Lemon and Cilantro Cappelletti

When I got home last night I realized I had nothing to take for my lunch today.  I had some leftover Spicy Red Lentil and Havarti Soup to take for my dinner, but no lunch.  So I looked in my fridge for something quick to make and found cilantro (which I love!), chicken broth, preserved lemons (which I made from this recipe), and carrots.  I basically mixed that together with some Cappelletti (Angel Hair Pasta) and that was it.  I was actually expecting to make a soup, but I put in too much Cappelletti and it sucked up all my broth so I ended up with a pasta dish.  It was so refreshing and comforting at the same time.  I think it would make a great cold combatant!

Easy Lemon and Cilantro Cappelletti

900 ml Chicken broth

1/2 pkg of Cappelletti (or less, if you want it to be more soupy)

1 carrot

Handful of Cilantro

1/4 of a preserved lemon

Pour the broth into a pot and set to med-high.  While it comes to a boil peel the carrot and cut into very thin strips.  I thinly slice my carrot lengthwise and then cut each slice into long, skinny strips.  Cut the strips in half.  Wash and dry a handful of cilantro and chop up finely.  Cut the pulp and pith off the lemon rind and discard.  Rinse the rind to get rid of some of the salt and then very finely dice.  When the stock boils add the carrots and pasta.  Once they are cooked add the lemon and cilantro.  Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Red Lentil and Havarti Soup

I made this soup the other night after seeing the recipe in an ad for Canadian Dairy.  It's so filling, and healthy, especially with the barely there lentils.  I did find it a little too thick though, but I think that's because I melted the cheese into it, instead of just serving it with a few cubes of cheese on top.  The next time I make it I will add more broth and less milk.  I also added about a teaspoon of chili flakes to this recipe, because the jalapenos in the Havarti didn't make it spicy enough.  And I added chopped cilantro to the soup, because I love cilantro and always add extra when a recipe calls for it.  But ya, besides all that...great recipe!  

Spicy Red Lentil and Havarti Soup

1 1/2 tbsp butter

2 tsp curry powder

1 onion, diced

2 cups diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced potatoes

3/4 cup dried red or orange lentils, rinsed

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth *

3 cups milk*

5 oz jalapeno Havarti cheese, cubed

2 tbsp fresh cilantro

* I would use 2 cups broth and 2 cups milk instead

In a large pot melt butter over med-high.  Add curry and vegetables and saute until onions are soft.  Add lentils, broth, and milk.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes.  Puree soup until smooth.  Add salt and pepper if desired.  Serve garnished with cilantro and Havarti cubes.

Squash and Fish Soup...who knew it would be so good?

I know I've said it before, but I love soup!  And I love squash.  However, when I found this recipe in The Hamilton Spectator I wasn't really sure how great it would be.  I knew that I would like it, but wasn't prepared for the feeling of love that overcame me when I took my first bite.  It was so flavourful, with some spiciness and a hint of sweetness.  And it doesn't really have a lot of ingredients in it, mostly spices.  Actually, the whole reason I ended up making it ahead of the like 100 other soups I want to make, is that I actually had all the ingredients on hand.  I love it when that happens!  Especially when my hubby is out of town and I would have had to walk or bus to the grocery store.  Which sucks.  (And yes, I realize I should get my license.)  I love the beautiful colour of the soup too, it's perfect for fall, and with the rice and fish in it, it's actually pretty filling.  

Although the recipe calls for haddock or cod, I used Tilapia that I had in my freezer.  I prefer using frozen fish for soups because if you just thaw the fillets halfway by running cold water over them they are a lot easier to chop up than fresh fillets.  And it's convenient to have some frozen fish in your freezer.  The squash that I used for the soup was an acorn squash, it was a little over 2 cups worth once I had it peeled and chopped.  I realize that the recipe calls it a chowder, but when I think of a chowder I think of it as being cream/milk based, and this is not, so...I call it soup.

Chilean Fish Chowder

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup long-grain white rice

2 lbs squash or pumpkin, peeled and diced

4 cups fish, vegetable, or chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 lb (450g) skinless haddock or cod fillets, cut into chunks

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot heat oil over med-high heat.  Add onions and cook for 5 minutes.  Add spices and pepper flakes, cook, stirring for 1  minute.  Add rice and squash.  Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping any burnt bits from bottom of pot.  Cover and let simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes.  Add fish, and cook covered for 10 minutes (or until fish is opaque).  Sprinkle with parsley.  Enjoy!

And since I have the nutritional information, I'll add it too:

Per 1 serving (1/4 of recipe)...

290 calories

6 g. fat

21 g. protein

42 g. carbohydrates

3 g. fibre

*Update: I just made this again but since I had half a cauliflower in my fridge, I chopped it up and added it too.  It tasted just as delicious, but it was even healthier since it had more veggies in it.  Vegetables make me happy:)