Cooking Marathon

Today, I embarked on a marathon of cooking up a batch of smoked BBQ pork that I had left from a party in June. Please take a minute in memory of the beast....

I cooked Mango BBQ Pulled Pork, Sweet and Sour Pork (using pulled pork instead of the recipe's instructions), and Lentil Soup. Which is going to be today's recipe. And which involves using my brand new pressure cooker. And will hopefully keep my husband from whining this coming week if he has to prepare dinner while watching two little ones (Quel Horreur!)




Lentil Soup

For a very large batch with enough to eat and freeze:

• Fry a finely chopped large onion in pressure cooker until transparent.

• Add 2 cups of lentils. I like the green French Lentils that Whole Foods sells.

• Add 4 cups of water.

• Close the cooker and fire it up. When the valve (however yours works) indicates the pressure is reached, cook for 10 minutes. Then let it cool down enough to open the pot.

• Add 3 large cubed carrots

• Add half a cubed celery root. If it's a small one, you can add the whole thing. Are you wondering 'what is a celery root?' It's the secret ingredient. It makes any soup or stew or pot roast taste amazing. It makes for perfect gravy. You should really learn to use it.

It's the white thing on this picture -->

• Add 2-3 cups cubed ham (but today I used pulled pork).

• Add 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste.

• Cook on medium until carrots and celery are soft. Then add 2 cubs chopped parsley.

This soup is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day.

Here's a picture of my stove at about 4 pm today:

You see, clockwise, 2 pound cakes ready to go in the oven. Lentil soup simmering in pressure cooker, no-fuss granola with white chocolate chips and cranberries, and Mango BBQ sauce. And that's only half of today's cookery! In the slowcooker in the picture above is slowcooker millet porridge and the sweat and sour pork didn't get its picture taken.