From Soup to Stew to Salsa
A friend of mine, G, emailed me a recipe with “I found a recipe on Anjum Anand’s website for Spinach and Lentil curry – but the flavour was too “raw” for my taste. I’ve played with the recipe and the result I think is a bit richer and gentler at least for my palette. It’s now one of my favourite soups."

To be honest I have been hitting the soup pretty hard lately, so I figured this would probably work as a stew as well, the first change begins...the changes I made are in red.

Spinach and Lentil Curry Soup

1 small onion, finely chopped

8g fresh ginger, finely chopped

3 green chillies, finely chopped (or whole for a more subtle flavour)

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

150g split red lentils (250g)

900ml chicken stock (can substitute vege stock) (800ml vege stock)

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes (whole tin)

200g baby spinach leaves (350g Home Grown Organics Frozen English Spinach)

salt to taste (optional)

1 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 rounded tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1. On a medium heat, heat oil in saucepan and fry onion until translucent
2. Add chopped chilli, garlic and ginger, turmeric cumin, coriander and garam masala and fry to release aromas (2 min) – Note: if leaving chilli whole do not add at this stage
3. On a medium heat, heat oil in saucepan and fry onion until translucent
4. Add chopped chilli, garlic and ginger, turmeric cumin, coriander and garam masala and fry to release aromas (2 min) – Note: if leaving chilli whole do not add at this stage
5. Add tin of tomatoes and fry for another couple minutes stirring regularly
6. Add vege stock and lentils (and whole chilli) and bring to the boil
7. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (by this time the lentils should be mushy... you may need to add more water at this stage if the soup is too thick)
8. Add spinach and allow to return to the boil
9. Add salt to taste
10. Serve hot.

The stew (or dahl) was delicious, really, really extra tasty.
The next night I wanted to do something different with it and had wanted to make nachos at some stage, so decided to put 2 and 2 together and use the dahl as the 'salsa' with some organic cheese on top.

Well what another tasty supprise this was. Mmm mmm success stories and full tummies all round.

Thanks G!!

Mushroom, Kale and Barley Risotto
1/2 cup dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup pearl barley
1 head of kale
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 large field mushroom
2 cups chopped button mushroom (or mushrooms of your choice)
1 smll zucchini
1 cup arborio rice
vegetable stock
1 glass of white wine (optional)
1 cup Pecorino cheese (or parmesan)
goat's cheese to serve

I dry roasted the barley the day before using it (believed to make the barley have a more alkalizing effect on the body) but it is an optional step.
Soak the shiitake mushrooms and barley together, at least overnight in a litre or so of water.
Put barley and mushroom soak into saucepan, add two litres of vegetable stock and simmer.
Chop onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini (into small cubes) and kale (into chiffonade).
Saute onions, add garlic and then after a few minutes add arborio rice. Stir till the rice starts to go clear and then add glass of white wine, once wine is absorbed, add kale and stir through. Start adding a ladle full of the stock mixture whilst stiring continuously so the rice is constantly absorbing the liquid. Make sure you are getting the barley from the bottom of the saucepan as you add the liquid. Continue to stir until you are on you last ladle of stock. Add mushrooms and zucchini. Keep stirring until all stock is used up. Stir through fresh grated Pecorino cheese and serve with chunks of goat's cheese on top if desired.

Shiitake mushrooms (Letinan Edodes) are high in Lysine, Pepsin & Trypsin (aid digestion), have cholesterol lowering properties and are excellent sources of Vit A, B, C, E and D (when sun-dried)