Quick Lentil Soup

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Kerry in Argentina:

A woman heard that milk baths make you beautiful so she left a
note for her milkman to leave 15 gallons of milk. When the milkman
read the note he felt there must be a mistake. He thought she
probably meant 1.5 gallons, so he knocked on the door to clarify
her request. The woman came to the door and the milkman said,
"I found your note to leave 15 gallons of milk. Did you mean 15
gallons or 1.5 gallons?"

The woman said, "I want 15 gallons. I'm going to fill my bathtub
with milk and take a milk bath."

The milkman asked, "You want it pasteurized?"

The woman said, "No, just up to my neck!"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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When we think of quick soups we don't usually think of dried beans
because most of them require several hours of cooking and/or
soaking. Fortunately for bean lovers like me, lentils are an exception.

Quick Lentil Soup

2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
3 - 4 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch (5 ml) thick
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 - 6 cup (1 - 1.5 L) beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
1 15-oz (425 g) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed with
their liquid
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine
1/2 cup (125 ml) dried lentils
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground cumin
1/2 tsp (2 ml) fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the carrots,
celery, and onion until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add
the garlic and saute an additional 1 minute. Add the remaining
ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the
lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Thu Jul 6 07:47:07 2006