Frugal Foodie Friday - Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Beef and Red Pepper

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's Frugal Foodie Friday and today's recipe is a gem that is kind to the pocket book and busy cooks who are searching for nearly effortless family meals. The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens and it packs enormous flavor into the crock of a slow cooker. For best flavor, the meat should be browned, but all the other ingredients are simply dumped into the ceramic insert of a slow cooker where they simmer until the meat is tender and the vegetables are done. While it is called a soup, this dish is substantial enough to the main course of a meal, especially if it is served with a crisp green salad and a great peasant bread. Come to think of it, a Shiraz would also make a lovely accompaniment. The soup may be a bit spicy for young children, but other diners will have no objection to the gentle heat that permeates the soup. As you scan the recipe,you will note that it calls for French lentils. They are smaller and more pellet-like than the red or brown lentils that you are probably familiar with. If you can't find them, use what you have on hand. I love to use them in soups and stews because they tend to hold their shape when simmered for a long period of time. I hope you will give this simple recipe a try. It's a perfect meal to serve when the North winds blow. Here is how the soup is made.

Lentil Soup with Beef and Red Pepper...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 cup French lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1 medium coarsely chopped red sweet pepper
1 medium chopped onion
2 medium sliced carrots
3 stalks sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup snipped fresh parsley

Directions:
Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 3/4-inch pieces. If desired, in a nonstick skillet cook beef over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Place meat in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in broth, lentils, water, sweet pepper, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. I cooked mine on low for 6 hours. Stir in parsley. Ladle soup into bowls. Yield:6 servings.

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Frugal Foodie Friday - Lentil and Vegetable Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a recipe that I originally tested as a possible contender for a spot in our SNAP challenge menus. Unfortunately, our participation in the challenge ended before I had the opportunity to share all those recipes with you. Some of them were quite good, so I thought I'd take the occasional odd Friday to feature the best of them here on One Perfect Bite. While lentils are not to everyone's taste, they are very filling and when combined with rice they form a complete and inexpensive protein. Each time I work with them, I find myself wishing they had greater eye appeal, so, I try to mask their drab appearance with brightly colored vegetables. It helps a bit. I've made very few changes to the original recipe, which came from Taste of Home magazine, but I have changed the length of time some of the vegetables cook. I've added the spinach near the end of the cooking time in order to keep it green and lovely. Twenty minutes in the pot will turn it black and black spinach will not help improve the appearance of the brown lentils. I learned that one the hard way, as you can tell from tonight's photo. This is a very easy dish to prepare and you can have it on the table in 45 minutes or less. If you share your kitchen with a committed carnivore, as I do, add a bit of smoked sausage to his portion and I think you'll both be happy. This simple and inexpensive dish is very, very nice and I do hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Lentil and Vegetable Stew...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Alice McEachern and Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic, minced
5 cups water
1 cup lentils, rinsed
4 teaspoons vegetable or chicken bouillon granules
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped carrots
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 to 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 cups cooked brown or white rice

Directions:
1) In a large saucepan, heat oil and saute onion until tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add water, lentils, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.lentil
2) Add carrots and tomatoes and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add spinach and continue cooking five minutes longer, or until lentils are tender. Stir in vinegar and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve over white or brown rice. Yield: 6 servings.

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Lentil and Chickpea Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is an easy recipe that's nice to have in the hopper on those busy days that lead up to and follow the holidays. The recipe is for a Moroccan-style vegetable soup that's patterned after harira, a fragrant tomato and lentil soup that many associate with the month of Ramadan, when it is served with meals that start or end the day's fast. Like many Moroccan dishes this one is both fragrant and tasty and the ease with which it comes together makes it especially attractive for a light family meal. Most versions of the soup contain meat which necessitates a long simmer. This vegetarian version, courtesy of Food and Wine magazine, can be on the table in less than an hour. It has become a lunch favorite of ours. I hope you will give it a try. Here's how this flavorful soup is made.

Lentil and Chickpea Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup lentils
6-1/2 cups water
1-3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 15-ounce can)
1-2/3 cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (one 15-ounce can)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a large pot over moderately low heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and lentils.
2) Add water and tomatoes to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Add chickpeas and simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in the cilantro or parsley. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servings.

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