Curry Lentin Soup version 2 with Chipotle marinated Shrimp

So sorry for the long delay, I haven't been cooking much, and have had unfortunate priorities of my free time that have taken me away from blogging.

Anyone who lives in Minneapolis can tell you that it's still winter. Or at least very early spring. After a week or two of mild weather it's been raining/snowing/freezing since the middle of April. When I left my house this morning, May 2, there was freezing rain pellets falling on my head. So what was originally planned to be ginger lime shrimp with sesame carrot salad was instead chipotle and chili marinated shrimp with yellow curry lentil soup. Unfortunately I didn't actually write down exactly what I did. So I'm going to attempt to get this down, to the best of my skills, before I forget any ingredients. I'll edit this post in the future when I refine the recipe.

This was a perfectly portioned meal for 3 adults.

Shrimp - 18 pieces 26x30 devained (I removed the shell myself, having forgotten what a pain that is, I wont be doing it again)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 heaping teaspoon fresh Ginger paste
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Penzeys Chili 3000
1 teaspoon diced garlic
2 medium chioptle peppers, canned in adobe sauce
(note - I think this marinade would be great with pork or chicken as is, for beef I would replace the sesame oil with balsamic vinegar)

Mix everything together, crushing the peppers with the back of a spoon, add the shrimp, coating completely, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. I let mine go for 3 hours. Skewer the shrimp and cook on a grill for about 5 minutes on eat side, or until shrimp are firm and opaque.

Originally I was planning to make curry scented lentils. This was a last minute change of plans after I was told by The Man that sesame carrot salad was simply not going to be enough with 6 shrimp, and really wasn't the best choice on a cold windy day anyways. He was right, and this ended up being a much better option, and the taste was perfect with the shrimp. Once again, I wasn't paying a lot of attention to what I was doing, but this was so quick and so delicious I'm going to get it written down, and try it again soon so I can refine the measurements. I really need to start measuring things while I'm cooking.

1 cup red lentils
3 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons dehydrated roasted garlic pieces
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and stir often for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Yes, it really was that simple. I'm not sure how it would work with other types of lentils, since it's my experience that red are softer.

I served the shrimp on the side of the soup, because I wasn't sure how my family would enjoy them combined, in the future I will simply set the shrimp on top of the soup, as I fully intend to make this meal again.

Tri-Color Chicken Noodle Soup

We've got a couple of major house projects going on right now. We're completely re-decorating our basement and finishing re-finishing our kitchen. We will also be changing my office into a second guest room in preparation for a friend staying with us through the summer. And we have to do it all as cheaply as possible now that I've been laid off. Luckily we have a friend who used to build houses and accepts payment in food. Last Saturday I made this chicken noodle soup, with cheddar bacon corn bread from the King Arthurs Flour cookbook. Unfortunately the recipe isn't online, but I will post it soon because it was very delicious and I've already been asked to make it again.

1 Tblsp olive oil

2 medium shallots, dices

1 Tblsp garlic, diced

1 pound chicken tenders

2 1/2 boxes chicken broth

1 small bag baby carrots

4 bell peppers diced, this is where the tri-color comes in, I used 1 orange, 1 yellow, and 2 red to balance out the corn and carrots.

8 ounces of corn kernels, approximately

1 can Hunts Diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper, or more to taste

1 large pinch rubbed sage

3 small leaves fresh basil, chopped

3/4 tsp diced rosemary

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp cumin, or more to taste

3-4 cups wheat penne, cooked separately

Caramelize the shallots and garlic in olive oil. Continue to cook until the shallots are mostly clear, and add the chicken tenders, leaving them whole. Add just enough chicken broth to cover the chicken and simmer till cooked through. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the good flavors. Remove the chicken tenders and set aside. Add the carrots, corn, and 1 box of the broth, cook for about ten minutes. Add peppers, tomato, and dice the chicken and add it back in as well. Add remainder of broth, seasonings, and cook until vegetables are as soft as you would like. Add the penne and let sit for a few minutes to warm the noodles. Soup is done!

Everyone really enjoyed this soup, I will certainly be making it again. It was great for a winter lunch, and I think will be wonderful in the summer when I can get all of the vegetables fresh from the farmers market as well. I recommend freezing the leftovers, so the noodles don't soak up too much broth and get too soft. Like I mentioned, I served it with a bacon cheddar corn bread, next time I think I'll stick with a regular corn bread as this soup can certainly hold it's own flavor wise.