Italian lentil "soup"

I was really in the mood for lentil soup, but also craving tomato sauce.  The result was something that was more like an Italian flavored vegetarian chili than soup, but still good. Next time I make chili, I will definitely add lentils as well.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of dry lentils (I think I used green lentils)
  
• 4 oz of tomato sauce (I would probably have used crushed tomatoes if we had them)
  
• 1/2 an onion, diced
  
• 1 carrot, diced
  
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
  
• 1/2 cup of frozen spinach
  
• 1 bouillon cube
  
• olive oil
  
• balsamic vinegar
  
• a bunch of water
  
• 1/2 cup of rice (or kashi pilaf)
  
• fresh basil
  
• salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper
  

I cooked the garlic, onions, carrots, lentils, and crushed red pepper in olive oil until the onions were translucent.  Next I added the tomato sauce, about a cup of water and a bouillon cube (plus lots of dried basil, oregano, and thyme) and let simmer while covered.  I basically kept adding more water until the lentils were cooked (it took maybe 1.25 hours)...I didn't really pay attention to how much I was adding.

While waiting for the lentils to cook, I cooked the rice/pilaf.  When the lentils were finally cooked, I stirred in a little balsamic vinegar, spinach, and rice/pilaf.  Before serving, I added some fresh minced basil and added salt and pepper to taste.  

If we weren't out of it, I would have added some romano/parmesan on top.  White beans would have been a good addition to this, as would potatoes and really anything you find in minestrone soup.  

Israeli couscous with shrimp and broccoli

I went to the beach with Nicole on Sunday so she could work on her open water swimming and for some reason, the smell of the ocean made me want shrimp in a butter and wine sauce.  This is what I came up with.  The proportions below made enough for about 3 servings.

Ingredients:

• Shrimp (maybe 30 medium shrimps)
  
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 carrot, diced
  
• 1-2 tablespoons of butter
  
• 1 head of broccoli
  
• 1 cup of Israeli couscous
  
• 1 cup white wine
  
• 4 cups stock (I just used a vegetable bouillon cube + water) 
  
• chives, salt, black pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper
  

I cooked the couscous much the same way I make risotto. I started by cooking the onions, garlic, carrots, and a dash of crushed red pepper in about 1 tablespoon of butter.  Once the onions were about half cooked (not translucent yet),  I added the couscous.  I continually stirred the mixture for a few minutes until the onions were completely translucent.  

At this point, I turned the heat down to low and began adding liquid.  I added probably a 1/4 of the total liquid (1/4 cup wine, 1 cup stock)...just like risotto, I added enough to cover the couscous.  I covered the pan and let cook, stirring frequently and adding more liquid when necessary.  

After adding the last bit of liquid, I added a dash of oregano and chives and placed the broccoli on top of the couscous to steam.  When the couscous was tender, I added probably a 1/4 a cup of water, since the pan was getting a bit dry, and then added the shrimp (they didn't take long to cook).

When the shrimp were fully cooked (about 30 seconds later), I remove the pan from the heat, stirred in a small pad of butter (less than a tablespoon) and let the sauce cool/thicken for about 2 minutes.  The final step was to salt and pepper to taste.  

The sauce was pretty good...next time I'll get some crusty bread to dip in it.  In the future, I may add some steamed clams and/or mussels (well, steam them with the cooking couscous).