New Year's Resolution & Red Lentil Soup With Roasted Tomatoes

This is my first post in the New Year. This is my first post in a while!

As we welcomed the New Year we all made our resolutions. I have made one, too. My resolution is simple: to be resolute.

I will be resolute with thoughts in my head, but listen to the words of my heart more often; resolute about the destination, but enjoying the journey; resolute about what I must acquire, but continue doing best with what I have.

I will be resolute about every little detail in my life. All 1000+1 of them!

And I will be resolute with what I do best and learning along the way hoping that these little steps, repeated every day, will keep me in the right direction.

One of the things I do best (as I was told) is soup. That’s why I’m sharing this delicious soup recipe with you today. It is easy to make and perfect for a crispy-cold winter day. The only challenge here is to peal the tomatoes. You must not skip this step for tomato skin is tough and indigestible when cooked. It’s a labor of love! But if you rather skip the labor, you can use 8 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes. Just add it the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.

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Red Lentil Soup with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 8

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 medium celery stalks, chopped

1 medium (1/2 large) yellow onion, diced

2 cups red lentils, washed and drained

1 T spoon tomato paste

1 pint grape tomatoes

Few sprigs of thyme, divided

8 cups water/chicken broth

3 T spoons olive oil, divided

Salt+Pepper to taste

• Preheat the oven to 350°F; arrange washed grape tomatoes and couple of sprigs of thyme on a covered with foil cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; roast for 20 minutes;
• While tomatoes are roasting, in a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat; add onions, carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add in tomato paste, and remaining thyme leaves (discard stems) and cook for another minute;
• Stir in washed lentils and add water/broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat adding salt and pepper to taste and let the soup simmer for about 40 minutes or until lentils are cooked;

• When the tomatoes are done, wrap them in the foil that was covering the cookie sheet, let cool for 5 minutes. Peal the skin from tomatoes and add them to the soup with the oil and thyme that is in the foil. Let all stand together for 5 minutes;
• Serve with warm bread to 6-8 people.

{Update}

I have changed my schedule at work lately and I had to rearrange my life a little bit as well. I haven't been posting for a while but I am planing to resume soon. Planning is a key word here…

Meanwhile, I'm "gnawing the granite of knowledge" as a diligent self-learner, trying to re-design my blog layout. Stay tuned to see what I come up with…

For now, you can find my inspirations here

Blog must go on!

I have been aloof from the blog, from the Internet altogether. While floating in a pool of hot summer days, fresh local vegetables, long lazy days I sometimes submerge into depths of my own thinking.

I was thinking about my blog. Why did I start blogging? What was my initial idea? What was the ‘hook’?

Popping like soap bubbles, these questions can easily qualify as rhetorical in my own mind, but not this time. Am I losing purpose?

I let myself get even deeper in the thinking process…

A while back I had this message inside my head, sealed in an enveloped, addressed and stamped. Every time I tried to send this letter it would return to the sender’s address or it would be tossed in a junk as an unsolicited mail. I had to find an alternative to the direct mail from one brain to another.

And the message that I want to ‘transmit’ is: do it yourself.

At first, I was going to blog about things around the house that can be made at home in lieu of being purchased in a store. But somehow I got stuck in the kitchen, cooking dinners.

It was inevitable. This is the place where I spend most of my free—and not so free—time. The kitchen is my office, my art studio, and my retreat.

But again, food wasn’t the primary subject I had in mind. I don’t mind writing about food and recipes. I do mind, however, to be called a foodie. In my understanding, foodies are the people, who cook food, eat food, talk food, breathe food—they live food. I’m not one of them. I’m not judging, I wouldn’t dare, it is just not me.

Think of it this way: foodies and their recipes are the Haute Couture of cooking; my recipes—an everyday wearable collection.

So, my recipes are usually call for the same ingredients, and the ingredient list doesn’t include exotic products. My recipes call for simple, local, seasonal, preferably organic, familiar ingredients. Yes, that is exactly the word: familiar. I’m all for trying new things, but I will not build a recipe collection for everyday cooking with something that has to be hauled across the universe to make it to my table.

Allow me to say couple of words on organic food. On one hand I agree wholeheartedly that it is better for you. On the other, I understand that an average family may struggle to afford organic produce since the prices are still polluted with a high markup. That is why I don’t say in my recipes what’s organic what’s not. It’s up to you to decide.

It is great if you can afford but when you can’t, substitute with locally grown produce. A local non-organic apple is more affordable and perhaps even ‘greener’ than an organic one from Argentina. (Unless you live in Argentina, that is)

A word on Vegetarianism: I personally prefer to eat fruits and vegetables any day, but I do occasionally eat and cook with red meats and poultry, which I get from familiar trusted sources.

I stand firmly for eating local and seasonal. I understand this cuts the variety of foods we eat in half, but I believe that the same set of vitamins in Acai berries is found in locally grown blueberries. Acai is for people of Brazil, we are happy with blueberries and other berries that grow naturally in our area.

Eat Local. Eat seasonal. Grow and cook your own food. And Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose!

Simple.

But I can’t tell people what to do, I can only do what I believe is right and hope others will get inspired…

I will continue tossing local and seasonal ingredients into wholesome recipes on my blog and add a new theme—repurposing that food packaging and other kitchen ‘waste’ in every day life. (I already have couple of post on this subject)

Show must go on? Blog must go on!

Gratitude

Today, I wanted to express my gratitude. With constant flow of information nowadays, this eternal virtue took shape of an bent cliché phrase, or many phrases.

Never the less, it is the Internet where I have encountered so much sincere courtesy, kindness and geniality. Most of the time from complete strangers.

Although I have started this blog in 2008 I was very timid in my beginnings. It is people from my virtual circle that have inspired me to cary on and here I am, still learning along the way!

I am utterly grateful for every click, every comment and every reply that I receive. One might find it silly, but for me the virtue of virtual kindness is very important.

Last week, I received and award, six to be exact, from a wonderful blogger, The Harried Cook. I was humbled to say the least. You can find them on my +1 Award page.

Now to sharing 7 things about myself:

1. I am proud of my ancestry [Circassian] but wish our cuisine was more omnifarious
2. My favorite flavor combination is sweet and sour. I don't take one without another.
3. I always envied people who know how to play musical instruments, but never learn to play on anything but my parent's nerves :)
4. I am forever curious, never nosy [well, maybe sometimes]
5. My first DIY experience was a set of earrings made out of paperclips when I was 11 years old :)
6. I still love to bend wire and bang on metal! [maybe this could be considered a musical talent?]
7. I use smily faces way too often :) [here it comes again!] but it is only because I really do smile a lot :)

Now to the winners:

1. The Harried Cook Marsha
2. Roberta, with way More Thyme Than Dough
3. Kate, cooking from Kate from Scratch
4. Nadia, who cooks delicious meals just For The Love Of Yum
5. Michelle, with thoughtful words of Encouragement for Moms
6. Olga, squeezing juice from Mango & Tomato
7. Kulsum, on her tasteful Journey Kitchen

I want to thank you for stopping by my humble blog and leaving your comments! Passing on love and awards!