Blogs with online recipes for various cuisines are proliferating. This particular food blog is the place you will find recipes for all things delicious and nothing less.

This time the food article I have chosen is lentils, I will first tell you a little about lentils and then give you an “easy to work with” recipe for the same.

Lentils, also known as pulses or daal belong to the legume family. Lentils have been found in Egyptian tombs that go all the way back to two and a half thousand years BC. They come in many colors like green brown red and yellow to name a few.

Lentils – What they are good for

One has a higher possibility to lose weight on a diet that is high in foods like lentils that free energy slowly once they have been consumed, unlike a diet that is high in foods that rapidly release sugar into the blood stream such as cocoa or your normal white bread. these pulses are a very good source of molybdenum. One cup of pulses will provide you with about ninety percent of the recommended dietary allowance of folic acid, more than any other unfortified food.

Here is a simple recipe you can use at home

Lentils,Veggies and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

 4 cups water
 2 cups low salt chicken stock
 2 cups cooked or baked chicken chopped
 2 carrots, diced
 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and diced
 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
 1 cup chopped yellow onion
 1 cup dried brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
 1 celery, diced
 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
 Half a teaspoon of paprika
 A pinch of dried oregano
 A pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:

• Bring the water to boil in a soup pot on a high flame and add the lentils, onions, celery, carrots, salt, paprika, oregano, pepper and the chicken stock.
• Bring the flame down to a medium low cover it and let it simmer for about thirty to thirty-five minutes, stir it every eight to 10 minutes.
• Then add the zucchini and the diced chicken along with the parsley, cover and simmer for about 10 to fifteen minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
• Serve lentils soup in bowls. (Crumbled feta cheese may be added as seasoning)

All the way through the decades gone by, soups such as hot and sour soup has played many a different role in Chinese cuisine. While the Chinese royalty dined on shark’s fin or bird’s nest soup, intended to stimulate their palate for the next banquet course, the rest of China had to make a meal of a watery blend flavored with bean curd and whatever veggies were available locally. Where most people might reach for a glass of water or a soft drink during a meal, the Chinese served soup, believing that it is far from healthy to guzzle cold drinks.

As time went by, the people in China came up with some fundamental methods and recipes for making a soup, these recipes were later picked up by other cuisines. Although the procedure for making soup stayed the same, many a local characteristic was picked up, depending on what ingredients were easily available locally at the time. The next time you are enjoying a bowl of hot and sour soup, you may want to raise a toast to the Chinese for creating and spreading the art of making soup.

Here is one of many online recipes for hot and sour soup that is easy to prepare and likely to find favor with most palates.
This Hot and sour soup recipe involves quite a bit of preparation, but is cooked in about 20 to 25 minutes. Contrasting with many hot and sour soups, this one uses fine balance of vinegar and a chili peppers, a to achieve the hot and sour effect.

Ingredients for Hot and Sour Soup

4 dried shiitake (black) mushrooms
6 cups boiling chicken broth
½ cup uncooked thinly sliced strips of pork
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with a quarter cup of cold water
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
8 ounces (about), firm to medium-firm tofu, cut into thin strips
½ to ¾ cup bamboo shoots, very thinly sliced or shredded
3 tablespoons white vinegar
¼ teaspoon dried chili peppers
Thinly sliced spring onion tops for garnish

Hot and Sour Soup – Preparation

Reconstitute mushroom pieces by covering with boiling water and soaking 30 minutes. Drain off water and discard. Mushroom will expand to 5 or 6 times its original size. Slice into thin strips. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Place pork strips in boiling broth along with tofu, reserved mushroom and bamboo shoots.

Add vinegar and chili peppers. When pork is cooked, add the egg to boiling broth and mix well.

Add salt and sugar.

Taste the soup and add seasoning as per your taste.

Slowly add combined cornstarch/water mixture to thicken and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add soy sauce for color.

The hot and sour soup is now ready to be served with thinly sliced spring onions for garnish.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

• 4 ears corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
• 1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
• 2 medium avocados, diced

Directions

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, using 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste; process until smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Ingredients:
1) 100 g wheat flour
2) sesame oil
3) chopped green onion
4) cooking oil
5) five-spice powder
6) salt

Step 1: Pour the flour into a soup bowl or a small basin, and sprinkle some salt in. Stir it slowly with chopsticks while gradually adding small quantities of boiling water until it forms into small pieces. Stir by hand to form a paste on a board and sprinkle some cooking oil on it. Smooth it out, and leave it to be fermented for 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: Place the chopped green onion on a plate, add in some sesame oil, salt and five-spice powder, and stir it well.

Step 3: Take out of the flour paste and place on the board. Sprinkle some corn starch on it. Rub it into a big, round pancake by hand. Roll it flat and thin with a rolling pin.

Step 4: Use some oil to lightly and evenly coat the surface of the pancake, and scatter half the seasoned chopped green onion over the pancake. Cut it into two parts, and roll them into a plump log respectively from the cutting side. Shape the log into a fat spiral, and tuck the loose end under and firmly press to flatten it into a big, thick cake. Roll it gently into a 7-inch pancake with a rolling pin. Repeat to make the other.

Step 5: Place a pan over medium heat until hot. Brush a thin layer of oil in the pan, and place one of the pancakes made in step 4 in the pan. Turn over when you feel the fragrance and the bottom of the pancake turns golden yellow, 2-3 minutes. Cook the other side for another 2-3 minute, until it is nicely browned and is cooked through. Repeat to cook the other.

Turn off the heat, and remove the cooked pancake from the pan. Cut into quarters, and serve (you may also make some decorations with tomatoes or parsley leaves) hot or warm.

Note: the amount of the ingredients especially the seasonings listed above can be appropriately used according to one’s personal taste.

When the outside weather is frightful staying inside is so pleasant. Whether the change in season brings rain, wind, snow, or all of the above, it’s a perfect time to cozy up inside your home and enjoy some of your favorite comfort foods. Resist the temptation to order take-out and choose the healthier and cost-effective route by making them yourself. With these 6 simple food recipes you’re only a few steps and ingredients away from warming up your belly and charming your taste buds.

Breakfast: French toast

Blend together milk (or non-dairy alternative), bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla to taste. Dip bread into the mix, coating both sides. Fry in well-oiled skillet until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and fruit.

Treat: Hot Chocolate

Heat milk (or non-dairy alternative) in a small pot on low heat and remove from heat before it boils. Whisk in cocoa powder, vanilla, and maple syrup to taste.

Entrée: Lentil Stew

Sauté 1 onion in a pot until soft and clear (about 5 minutes). Add 2 carrots (chopped) and 2 potatoes (cubed), and continue to cook for a 3-4 minutes. Add in 1 cup of lentils, 3 cups of veggie broth, and 1 cup each of other vegetables of choice (such as tomatoes, spinach, or kale). Simmer until lentils are soft (20-30 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

Snack/Appetizer: Miso Soup

Dissolve miso paste in hot water. Mix in chopped green onions, chopped garlic clove, some small cubes of tofu, and a few pieces of your choice of seaweed (such as wakame, nori, or dulse). Add in some leafy greens for some extra nutritional satisfaction.

Side dish: Roasted Vegetables

Choose your favorite veggie(s), such as squash, yams, beets, and broccoli. Slice up vegetable(s), coat with oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and put in single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 400℉ for 20-30 minutes, checking towards the end to see if they’ve browned. If you want some extra flavor, experiment by adding your choice of spices, and/or toss in some nuts and dried fruit after cooking.

Dessert: Baked Apples

Core large apples and place in a baking dish with 1/2 cup of water on the bottom. Fill apples with: chopped walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (to taste). Bake at 350℉ until apples are tender (approximately 30 minutes required for this food recipes).

Italian-style courgette and parmesan soup

Ingredients

• 60ml/2fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• handful basil leaves (preferably Italian), chopped
• sea salt and ground white pepper, to taste
• 1kg/2¼lb green courgettes, cut lengthways into quarters then into 1cm/½in slices
• 750ml/1¼ pint chicken stock
• 60ml/2fl oz single cream
• handful flatleaf parsley, chopped
• 50g/2oz freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

To serve

• crusty bread
• green salad
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat.
2. Cook the garlic, basil, salt and courgette slowly for 10 minutes, or until the courgettes are lightly browned and softened.
3. Add white pepper, to taste, then pour in the stock and simmer for 8 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat.
4. Put three-quarters of the soup mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the cream, parsley and parmesan.
6. To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle over more parmesan, to taste. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.

Preparation time: less than 30 mins

Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins

Serves 4