Fakess Recipes

FAKES (GREEK LENTIL SOUP RECIPE)

Steps:

• Pick over the lentils and remove any shrivelled pieces and small stones.
• Cover the lentils with warm water for 3 - 4 hours. Change water every hour or so. Drain.
• Add lentils to a pot and cover with an inch of water. Bring water and lentils to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes and then drain lentils and discard the water they were boiled in. Rinse lentils.
• While the lentils are boiling, prepare your vegetables by finely dicing onion, carrot and celery, thinly slicing the garlic and grating your potato if you're adding it.
• In a large pot (you can use the same pot you just boiled the lentils in - but dry it first) combine the olive oil and chopped onion. Cook onion over medium heat until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
• Add carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaves to pot with onions. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning.
• Add the lentils, water (6 cups or enough to cover the lentils by 1 inch), tomato sauce, and the grated potato(or rice if you are using either).
• Bring to boil and then reduce to medium heat. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper 15 minutes into the cooking process. Total cooking times may vary depending upon the age of the lentils, and whether or not you soaked them, and for how long. Your fakes are done when they are soft to the bite. For those who want, you can add a splash (1 teaspoon or so) of red wine vinegar to each individual portion
• Enjoy!

"FAKE" SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden, just before caramelization.
• Add the red wine and stir well. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer 5 minutes, or until the pungent smell of alcohol is gone.
• Add the tomatoes and break them down roughly with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and cook over low heat 30 to 40 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the flavors blend. Toss with just-cooked pasta and serve with shredded parmigiano cheese.

GREEK LENTIL SOUP (FAKES)

Steps:

• Place lentils in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil and cook for 10 minutes; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in lentils, 1 quart water, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have softened, 30 to 40 minutes. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste.

EV'S LENTIL SOUP (GREEK - FAKESS)

Steps:

• In a large pot, cover lentils with boiling water and allow to boil for 10 minutes.
• Drain lentils of this 'first boiling' (greeks think that this process makes the lentils easier to digest - I prefer it).
• Put lentils back into pot.
• Add bulgar or barley (if using), onions, garlic, carrots, tomato paste, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
• Pour 2 ½ quarts of boiling water over lentils, bring to a boil.
• When mixture boils, decrease temperature to leave the lentils cooking at a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 ½ hours.
• Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and simmer ½ an hour longer.
• Taste.
• If the lentils are still too firm to the bite, allow to cook until they are tender and soup has thickened (soup will continue to thicken as it cools).
• If the soup is too thick, you can thin with a little hot water.
• Traditionally, we eat this soup with lots of Kalamata olives, feta cheese and crusty bread.
• I serve half the soup on one day and freeze the other half (it freezes beautifully) to serve on another day when I'm too busy to cook.
• Crockpot Version: Put all the ingredients except for olive oil and balsamic vinegar into your crockpot.
• Cook on low for 7 hours.
• Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and cook a further 2 hours.
• Ev's notes: You can enrich this already delicious soup by making a couple of variations. Add 1/2 lb of minced bacon, but cut back the olive oil to a couple of tablespoonfuls; or add 1 lb of sliced sausage, like Kielbasa. Again, cut back on the oil.
• New note: (added Dec. 27, 2004) I have taken to adding 1/2 cup bulgur wheat to this soup when I add all the other ingredients; it makes the soup more nutritionally complete if totally vegetarian, and really good and hearty; I strongly urge you try this version.
• Freezer Note: This makes quite a lot of soup - definitely enough for 2 meals (plus a little extra for the super-hungry) for my family of 5. I have taken to freezing half the batch to provide me with a quick, nutritious dinner further on down the line when time is short and you don't want to resort to ordering inches Just defrost in microwave, reheat well and serve.

FAKES (TRADITIONAL GREEK LENTIL SOUP)

Steps:

• Boil one glass of water and add the lentils. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then drain the lentils. That way the soup is lighter!
• Put in the pot enough warm water and add the lentils. Put the onion, the bay leaves, the garlic and the tomato paste. Boil in high heat with the lid on for 10 minutes. Add the oil, salt and pepper to taste. Keep boiling for 30 minutes.