Split Pea Soup

Over the past week or so, I've just been eating really simple food. A piece of fish, slow simmered. Vegetables either chopped and roasted, or just raw. Handfuls of nuts. Pieces of fruit.

I've discovered some interesting things. First, almost any vegetable is good roasted with salt. This works with fish too. I've never eaten a wide variety of fish, but I like the different flavors of all of them. But flounder is a little weird. On the downside, I've discovered that I don't like radishes. They are fine and crunchy when you stick them in your mouth, but then it starts burning. Yuck.

Moving on from things I've learned to things I've cooked, today, I decided to mix it up a little. And make yet another soup.

I know, you are probably thinking that soup is not really mixing it up for me. But I like it.

Split Pea Soup

1 1/2 cups dried split peas

3 cups water

salt

1 leek, sliced

3 small radishes, diced small

2 cups spinach

dried oregano

Bring the water to a boil. Add the split peas and reduce to a simmer. It will take about a half hour for the split peas to soften and get tender. Add the salt - 1 or 2 teaspoons, the leek, the radish and the oregano. Raise the temp to medium heat and cook the soup until the leek and radish are tender. Add the spinach, just to the top of the soup, don't stir it in yet. Cover the soup with a lid for 3-4 minutes until the spinach wilts. Then stir it in, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Split Pea Puree with Rice

I said that I am eating off the "green" list. That doesn't really mean that all of my food has to be green.

But today that is what is happening.

This recipe is adapted from this site.

I'm going to give it a new name:

Split Pea Puree with Rice

2 cups dried green split peas
4 bay leaves
1 leek
1 cup rice
salt

parsley
extra-virgin olive oil

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the split peas and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil again and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 40 minutes until the peas are soft. When they are ready, there should be a little water left in the pan. Keep a small amount of water and add 2-3 tbs of olive oil, parsley and salt to taste. If the peas are soft enough, they will tall apart as you stir, or you can use an immersion blender to puree them.

While the peas are cooking, cook the rice.

For the leek, cut it into thick slices. Put them on an cookie sheet and coat them in oil and roast them in the oven at 400 degrees.

Serve a scoop of rice topped with peas and a few leeks.