Coconut Lentil Soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil
I medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, optional
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth or water
14 oz can of coconut milk
Juice of half a lemon

Delicious served with rice. Garnish with a cilantro or mint sprig.

To make, saute' onion and garlic until tender. Stir in cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, ginger, and optional pepper. Cook for one minute more. Add the lentils, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Serve with rice and cilantro or mint.

Serves: 5

Spices and Herbs

Spices and herbs add wonderful flavor to the food we eat.  Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the two? How would you describe the difference between an herb and a spice?  It's really quite simple once you figure it out. Herbs are the leaf of a plant that is used in cooking. Cooks refer to them as culinary herbs. Spice also comes from plants, but they come from other the other parts of the plant. A spice can come from the plant buds (cloves), bark (as in cinnamon), roots (like ginger), berries (as in peppercorns), aromatic seeds (cumin) or a flower stigma (saffron). Holiday cooking and baking nears with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up in the next few weeks. How many of these different plant parts will you use in your holiday meal preparation? A bit of trivia, perhaps, but interesting, don't you think?