Lentil Chickpea Soup, Spinach Mushroom Crepes and Brownies

This it the worst part of winter. January is over and you are hopeful for warmer days, because the days are getting longer. But, hold on. We are far from the spring. We just got the biggest snowstorm of the season and more snow is on the way. So buried inside the best is to eat hearty meals and read books (an activity people used to enjoy before Facebook and Television). Do you remember being lost in a book?

We just recently came back from vacationing in Mexico, so this winter is even tougher to get through. Today I made chickpea and lentil soup with vegetables and mushroom and spinach crepes. For dessert dark chocolate brownies with toasted hazelnuts. Deliciousness awaits! And buried inside we warm ourselves up with memories of Mexico and delicious food.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

(Once Upon A Chef)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, diced

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika (smoked is in the original recipe)

3/4 teaspoon cumin

4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup lentils (dried or canned, dried will initially cook longer)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 (14 ounce) can of chickpeas

1 cup frozen or fresh vegetables such as peas and green beans

Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion with garlic. Cook until soft for about 5 minutes, stirring. Add the paprika and cumin, stir, add the carrot and the broth, lentils, tomatoes and thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook until the lentils soften, for about 20 minutes. Add the rinsed chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes. Puree some of the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the fresh or frozen veggies and serve. Take leftover for perfect lunch the next day!

Basic Savoury Crepes

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

4 eggs

1/2 cup lukewarm water

half a teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk

Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix. For sweet crepes add only 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and add 3 tablespoons of sugar. Heat some butter in the pan and ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter. Fry until it starts bubbling, flip and cook a little more. Repeat.

For the filling fry some mushrooms with oil, butter, salt and pepper. Set aside. Saute some onion with garlic, add the cleaned fresh spinach, cook until it wilts, adjust the seasoning and add a dash of nutmeg.

Place two slices of provolone cheese on the warm crepe, add some of the warm mushroom fillling and serve with salsa, sour cream or bechamel sauce and some parsley. Warm up in a pan to make sure the cheese melts.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

400 g dark chocolate

280 g butter

4 cups brown muscovado sugar

6 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon dark rum

75 g toasted hazelnuts

Melt the chocolate with butter in a microwave or hot water bath (bowl placed carefully in hot water on the stove, make sure water does not get inside) Beat the eggs with the sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, rum, flour, cinnamon and mix. Add the chocolate mixture and fold in the hazelnuts. Heat the oven to 350F and bake for about 30 minutes.