Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Baked Grapefruit

Serve this at breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Quick and easy.

Cut grapefruit in half. Loosen sections from the rind. Cook in a preheated oven at 375° for about 10 minutes or until heated through. While still warm - top with creamed honey. I used original flavor today - but ginger honey or cinnamon creamed honey would be very tasty too.

Lentil Soup

The winter rains have finally started at Redwoods Monastery. We are very thankful. This lentil soup is a hearty dish for these winter evenings.

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 onions - diced
1 large scallion sliced in small rings
4 medium leeks sliced in small rings
4 large cloves garlic minced
2 stalks of celery - diced
4 medium carrots - diced
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon basil
2 teaspoons marjoram
2 teaspoons thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 bay leaves
24 cups of water
4 cups of lentils

Saute onions, scallions, leeks and garlic in a large 8 quart pot for 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and saute a few minutes longer. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until lentils are done. You may need to add a little more water and adjust the salt and other seasonings.

Tomato Vegetable Soup

Anyone who has been a guest at the Monastery knows that supper always includes soup. It is one of the traditions the Sisters brought with them from Belguim. Around here soups are made from what is on hand. That's how this version of Tomato Vegetable soup came to be.

3 quarts canned tomatoes
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions chopped (not too small)
4 large garlic cloves minced
4 medium potatoes - cubed
5 medium carrots - diced not too finely
5 celery stalks - diced
Start with 1 quart water - you may want to add more
2 Tablespoons salt or to taste
1 Tablespoon dried parsley (If you have fresh - use it instead)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Adjust last 5 ingredients to taste
2 bay leaves
optional: 1 tablespoon bouillon paste. You can use vegetable or beef if you prefer. (f you add this you may want to reduce salt)

In a large 8 quart soup pot - saute onions and garlic until translucent - about 10 minutes or more. Add other celery and carrots and potatoes. Saute a few minutes longer. Add tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1/2 hour or more. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add more water if necessary. Remove the bay leaves. Grind with a hand held blender.

When I served this soup - I really wanted to add a little cream just stirred once or twice so that there would be a swirl in the soup. Alternatively - you might want to top with a little feta cheese.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Ginger Carrots

This recipe is a favorite of many guests and sisters alike.

Cut about 8 large carrots into 3 inch strips. Slice one large onion. Melt about 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan. Saute onions a little and add carrots. Saute for several minutes. Cover and cook until the carrots are just tender. Add about 2 Tablespoons of ginger honey and let cook a little longer until the carrots start to caramelize a little. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Amounts of butter and honey may vary depending on the size and quantity of carrots.

Baked Apples

At the monastery we have a lot of apples this time of year. We used to get most of our apples from our own orchards - but recently we have had a little competition from the turkey, deer, and bear. Luckily our neighbors generously keep us supplied with their surplus harvest.

Core apples and cut in half or leave whole. Put a little hot water in a low baking dish and place the apples in the dish uncovered. Bake in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes or until done. let cool slightly and put a dollop of cinnamon honey on top of each apple. The honey melts slightly on the warm apples. Delicious!