Go to your room! er... I mean.. The Fridge!

Tonight was one of those nights I came home and it was already 7:00 and I knew I couldn't start making a meal from scratch that late because then I wouldn't be eating till maybe 9 pm and then by the time I was done I'd have no time to really relax. So instead of making a meal for tonight, I put some frozen tamales in the steamer and sliced up a cucumber real quick for a mini cucumber salad (read: red wine vinegar, pinch sugar, salt, and pepper). And, as the tamales steamed, I chopped an onion, two carrots, some of that beautiful marina di chioggia squash, and started on soup for lunches and dinners this week!

Though I didn't get to enjoy it tonight, cooking a nearly hands off soup while I got to sit on the couch and relax definitely has its benefits. I'll be good for tomorrow and the next day. And I can stop feeling bad about that gorgeous squash just sitting around, not being used!

Here's the recipe; it's incredibly simple. Promise!

2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3/4 c chopped hard winter squash
1 1/2 T cumin
1/2 T curry powder
2 c red lentils, rinsed (Hey, sometimes when you buy them, they're dusty. It won't kill you but...)
10 c water
salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions, carrots, squash, and spices. Stir, and saute until onions are translucent. Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until lentils are soft, about 25 minutes. (Or, if you forget pot is on the stove for an hour, it will be good then, too!)