My mother was a good cook. She loved browsing cookbooks, clipping recipes from newspapers and magazines. Today’s soup recipe is one she gleaned from a newspaper or magazine and it makes a very large quantity—6 quarts. My husband is not all that fond of lentils, but this is one of his favorite soups. I have reduced the recipe on this page to one quarter recipe and even that is a lot for us. I have made a full pot of soup and then canned it for future use.  See the full recipe for canning instructions.

Several years ago, my sister sent me a cute little crockpot called a Lunch Crock. It holds 20 ounces. It’s perfect for taking to work to have a hot lunch—not hot enough to burn your tongue. It is just the right size for a pint of soup for the two of us. I have the pint jar the soup was in next to the lunch crock liner filled with soup ready to put in the crock to heat it up. I have heated beans, soups, mashed potatoes, rice, etc. in it. One time I wrapped some rice in foil and laid it on top of about a cup of beans in the lunch crock and both were hot when it was time to eat. My sister used to take left over dinners to work in her lunch crock: mashed potatoes on one side, entrée next to it and maybe some green beans on top. When I was babysitting my 2-year-old granddaughter years ago, I would eat my hot lunch while she was napping. Then I would put her food in my lunch crock so it would be hot and ready for her when she woke up. She loved to eat her lunch right out of the crock. One day she said, “Grandma, did your sister give you this?” (referring to the lunch crock) “Yes,” I said. “I love it!” she said.

 

With the increasing availability of plant-based foods including cheese, it’s nice to be able to have cheese and crackers. Or even cheese in a sandwich. Today I served Daiya Cheddar Slices cut into quarters with multigrain crackers. I was brainstorming with my sister on how to serve my relish plate and she told me I need a charcuterie board. “A what?!? Never heard of it. Never heard of that word before! What is it?” It’s French, and according to Wikipedia, “Charcuterie is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, . . .” I learned that charcuterie (pronounced shar-COO -tur-ree) boards include more than meats. Little bowls of dips, nuts, and olives, various cheeses, meats, crackers, and produce—veggies, fruits, and herbs. This is a vegan charcuterie board with cheese, crackers, veggies, and a ranch dressing dip.

 

Lentil Soup
Charcuterie Board
Carob Crazy Cake

Pre-Sabbath Prep:
Soup: Make the Lentil soup Thursday or Friday.
Charcuterie Board: Prepare carrot, celery & cucumber sticks, or whatever vegetable you want on your board. Make a ranch dressing dip or a dip of your preference. Select your crackers and cheeses.

Sabbath:
Soup: Put some soup in lunch crock or crockpot to warm.
Charcuterie Board: Bring cheeses, vegetables and dip out of refrigerator half hour before serving and arrange on tray along with the crackers.

Marilyn’s Lentil Stew (1/4 recipe)
1 cup lentils
1/2 large green pepper
1 carrot
1/2 onion
1 stalk celery
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 Tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoon sweet basil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 15-oz can stewed (crushed) tomatoes [I prefer the petite diced]

Cover lentils over with water and boil. While lentils are simmering, prepare and chop the vegetables. In a large heavy kettle (at least 1 gal. in size) simmer veggies in the oil and water. While veggies are simmering, add the seasonings, adjusting amounts and types of seasonings to individual taste.

When vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes of gentle simmering), add lentils to cooked veggies (or veggies to lentils).

Stir in the stewed tomatoes (chopped fresh tomatoes may be used instead).

Continue simmering stew for at least 1/2 hour.

The stew is more flavorful if it is prepared ahead of time and allowed to stand in refrigerator for a day or two.

Ranch-Style Dressing
Another favorite recipe from the 7 Secrets Cookbook by Jim & Neva Brackett, page 57.
1 cup mayonnaise of choice
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
1/4 cup water
1 rounded tablespoon Ranch-Style Dressing Mix

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and serve with tossed salad. [Sometimes I put everything in my Rubbermaid Dressing bottle and shake it up].

Note: If you want to make a dip like I had for this meal, use less water. It’s easy to scale down this recipe if you don’t have need for a whole cup of dressing.

Ranch-Style Dressing Mix
1/4 cup onion powder
1 tablespoon celery salt or Vege-Sal
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon dill weed
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sweet basil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar [which I never use]

Mix together and store in an airtight container.

Makes: 1 cup

Chocolate (Carob) Crazy Cake
This cake is known by many names: Crazy Cake, Wacky Cake, War Cake, Depression Cake. Depression Cake originated in the Great Depression. It is a cake made without milk, eggs, or butter, ingredients hard to come by during the Great Depression and wartime. Depressing times called for an occasional dessert and creativity. This Chocolate Cake recipe has been revised to a Carob Crazy Cake. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

1 1/2 Cups flour (all-purpose)
3 Tablespoons carob powder
1 Cup sugar (I use Florida Crystals)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Cup water infused with 1 teaspoon Roma

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 8″ square baking pan or mixing bowl. Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients – two small, one larger. Pour lemon juice in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in third larger depression.  Pour water over all the ingredients.  Mix well until smooth.

Bake on middle rack of oven for 35 minutes.  Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Cool.  Top with your favorite frosting.  Enjoy!

Note:  Oven baking times may vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.

You can frost the cake or serve it with Cool Whip. This time I chose to ice my cake with what would normally cover a German Chocolate Cake. I have also included the “Chocolate” Peanut Butter Frosting recipe I normally use, as well as a Cream Topping recipe for homemade “Cool Whip.”

German Chocolate Icing  
3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook all ingredients until thick, then add:
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Note: If you want a two-layer German Chocolate/Carob Cake, double the cake recipe, and bake in 2 pans. You would also want to double or triple the icing recipe.

Carob Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup carob chips
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons Earth Balance butter, softened

If you have a double boiler, you can use it. Or just be like me and get a pot of simmering water going, then put a glass bowl large enough to fit on top of it.

Place your carob chips, peanut butter and butter in the bowl and then put the bowl on top of the simmering pot. Let it melt. Stir until nice and smooth. Spread it on the cake while the frosting is liquid and it will set up nicely on the cake, or you can wait until it is thicker and spread it with a knife or pipe with a piping bag.

Just the right amount of frosting for an 8×8.

You can make your own whipped cream or cool whip with this recipe—

Cream Topping
1 cup soymilk (plain or vanilla)
2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash of salt
1/2 cup sweetener or a scant 1/2 teaspoon Stevia

Blend above ingredients. While blending slowly drizzle in about 1 cup of oil (I use light olive oil) until the “hole” in the middle closes. Scrape into bowl and carefully fold in 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice with spatula. It thickens as stored.