For the Love of ... Okra

A new one for me...
I tried okra for the first time this year. For some reason, Lentil and Okra sounded like a match.
I had a wonderful Lentil soup recipe - a lucky internet find - and I decided I'd play with it a bit to accommodate the okra.

Here it is  - because it's delicious and I'd hate to forget it.

Lentil Okra Soup.

Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
1 tsp turmeric
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 - 2 tsp Caraway seeds
1 TBS veg. oil
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped okra
4 cups veg. broth

1. cook the lentils in the water with the turmeric in a stockpot
2. heat the oil in a skillet, add the caraway , stir until it's fragrant,
3. add the onions, cook until softened
4.  add the bay leaf and the okra.
    Cook for a few minutes
5. Add the tomatoes, stir.
6. Once Lentils are done, blend, using an immersion blender or Food processor, then
 add the broth and the the contents of the skillet. ( Remove bay leaf before blending the soup)
Stir and serve.


A nice fall/winter salad:

Roasted vegetables and Chickpea salad

Heat oven to 425-450 F

Ingredients:
(this is a flexible list - other veggies could work equally well )

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 red pepper
1 can chickpeas
Olive oil to coat the bottom of the roasting pan
2 TBS Balsamic or Sherry Vinegar
1 TBS  Tarragon Mustard (or a good Dijon)

Spread Olive oil on the roasting pan.
Add the veggies - and roast - check frequently.  Once it's done, mix together with the chickpeas. Mash the roasted garlic.
Add the vinegar - mustard dressing and toss well.
Enjoy!