Ellie's famous Lentil Soup

This recipe is one of my mom's best! Everyone likes their own mother's cooking but everyone also likes my mom's cooking...lol...

1 can lentils
2 cans water or chicken broth-if you think the soup too dense,you can add more water.
1/2 chopped onion
1 stalk chopped celery
1 chopped carrot

Small splash of vinegar

Saute veggies in a small amount of olive oil just to soften not to brown so stir constantly for a few min. ADD lentils,water & vinegar Bring to a boil & then lower heat to low so it simmers for about half an hour.You can add 1/4 cup tubettini or other small cut pasta- optional but recommended.Cook pasta until done(10 or 15 min)

Stephanie's Sliced Steak on Baby Arugula with Parmigiano Cheese

(Added blue potatoes and asparagus spears- anything goes!)

Hi,
This recipe is a big winner at my house! We make it often.

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Ingredients*

-Flank Steak or any other boneless steak (a few filet mignons couldn’t hurt)
-Baby Arugula

-Thinly sliced radicchio (optional)

- ½ Red Onion - thinly sliced or 2 coarsly chopped green onions (échalotte) , white and green parts

-Parmigiano Reggiano (shaved)

-1/2 cup of chick peas

-Red wine vinegar or balsamic

-Olive oil

-Lemon or white wine

-Club House – Montreal Steak spice (it’s the best, don’t substitute)
*Amount of steak ,arugula and other ingredients really depends on how many people you are serving.

– Do it by eye; with this recipe, its easy to do.

Sprinkle steak(s) with Club House -Montreal Steak Spice.

Place them in a large zip-lock and add a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice or white wine.(ratio 2:1 - 2 parts olive oil – 1 part acid)

Seal zip-lock bag, squish it around a bit and put it in the fridge to marinate (Flank steak should be marinated for a few hours for best results.)

Grill steak to medium or medium rare.

While steak is grilling, prepare your salad bed.

On a large flat dish / platter place arugula (add sliced radichio for color),

Evenly sprinkle the chick peas, onion and shavings of parmigiano over the arugula

Drizzle some salad dressing overtop (you don’t really have to toss it like traditional salad) – I use red wine vinegar and olive oil but if you like a sweeter taste, go with the balsamic.- it goes so well with the parmigiano. (Ratio 2:1 – 2 parts olive oil – 1 part vinegar)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Once your steak is done, let it rest for 10 min before slicing or else juices will run out making the meat tough.

Slice your steak into thin strips, across the grain (not with the grain ‘cause it will be stringy and tough)

Place sliced steak over your bed of arugula and garnish overtop with more shavings of parmigiano. (can’t have too much parm!)

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Note

-I also made chicken instead of steak and it was great too – steak is better.

-Sometimes I put sliced avocado around the plate.

-Sometimes, when in season, I add fresh figs, quartered, just around the dish (if doing this, use balsamic and olive oil dressing, it goes better), it looks nice with the color of the radicchio and so on..