazing. I used buttermilk in them and that led to a very light, moist cake. I made them smaller than the recipe suggested, but that just meant there were more of us that were able to enjoy them.
So, now that you have a sample of the recipes, in order to win this cookbook, please leave me a comment telling me what your favorite season of the year is and why. I will randomly chose a winner on Tuesday @ midnight and contact you in order to get shipping information. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment with your email address, so if you are the winner I will be able to contact you. The winner will be announced in my post on Wednesday Feb. 25.
My favorite season is Summer. I love hot weather, fresh fruit and vegetables from the garden and lots of sun!
Good Luck Everybody!

Creamy Parsnip Soup from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Prep: 20 minutes Total: 50 minutes
To prepare leeks: Trim and discard root ends and dark-green parts. Halve lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Wash in several changes of cold water until all grit is removed.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound prepared leeks, sliced (2 cups)
1 pound parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium baking potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Leek garnish (see below) (I omitted this step)
Directions
Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks (reserving 1/2 cup for garnish). Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
Add parsnips, apples, potato, broth, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return it to pot; stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Leek Garnish.
To make leek garnish, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add reserved 1/2 cup leeks; cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Curried Carrot Soup adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Prep: 20 minutes Total: 40 minutes
Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large (4- to 5-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, carrots, and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth; transfer to a clean saucepan. Add more water to thin to desired consistency. Reheat, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Grilled-Cheese Croutons from Family Fun Magazine
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon thyme
6 thin slices of bread
3 ounces Cheddar, thinly sliced

Step 1 Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine the butter and thyme. Spread one side of each bread slice with the butter mixture. Place 3 slices in the pan, buttered side down. Top with the cheese, then with the remaining 3 bread slices, buttered side up. Cook, turning once, until toasted on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Step 2 Remove the sandwiches from the pan. Let them cool slightly, then cut them into 1-inch squares. Makes about 60 croutons.

Glazed Lemon Cakes from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Prep: 15 minutes Total: 50 minutes
Ingredients
Makes 6.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tin
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for muffin tin
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk, or plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated, plus juice, plus 2 tablespoons more lemon juice for the glaze
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin(I used a normal sized muffin tin). In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk mixture.
Divide evenly among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in tin, then cool completely on a rack.
Set rack over wax or parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir confectioners’ sugar with remaining lemon juice until smooth. Pour over cakes, spreading to edges with a knife.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Caramel Crunch Bars and a Mixed Berry Cobbler Rewind

Curried Lentil Soup

There is absolutely nothing beautiful about this soup, except the way it tastes. I was disappointed by the actual color after I pureed it, but everyone agreed that it tasted fabulous, so it didn't really matter. Plus, it has tons of kale and is super healthy. We love, love kale at our house. I made Kale Chips too, because they are delightful. My kids crunch them up like crazy. I used them as a garnish and also on the side. Perfect for a cold night, which we are still having quite a few of, around here.

Curried Lentil Soup from Family Circle
4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 55 minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dried lentils, picked over
4-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bunch (about 3/4 pound) fresh kale, rinsed, tough stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion and carrot, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook 1 minute more.
2. Add tomatoes, lentils, broth, water and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to pot. Bring to a boil, then partially cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender.
3. In batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth; return to pot and gently reheat. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, salt and kale. Cook 5 minutes or until kale is wilted and tender. Dollop each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt.

Up Next- Craving Ellie Nutty Granola

Indian Cauliflower Curry Stew

Sometimes you just need a quick and easy dinner. Chop a few ingredients, throw them in the pot and forget about it for a few minutes.
That is exactly what this dinner is. It was quick and super easy, but the best thing about it was the taste. Delicious.
You can't really see the brown rice hidden under all the yummy veggies and beans, but it is there. My kids loved this one and that makes it good enough for me.

Indian Cauliflower Curry Stew From Good Housekeeping
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup(s) brown rice
1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon(s) curry powder
Salt
2 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth
1 medium (2-pound) head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 can(s) (15 to 19 ounces each) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup(s) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup(s) plain low-fat yogurt plus additional for serving
DIRECTIONS
In 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add carrots and onion, and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, prepare rice as label directs; keep warm.
Stir ginger, curry, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into carrot mixture; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth; cover and heat to boiling on high. Stir in cauliflower and garbanzo beans; cover and cook on medium 15 to 20 minutes longer, gently stirring every 5 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
To serve, stir chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup yogurt into cauliflower stew. Spoon rice into serving bowls; top with stew. Serve cauliflower stew with additional yogurt to dollop on top if you like. Makes about 8 cups.


Coming Tomorrow- TWD-Corn and Pepper Muffins

Craving Ellie- MY PICK!!! Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Barefoot Bloggers Bonus- Savory Palmiers, heck why not some Cardamom ones too?

This week's Craving Ellie in Your Belly recipe was chosen by yours truly, Me. I wanted to try her version of Butternut Squash Soup, which is Curried. So, since butternut squash season is upon us, I chose it. I really like this soup, but keep in mind I love butternut squash and I also love curry powder. Some people reported that the honey made this a little too sweet, so I experimented and left the honey out of half of my soup. I liked it both ways, but better without the honey. I used greek yogurt on top, which really helped to calm down a little of the curry. This is a spicy soup and was just what this house of sore throats needed.

The Barefoot Bonus recipe for this week was Savory Palmiers, from Ina's new book, Back to Basics. It was chosen by Becky of Random Musings of a deco lady. This recipe looked really easy and pretty, so I threw it into the cookie plates that I took to a few people in the neighborhood. I also saw these yummy Cardamom-Brown Sugar Palmiers in Sunset magazine and they reminded me of my favorite pastry that I ate when I spent 18 months in Estonia. I decided to do a half batch of each, so I had some savory and some sweet. Super simple, elegant and delicious!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

1 Tbls canola oil

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups) ( I used half shallots)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsps)

one- 2 1/2 pd. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth ( I used chicken stock)

1 Tbls +2 tsps curry powder

1/2 tsp salt, + more to taste

2 Tbls honey (I only added honey to half of the soup)

4 tsp plain nonfat yogurt, for garnish (I used greek yogurt)

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, broth, curry powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the honey, and puree until smooth in the pot using an immersion blender or in two batches in a regula blender. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.

To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls and drizzle with the yogurt.

Savory Palmiers from Ina Garten, Back to Basics
1 package frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup prepared pesto, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, such as Montrachet
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Kosher salt

Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it’s 9 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches. Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto, then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sun-dried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.
Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again toward the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the second sheet of puff pastry using the remaining ingredients. Cover both rolls with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place them faceup 2 inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Homemade Pesto from Ina Garten, Back to Basics
makes 4 cups
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely puréed. Add the Parmesan cheese and purée for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Cardamom Brown-Sugar Palmiers from Sunset Magazine

Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling time.
Bakers' Tip: As with any super-buttery dough, chilling it makes it much easier to slice.

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 sheet (8.6 oz.) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed according to package instructions
1. Combine brown sugar and cardamom in a small bowl. Unfold dough flat on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with half the sugar mixture.
2. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll sugar into dough so that most of sugar sticks, being careful not to change the shape of the dough. Turn pastry over and sprinkle evenly with remaining sugar.
3. Beginning with the side closest to you, fold in dough, 1 in. at a time, to the center of the rectangle. Repeat with the opposite side. Fold one half on top of other as if closing a book. Wrap dough airtight and chill at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 400°. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/2-in. slices. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lay slices on flat sides about 2 in. apart. Bake slices until doubled in size and golden, about 10 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on trays.
Make ahead: Unbaked palmiers can be frozen up to 2 weeks; baked palmiers may be made up to 2 days ahead and kept airtight at room temperature.

Coming Tomorrow- Butter Cookie Dough- 1 dough turned into 3 Christmas Cookies

Curried Carrot Spread

I thought this sounded interesting and we needed a snack for C day. Good and healthy.

Curried Carrot Spread from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
Ingredients
3 cups sliced carrots
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can white kidney(cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 teaspoon salt
Thinly sliced green onion (optional)
Directions
1. In a covered medium saucepan, cook carrots in a small amount of boiling water about 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in curry powder and cumin. Transfer carrots and onion mixture to a food processor; add white kidney beans and salt. Cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl; cover and chill for 4 hours to 3 days.
3. If using, garnish with green onion. Serve with crackers, melba toast, toasted French bread slices, or vegetable dippers. Makes 3 cups spread.