Potato Lentil Soup

  
Though I'm a summer baby, I love autumn.  Autumn means the holiday season, cozy sweaters, hot cocoa, and COMFORT FOOD!

This is a super easy, healthy, delicious soup that’ll warm your bones and have you coming back for more.  It only takes 30 minutes’ cooking time, and besides spices, you only need TWO ingredients: potatoes and lentils.  Can it get any easier than that?  I don’t think so.

Well… okay, no soup can beat egg drop soup in regards to fast, but this potato lentil soup is still pretty darn fast.  This soup is especially perfect if you have last-minute guests coming over.  Grab some butter and a baguette, and you’ll have a feast in a snap!

I prefer not to peel my potatoes since the skin houses so many awesome nutrients.  My mom also taught me to eat/use everything possible, so I’m reflexively adverse to throwing food away.  Potatoes have gotten a bad and incorrect reputation as a “filler” food – they’re actually great for your body.  If you’re not used to it yet, try keeping the peel on this one time.  The peel gets super soft in the soup and adds a nice consistency.

I used golden potatoes, but any type of potato will do.

Recipe  
8 cups of water
1 cup of lentils
4 cups of chopped potatoes
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

(1)  Add the water and the lentils to a large pot and bring it to a boil.  While it’s heating up, chop up the potatoes and add those to the pot.  Peel and smash the garlic, and add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf to the pot.  Once the water reaches a boil, lower to a simmer.
(2)  Simmer for 30 minutes, then add salt and pepper.  If you like, mash a few potato pieces with a fork to thicken the consistency of the soup.

Pancakes - Classic, Banana, and Orange Juice

I love pancakes.  They're so easy to make.  Whenever I see boxed pancake mixes, I shake my head with dismay.  Make your pancakes from scratch, I beseech you!  Home cookin' is always better.  

This isn't the simplest pancake recipe in my repertoire, but it's my favorite.  Thumbs up to           America's Test Kitchen.  I simply added bananas to their already perfected recipe.


Ingredients
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons melted butter + 2 tablespoons butter
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ripe bananas (optional to add bananas; ratio = 2 bananas: 1 cup flour)

Directions
1. Mix lemon juice and milk together. Set aside.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
3. Whisk egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Set aside.
4. Mash bananas with a fork, then slowly stir in the egg mixture.
5. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients in the bowl and pour the milk mixture into it. Whisk gently until ingredients are just combined. You want the batter to be lumpy. Do not overmix or the pancakes will come out rubbery.
6. Heat a pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add a small pat of butter and pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan. When large bubbles appear and pop on the top of the pancake, flip. Cook each side for 1-2 minutes.
6. Serve immediately or keep the pancakes warm on a cookie tray in the oven at 200 degrees.

- For Classic Pancakes, leave out the bananas.
- For Banana Pancakes, follow the instructions above.
- For Orange Juice Pancakes (they really are delicious and you should try them), replace the milk with equal parts orange juice and leave out the lemon juice. These, by far, get the best reviews from my friends. :)

 { mash those bananers! }

 { bananas after mashing }

 { little lone pancake }

{ time to eat! }