Healthy Food
“Creamy” Red Lentil,
Sweet Potato and
Tomato Soup
Grilled Asparagus and
Peaches with Caramelized
Shallots and Hazenuts
MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored
and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground*
1 pound red lentils (2 1/2 cups),
picked over for stones, rinsed and drained
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots
1/4 cup toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
hazelnuts*
Fine sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 pounds thin asparagus, woody stems snapped
off and discarded
1 large firm-ripe freestone peach,
cut into 12 wedges
Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over
medium (400 degrees F) heat.
Melt the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onion is tender but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin and stir well.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet
over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook,
stirring often, until they are golden brown, about
5 minutes. Stir in the hazelnuts. Season the mixture
with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Add 8 cups water with the lentils, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer.
Stir in the sweet potatoes, being sure they are submerged. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer,
uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. While
the soup cooks, add hot water as needed to keep the sweet potatoes covered and prevent the soup from
becoming too thick. During the last few minutes, stir in the coconut milk and heat it without boiling.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Place the asparagus on a large rimmed baking
sheet, drizzle with a tablespoon or two of oil, and
roll them in the oil to coat them. Lightly brush the
peach wedges with oil to coat them.
* To toast cumin seeds, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring
occasionally, until the cumin is toasted and fragrant (you may see a whiff of smoke), about 2 minutes.
Transfer the seeds to a plate and let cool completely before grinding in a coffee grinder or with a mortar
and pestle. The seeds can also be crushed under a heavy skillet or saucepan on a work surface.
Filling the pages of The Oz Family
Kitchen are introductions to family
members and their particular tastes,
time management tips for shopping and
cooking, suggestions for organizing one’s
pantry, counter, refrigerator and freezer,
and advice on what to eat (“Ideally, it is
whole, unrefined, GMO free, and organic,” writes Lisa) and what not to eat.
The heart of the book is a collection of
recipes that includes breakfast, soups and
sandwiches, salads, pastas and grains,
main courses and desserts, all of which
reflect the changing tastes and dietary
restrictions of the growing Oz clan.
“On any given weekend,” writes Lisa
in the book’s introduction, “we have one
vegetarian, two flexitarians, one pescatarian, two or three people who are eating
gluten free, and a couple who may or
may not be on a weight-loss plan. We
also have two omnivores who will literally chow down on anything from alligator
meat to fish eyeballs. Needless to say, we
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MARCH 2016 (201) GOLD COAST
have a few challenges when it comes
to satisfying everyone at the table.”
Toward that end, she makes the heart
of each meal a central bowl of salad,
grains, soup or pasta, and prepares
smalls sides of proteins (chicken, shrimp
or tofu) as “add-ins” to allow everyone to
customize. One of the best examples of
this approach is the Oz Family Salad Bar,
which consists of a large bowl of greens
and smaller bowls of proteins, nuts,
seeds, cheese and fruit, allowing family
members to fill their plates just to their
liking.
The inclusion of meat in any of the
recipes is a recent change for Lisa, a vegetarian since her early teens. “Five years
ago this would’ve been a straight-up vegetarian cookbook,” she says. “I’ve
become a little more flexible in my
approach as the kids have gotten older.”
Throughout The Oz Family Kitchen,
insights into the health benefits of key
ingredients are provided by Dr. Oz, who
Place the asparagus on one side of the grill,
perpe