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I’ve been really busy doing fun things like the Austin Celtic Festival, and I’ m feeling guilty about neglecting my cooking and my cooking blog, so this morning, after checking into work for a few hours, I cleaned out parts of the refrigerator, and decided to make crock pot red lentil soup with what I scavenged in the attempt.  This is my atonement for wasting some perfectly good food–just cut off the bad parts and save what you can.  You’ll feel much better about yourself.

Ingredients:

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp powdered garlic

1 large dried ancho chile

1 large calabacita squash, about 1 cup

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1 or 2 roma tomatoes

1 medium sized Yukon gold potato

1 onion, quartered

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 1/2 cups red lentils (You can buy certified gluten-free ones on amazon–and, they’re the most expensive part of this dish.)

salt  to taste

cilantro for garnish

Kitchen apparati:

4 quart crock pot

knife, for cutting and shredding vegetables

teaspoon

measuring cup, for the lentils

Directions:

Continuing the purification theme, this recipe requires a huge amount of rinsing.  You’ll need to rinse the lentils repeatedly, for ten or fifteen minutes, until the water runs clear.  This is important:  without it, the lentils will get really scummy.  While you’re rinsing the lentils, chop the vegetables.  Grate the ginger by running the flat of a knife against the ginger so it comes apart in little shreds.  When the water finally runs clear–see, don’t you feel better– put the  lentils and enough water to cover in a 4 quart crock pot.  Add the the vegetables, spices and the ancho chile.  Turn the crock pot on low for about eight hours.

When it’s done, freeze half for later, and add salt and cilantro to the rest to serve.  Serve with corn chips or rice.  Ah.  Redemption.

Cost:  About .75 cents a serving