Recipe - Smoky Lentil Soup

Smoky Lentil Soup

Adapted from Wiliams-Sonoma's Smoky Lentil Soup recipe

photo from Williams-Sonoma

• 3 bacon slices 
• 1 shallot, diced 
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick half-moons
• 1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika 
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed 
• 4 cups chicken broth 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 
• Sour cream for garnish 

Cut the bacon into lardons, then brown in a sauce pan.  Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel.  Add the shallot, carrot, celery, garlic, and paprika to the bacon fat and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, lentils, and broth.  Cover and cook on medium heat until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup, but make sure that it remains a bit chunky.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour soup into bowls and garnish with sour cream and bacon.

 Serves 4.

Recipe - Chicken Stroganoff using leftover Turkey Gravy

Chicken Stroganoff using leftover Turkey Gravy

After Thanksgiving, my grandma sent us home with a ton of turkey gravy.  Unfortunately, the gravy outlasted the leftover turkey and mashed potatoes and since I'm a gravy fiend, I didn't want it to go to waste.  Using the already-thickened gravy eliminated the need for adding flour to the sour cream at the end.  My family doesn't like onions or mushrooms, so I omitted them, though you could certainly include them to make this a more robust meal.  Here is the recipe I concocted that my gravy-averse husband enjoyed:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Paprika, to taste
Onion powder, to taste
1 1/2 c. turkey gravy
1/2 c. sour cream
Buttered noodles

Cut the chicken into 1-inch strips.  In a large skillet, brown the chicken in the olive oil and season with paprika and onion powder to taste (I used about 1 t. paprika and 1/2 t. onion powder).  Once the chicken is browned, add the gravy and heat through until hot and bubbly.  Stir in sour cream and heat for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.

Serve over hot buttered noodles.

Serves 4.

I served this with sauteed haricot verts and it was yummy!