Garlic Parmesan Croutons

Ingredients

Soak:

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced very fine

in

  • ½ c olive oil for 3 hours.

Cut:

  • 1 (8 oz) loaf French baguette or similar into 1.5-2 cm cubes.

  • Strain oil over bread and coat evenly.

Mix:

  • ¾ c finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) (use ½ c in first step, ¼ c in final step)

  • pinch cayenne

  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ tsp salt

  • ½ tsp dried Italian herbs

  • ½ tsp paprika

Sprinkle mixture over bread, toss.

  1. Spread bread on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 °F for 15 minutes. Flip and return to oven for another 15 minutes.

  2. Sprinkle remaining ¼ c cheese and return to over for a further 15 minutes.

  3. Let cool to room temp before storing.

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid, heat the ghee or oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and stir occasionally until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

  2. Stir in the lentils and rice, coating them in fat. Add the tomato paste, cumin, dried mint (if using), salt, pepper and cinnamon. Add about 2 cups of the stock and stir to dissolve the tomato paste and even disperse the spices. Add the remaining stock, stir well, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, stir, cover and simmer until the rice and lentils are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. (If the soup thickens more than you would like, add water, ¼ cup at a time.) Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

  3. Stir in about ¾ of the parsley and remove from the heat. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Divide the soup among bowls, top with the remaining parsley and serve hot, with cheese and fresh herb sprigs, if desired.

  4. Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Info

calories: 261;

total fat: 8 g;

saturated fat: 5 g;

cholesterol: 18 mg;

sodium: 569 mg;

carbohydrates: 39 g;

dietary fibre: 11 g;

sugars: 6 g;

protein: 9 g.