Recipes : Calming foods

I came home tonight so stressed an uptight. I'm thinking about a million things all at once between work, relationships and life in general. I had been watching "Good Chef, Bad Chef" religiously over the last few weeks on "Lifestyle Food" and I have found Janella Purcel's recipes so beautiful and delicious. But this has to one of my favourite. (Although, quick warning, is pretty garlic-y the way I make it, so be careful if you're having it for work lunches! I also got comments on how "ugly" it was, I think it looks beautiful and healthy! Haha!).

Spinach, Lentil and Lemon Soup

• 1 tbls olive oil
• ½ onion, sliced finely
• 2-3 medium cloves of garlic, crushed (Janella just says 1 but I love garlic!)
  
• ½ cup brown or green lentils
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• ½ bunch silver beet, white stalk removed
• ¼ bunch coriander leaves and stems, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 tbls taklia – 4 cloves garlic, sliced, ½ cup olive oil, 4 tbls coriander powder, 1 tbls sea salt
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 2 tbls pine nuts, toasted

Method

 

In a large pot saute your onion in the olive oil until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another few seconds. Now add the lentils and stir to coat them in the oil. Add the stock and simmer until they are soft. This will take around 30 minutes.

• Roughly chop your spinach then add them to the pan with the coriander, then the lemon juice. Stir well then cover the pot to let the spinach wilt. Puree. Add more water if the soup it too thick.
• For the taklia, fry the garlic in the oil until it just changes colour, don’t let it brown. Put it in a mortar and pestle with the oil, coriander powder and salt. Pound it until it becomes a rough paste.
• Divide the soup between 4 bowls and stir 1 tbls of taklia into each. Taste for seasoning. Top with the pine nuts and serve.

I made a loaf of spelt bread from wholemeal spelt, flour, yeast, water, salt and olive oil and then spread a thin layer of philly cheese (I can't go completely without cheese, I love it too much).

After a big bowl of soup, bread and philly cheese all my worries were forgotten and I'm ready for a bit of relaxation and then a good night's sleep.... zzzzzzz.

Image courtesy of www.discoverlebanon.com because I scoffed my food before I could photograph it...