Lentil soup - recipe

Often I ran out of ideas of making healthy meals for us, toddler included. But I have a few go to recipes that I use quite often in our daily meals. Lentil soup is one of them. I make it according to a recipe given to me by my mum, I have just added few extra spices. My son loves this thick soup and it works perfect for children. I just give him a buttered toast with it.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup red lentils

1 onion

1 tsp mild curry

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tsp oil

1/3 cup rice

Method:

1. Add the lentils to a deep pot and add 2 cups water and let it boil. Be careful as the lentils can boil over the sides of the pot. Quickly lower the heat until it has relaxed little. It will be somewhat foamy, when that happens you can easily remove the foam with a wide spoon. When the water is reduced add another 2 cups of water and let it simmer.

2. While the lentils are simmering, chop the onion and fry it in a pan with the oil and half of the curry, until golden brown.

3. Add the fried onions to the lentils together with all remaining spices and the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I add the rice so that it thickens the soup. Let everything simmer together until it has reduced and the soup has thickened. If it becomes to thick quickly add some boiled water.

4. Serve in bowls with baguette and butter, a lovely combo!

Enjoy!

Toddler Lunch and Snack Ideas

Having a toddler in the house that loves his food has made me thinking of various meals that I can offer without it getting to repetitive . I try to to make new meals almost everyday so that he can enjoy something new and tasty everyday. I feel that by giving him new flavours everyday it has made him less fuzzy and open for new ideas and tastes. So here follows different meal ideas of what I give him.

Lentil and sweet potato mash. Boil them together and season with mustard seed, ground ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin. 

Oven baked french fries and fish fingers 

Orzo pasta mixed with a pasta sauce, topped with grated cheddar cheese.  Pasta sauce is made on a mix of marinara sauce mixed with fried minced meat and vegetable. 

Mini star pasta mixed with a minced meat pasta sauce. Sauce is made by cooking a pasta sauce with carrots, onions, various vegetable and minced meat and then processed to a smooth puree. 

Lentil stew with rice. The stew is cooked by boiling the lentils until soft. Seasoned with mustard seed, paprika powder, mild curry powder, coriander, cumin and dried parsley. Salt and pepper. Process the stew until it is smooth. Add a handful of uncooked rice and a friend medium onion and let it simmer until thick. 

                           

Snack: chopped strawberries and blueberries. Try to give these before they are out of season.

Snack: boiled egg

                            

Toast sandwich with avocado spread and a chopped egg, seasoned with paprika powder

                               

Enjoy!