Fall Red Lentil Apple Soup

So, it is fall 2016. I have not made soup for months. it has been hot, and I have been busy. I cannot remember ever not making chicken corn soup in August, in the last 30 years of marriage, I probably did not even take off 16 years ago when I had a newborn baby and horrible case of pneumonia!

I am beginning a weekly soup documentary, because I am bartering with soup for a while, ad I want my business partners to know the recipe. Since I would be writing it down or typing it out....I thought that I might gain some traction here by posting it on my blog, I can make a record and write a books at the same time...Haha! Sure, if you want to hear my music, maybe I will post recipes from my album release party when that happens! :)

Today's soup was not delivered, as the meat was form my freezer and the veggies were on the edge of compost. It was a way to use op things I had on hand, and in that case, I do not serve my scrap based food to others....but this experiment was an keeper, and I will make it again next week!

1 & 1/2 cu. red lentils (dry)
1/2 cup any kind of brown rice

1 small apple chopped
2 medium onions chopped
1&1/2 cu. chopped celery
1 cu. chopped carrots

(chop all these confetti size)

1 lb. or less of regular turkey sausage

1 tsp of salt...or more...to taste + more salt in the table!
1/2 tsp sifted (powdered) thyme for a handful of fresh thyme
3 bay leaves

and finally a tbsp honey

Saute the mixture of tossed confetti diced veggies in oil...grape seed oil would be lovely, but olive oil is fine
add the sausage and stir...now do NOT burn any of this...only caramelize....the sausage will finish cooking while boiling.

Add the lentils and rice and stir through. Then pull the pot off the stove and add water to the pot,a little more than twice the height of the mixture. Replace the pot back onto the heat and bring to a boil...while impatiently waiting, add the herbs and stir...stir occasionally.

Once the soup has boiled long enough to cook the meat, add the tbsp of honey, and simmer a few more minutes, until the broth is caramel color and becoming opaque....then serve....Mmm!

Serves 4 to 6 a very hearty bowls ....maybe a quart leftover for the next day!

Now, a word about sausage. My local market carried maple apple sausage and it would be fabulous. I do not use it, because I do not think the maple is pure...and my kids do not like it. I could have used Applegate farms frozen breakfast sausage. But I used regular sausage from market. Soon, I will stuff my own apple sausage and smoke it in my very own smoker...yep, I found out I am getting a smoker for Christmas.

Also, I am lazy, so I placed the sausage into the pot with the caramelizing veggies...and boiled it until it was cooked and I could cut it with knife and fork, and throw it back into the pot to blend the flavors. One could cut the sausages before cooking...partially frozen would make more uniform slices. My home smoked links will already been thoroughly cooked....OH and you could bake the sausage, then slice into the soup.

Happy Fall 2016...Hearty soup to you!


This Just in: Her laziness (myself) just poured a jar of the leftovers into a saucepan in which someone else in the family had just sauted some spinach in...and this soup, having used the regular turkey sausage, looked 'boss" with the flakes of chopped frozen spinach stirred in liberally...I should have taken a picture, but I already ate it...Lol! Half eaten photo to come??? The Photo does not do it justice! This soup was awesome! Perfect for this gray rainy day! Mmm...

Raw Nuts Candied a spiced... 3 variations.

I use raw almonds for these recipes, and I use a dehydrator at low temp to bond the favors by drying, rahter than roasting.

Why, barbecue once a nut I roasted, the good fats/oils they contain are broke down. Rendering them not as healthy, as well as subject to rancidity.

I rarely eat roasted nuts, or grains, or any kind of heat process oils, or shelf table deep fried foods like chips, because the oil content is rancid unless eaten within minutes...end of sermon.


Great combinations:


Maple Cinnamon:

2 TBSP pure maple syrup
1TSP vanilla extract
1TSP cinnamon

coat nuts, (good with Almonds and or Pecans) place in dehydrator
then, lightly dust dried nuts with cinnamon, or they will still be sticky



Tamari Almonds:

Soak almonds in wheat free tamari Sauce, or Braggs Amino Acids...which is fermented soy
half hour, half a day..whatever

Drain in a colander or sieve, then into your dehydrator, they are done when they are dry
and sooo fail-proof tasty!!! You will never miss cracking open a can of salty roasted nuts again!



Carob Almonds...Mmmm

I have tried these two ways. One with water and carob powder, and one with raw extra virgin coconut oil and carob powder
If oil is used, then a light dusting of carob powder is needed after removal form the dehydrator, as with Maple recipe above.

When coating the nuts with an oil mixture, use a bag and knead the bag with your hands until they are all coated thinly and evenly, a little goes LONG way..say one tsp only of coconut oil 1 tbsp of carob powder per 2 cups of nuts. Place in dehydrator, when dry, dust with carob powder.

If using water,nuts can be stirred in the water carob mix in a bowl, similar to working with tamari. Like TBSp carob and 1-2 tsp of water to 2 cups of nuts. Place in dehydrator until dry...that is all

If desired, you can add setvai powder...mix a few pinches into carb powder, before adding water or oil, to evenly distribute---a little goes a long way of stevia too---too much and it is bitter.

Apple Rosette Tarts

Choose a recipe for pie crust, and make one batch. (perhaps I will post some)

Roll about a TBSP sized ball of dough into a mini-muffin pan, lined, or un-lined

wash, half, core, and thinly slice apples as thin as possible

( about one apple per 6 tarts...dough and 6-7 apples makes about 3 dozen)

squeeze fresh lemons over the apple slices and toss

place (glass bowl of lemon-protected apple slices) in microwave for 2-3 minutes

so that they will bend and roll, without breaking


Begin forming rosettes, by rolling and adding petals, then place into dough crust in min-muffin pans


brush each with seedless fruit-sweetened strawberry or red raspberry jelly mixture

A spoonful or two of jelly, tbsp-pat of butter,as much water as jelly, microwave until butter is liquid,

whisk together, and brush on top of each rosette for color

bake a 400 until crust and apples are baked,but not browned---a half hour? There are no eggs, so no worries...

I am typing with a broken keyboard..this is the best I can do for now

there are plenty of tutorial online, these are MY fav Ingredients and techniques

Breakfast of Flat-bellied Champions

This recipe was inspired by a Liver Detox book I read.
http://www.amazon.com/9-Day-Liver-Detox-Diet-Definitive/dp/158761037X

But I changed it up for me.

1/2 cup dry, of certified gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup of either water, or some unsweetened kind of non-dairy milk

1 tbsp raw hulled pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
1 TBSP raw sesame seeds

1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp- 1 tbsp flax seeds

Place all the seeds in a coffee grinder, and turn into a potent fiber powder

then add the alternative milk or just water into a raw slurry...add cinnamon, cinnamon controls blood sugar spikes...1/2 to 1 tsp
and if necessary, vanilla extract and stevia (I NEVER DO)

Berries are excellent additions as well, but for me, I usually only add those when I feel like cooking the rolled oats...which i rarely do

Just stir and eat...yes, raw

when I am on the go, I throw this into a small glass jar, and it thickens...honestly, it is like dessert after an hour...

I if I do not eat this everyday, my day starts out all wrong

If you do to, then I speak on behalf of your body and your health when I say You body will thank you...