Cold

It's finally chilled down in Pittsburgh. While there is still no snow, 11 degrees definitely makes you bundle up and get inside as soon as possible. Well, except for me. I love this weather; I know it's not the greatest when you're waiting for a bus for 20 minutes, but brisk air is so invigorating, and it also makes you appreciate the warmth of comfy sweaters, soft blankets, and hot stew.

I've forgotten how much fun cooking can be. Last semester I didn't take the time to do much cooking outside of simple pasta or quick stir fries, but I'm branching out this semester. This might also have to do with the fact that I got two great new cookbooks for Christmas: The Complete Vegetarian, and a book of Indian cooking. There are some great recipes in them, and I'm dying to try many of them. I recently made a Lentil Soup that was divine (lentils are the best, incidentally). It's super easy and requires few ingredients, and yet still is so tasty and filling.

Lentil Soup

1/2 cup lentils
2 1/2 cups water
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 green onions with green tops, chopped
1/2 cup chopped, tightly packed, washed fresh spinach
1 medium unpeeled red or white potato, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small celery stalk, finely sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Bring lentils and water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables

Add the vegetables, garlic, and oil. Cover and continue simmering the soup for 20 minutes. Add the cumin and salt and cook for a few more minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Serve.


The great thing about this recipe is that it's pretty forgiving. You don't have to add all the vegetables if you don't have them, and it will still be good, and you can add different spices if you wish for a different flavor. It's also really healthy, high in protein (go lentils!) and low in fat. In future experiments, I might add different vegetables, and change the spices, but it's pretty darn good on it's own, and is hearty enough to satisfy you without anything else (though fresh bread goes really well with it too).