Actually, a woman I met from Toronto while going to school in Mexico gave me this recipe, so maybe I should call it Maggie's Lentil Soup. But then she probably got it from someone else, so the hell with it. Anyway, it's delicious!
1 cup lentils, rinsed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup of broccoli, chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 tomatoes, skinned & chopped or 1 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
2 medium potatoes chopped
2 medium zucchini sliced
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 smoked ham hock (optional)
Add lentils to a large pot with 6 cups of water (chicken broth optional)
Let soak for 1 hour
Add remaining ingredients
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat
Cover and let simmer for 2 hours
Stir occasionally
This is my mom's recipe, which was given handed down to her from her mom, so it's very authentic and really simple. First you trim any fat around the edges, then salt and pepper both sides. Sear the meat until brown and remove. Slice up a few onions and cook until wilted....like carmelized, but don't burn them. Then return the brisket to the pan and cover. Add water only if necessary. Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2. Remove meat and slice into 1/4" strips. Return to pot and cover for another hour until tender. That's it! So simple you could plotz!
Here's another recipe I used once out of a Jewish cookbook and it came out quite good (forgive me, Mom...):
1 first-cut brisket (5-6 lbs.)
2 tsps. flour
Ground pepper to taste
1/4 oil
8 onions thickly sliced & separated into rings
2 tblsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 tspns. kosher salt
2 cloves garlic quartered
1 carrot peeled
Preheat oven to 375
Trim brisket of most of its fat and dust it very lightly with flour. Sprinkle with pepper
Heat oil in large heavy flameproof casserole. Add brisket and brown on both sides on medium heat until some crisp spots appear
Transfer the brisket to a dish, add the onions to the casserole and stir, scraping the brown particles left from the meat. Cover until onions are soft and brown, about 10-15 mins.
Remove casserole from heat, place brisket and any juices on top of onions. Spread tomato paste over brisket as you were icing a cake. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Add garlic and carrot. Place casserole on middle rack in oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove casserole from oven and slice into 1/8"-1/4" slices against the grain of the meat.
Return the slices to the pot overlapping them so you can see the top edge of each slice. Add 1 or 2 tsps. of water only if necessary.
Cover and return to oven for another 1 1/2-2 hours longer
Remove, slice carrot and serve. Bon appetit!