This is so easy it is crazy. Great for a winters day. I made up a huge batch and put much of it in the freeze to use another time. Cook on the stove or in a crock-pot.

1 cup lentils

1 cup orange dal lentils

1 tablespoon of good olive oil

32 0z of chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups of water

1 red onion

2 cloves of fresh garlic minced

4 carrots chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to your liking)

1 teaspoon ground pepper or fine pepper

1 bay leave(remove after cooking)

Get creative, use your favorite spices to bump up the flavor

2 bunches of swiss or rainbow chard( strip the leaves from the stems and dice the stems) Set aside the leaves for later.

Add any other vegetables that you like.

Rinse the lentils until water is clear. I used a strainer.

In large pot add oil and all chopped veggies cook until the stems are soft and onions are clear on low heat. Add broth and water turn to low and let simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chopped chard leaves cook uncovered for 15 minutes or so until the card wilts down. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top and you are ready to serve or freeze for future use.

This is my Cousin Peggy’s fantastic recipe for low fat, low calorie pumpkin bread. Not only is she a wonderful cook,  but She comes up the most delicious options for diabetics. Her pumpkin bread warm from the oven with non fat cream cheese…fantastic! And off we go ready for the holiday’s.

Warm Pumpkin Bread and Tea

3 regular bread pan loaves or 6 small loaves –grease well

4 eggs

¾  C agava (liquid)

¾ C splenda

½ C butter (melted)

½ C applesauce

3 C pumpkin ( 1 ½ cans)

2 cups unbleached white flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cloves

1 ½ tsp nutmeg

Beat eggs.  Stir in agava, splenda, melted butter, applesauce.  Then add pumpkin and mix well.

Blend dry ingredients.  Gradually add to wet ingredients.  Stir until well blended.

Divide equally between loaf pans.  Smooth tops with spatula.

Bake at 300 degrees—1 hour  15 minutes—add up to 15 additional minutes for larger loaves

Test for doneness with a toothpick—should come out clean.  Or, bread should spring to the touch of a finger.

When done, remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Peg and Susan in her Kitchen

Okay not for long, I will be back very soon with more recipes and cookbook ideas and much more.

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