Two Recipes

Here are two recipes I've tried lately. One is corn pudding, which I've cooked twice and people have loved. The other is a lentil soup I made on Sunday when friends came up from Courtenay, we all thought it was terrific.

Baked Corn Pudding with Chiles, Onions, and Cheese
4 tablespoons of butter – divided

1 kilo (about 2 pounds) of frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 cup whole milk
2 cups finely chopped onions

6 green onions chopped

1 tablespoon (packed), chopped and seeded Serrano chilies (I used canned Ortega chilies)
4 large eggs

1 tablespoon all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 11x7x2 inch class baking dish.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add corn and sauté for 5 minute.
Add milk.
Reduce heat to medium and cover, and simmer until corn is tender (about 5 minutes).
Transfer to processor and blend to course puree.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in same skillet over medium high heat.
Add all onions and chilies; sauté until onions are tender, about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in corn puree and cool for 15 minutes.
Beat eggs, flour, salt and pepper to blend in a bowl.
Mix in 1 cup of cheese. Transfer to baking dish.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake until golden, about 40 minutes.

Be careful the flour doesn't clump. I mixed it with water before adding the egg and that seemed to help. If it clumps just beat the heck out of it until it is smooth.


Apricot Lentil Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dried apricots
1 1/2 cups red lentils
5 cups chicken stock (I used vegetable broth)
3 roma (plum) tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
1.Saute onion, garlic, and apricots in olive oil. Add lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
2.Stir in tomatoes, and season with cumin, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3.Stir in lemon juice. Puree 1/2 of the soup in a blender, then return to the pot. Serve.
I served it with sour cream and toasted sunflower seeds as toppings.
Serves 6