RED LENTIL SOUP
PREP TIME 45 MINUTES • SERVES 6-8
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil • 1 medium onion, finely chopped • 2 carrots, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced • 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red chili flakes • 1 tsp turmeric • 1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt • 1/2 tsp black pepper • 1 cup chopped tomatoes (use canned if not in season)
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through for stones • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (you may sub Italian parsley if you’re not a cilantro fan)
6 cups veggie or chicken stock
• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened.
• Add carrots, celery, garlic, chili flakes, cumin, turmeric, paprika salt, and pepper.
• Cook for 5 minutes and continue to stir.
• Add tomatoes, lentils, cilantro and stock.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro sprigs & serve.
SPIKED HORCHATA
PREP TIME: OVERNIGHT PROCESS, MAKE A DAY AHEAD • SERVES 8-10
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry white rice • 11 cinnamon sticks (1 for horchata recipe, 10 for garnish)
2⁄3 cups blanched & roasted almonds • 8 cups water (split into batches) • 1 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar PLUS 1/4 cup boiling water • 1 package of cheesecloth • 8-10 shots of white rum
• Combine rice and 1 cinnamon stick in a blender or spice grinder and pulverize into a fine powder. The finer the powder the better the horchata. Put in large bowl.
• Put almonds into the blender/spice grinder and do the same thing. Make sure not to let the almonds turn into almond butter. Pulverize until they are powdery. Add into bowl with rice/cinnamon combo.
• Add 6 cups of hot water, mix with wire whisk, cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, transfer half of mixture into blender and add 1 additional cup of cold water. Blend well, pour into new large bowl, set aside.
• Add the second half batch into blender and repeat. It’s critical to blend all the lumps out. Add second batch to large bowl.
• Get yet another bowl or pot and pour mixture through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth, using fresh cheesecloth every time. Repeat this process 4 times for optimal smooth horchata.
• Once horchata is strained, add vanilla and whisk by hand until completely blended.
• In a large measuring cup, dissolve sugar into boiling water to make into simple syrup, let cool and mix into horchata.
• Fill a highball glass with crushed ice, add 1 shot of rum, and pour in 6-8 oz. of horchata, mix with cinnamon stick, grate fresh cinnamon on top. Serve.