It’s Thursday and the weekend can’t come quick enough. What to do? Hit the bacon key!

Here’s a very easy recipe for Charlie Trotter’s Bacon and Lentil Soup from the folks at the A Good Appetite Food Blog that will help you add more Vitamin B(acon) to your life.

The recipe is originally from Soup’s On!: 75 Soul-Satisfying Recipes from Your Favorite Chefs.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb bacon julienned
1 c diced onion
1 c diced carrots
1 c green lentils
8 c chicken stock or broth
salt
pepper
1/2 c chopped scallion (also known as a green onion)

How to Make Charlie Trotter’s Bacon and Lentil Soup.

You can also see our list of delicious soup recipes, organized by type to help you enjoy more soup recipe ideas throughout the year.

Also, here’s some convenient links to our first 100 Original Recipes on Hugging the Coast to make it easier for you to find culinary inspiration and ideas beyond soup.

Please join us tomorrow to see this week’s Fish For Friday Recipe of the Week: Salmon Fish Sticks With Pimento-Caper Sauce.

If you liked this article on HuggingtheCoast.Com, you might also enjoy:

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(Photo Credit: Bacon Key by Brian Cors on Flickr.)

Although more commonly used in soups and stews, orzo works beautifully in salads as a delicious alternative to the more commonly used macaroni shapes found in mayonnaise heavy pasta salads.

Here’s a wonderful and festive looking salad recipe for Spinach and Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Almonds from the folks at Aggie’s Kitchen.

By the way, if you’re already a fan of orzo, you might also want to see our recipe for Creamy Indian Spiced Orzo Pudding.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat orzo, uncooked
3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
about 3/4 of a 6 oz bag of baby spinach, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dried cranberries
4 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (I toast in a nonstick skillet over med heat for about 5 minutes)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1-2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 – 1/2 cup oil (I used grapeseed oil, but canola or light olive oil will work)
salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Spinach and Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Almonds.

You can also see our growing list of delicious salad recipe ideas, to help inspire your gatherings with friends and family throughout the year.

Also, here’s some convenient links to our first 100 Original Recipes on Hugging the Coast to make it easier for you to find culinary inspiration and ideas beyond appetizers.

Please join us tomorrow to see our latest daily food and cooking article, a recipe for a Dijon Cheddar Beer Spread.

If you liked this article on HuggingtheCoast.Com, you might also enjoy:

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Here’s a look back at the food, cooking, and recipe posts that appeared earlier in the week here on HuggingtheCoast.Com…please join us tomorrow for the start of next week’s exciting food features!

Looking Back: 3/1/2010-3/7/2010

Monday: Find Out About the 2010 James Beard Award Nominated Restaurants in Your Area

Tuesday: Thai Cabbage Salad With Spicy Ginger Dressing Recipe (Salad Recipe Ideas)

Wednesday: Easy Sage Ravioli With Brown Butter and Hazelnuts Recipe (Party Appetizer Recipes)

Thursday: Gourmet Cream of Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup Recipe (Soup Recipe of the Week)

Friday: Spicy Buttermilk Fried Calamari Recipe (Fish For Friday Recipe)

Saturday: Ever Wish You Could Cook Right on Your Computer? (Weekend Video Spotlight)

Sunday: You are here

Please join us tomorrow to read our newest daily food and cooking article, a recipe for a Sun Dried Tomato, Smoked Mozzarella, and Sausage Galette.

Ever been so busy that you wish you could cook right on your computer?

The humorous video below which shows the fictional product Adobe Photoshop Cook, gives you a glimpse of what cooking on your computer might look like if it were possible today.

Enjoy!

You can see other recent Weekend Video Spotlight Videos here.

You can also see HuggingtheCoast.com’s growing collection of food, cooking, and travel videos here.

Please join us tomorrow to see this week’s Hugging the Coast.Com Week in Review, an overview of last week’s special food features (as well as selected previews from the week to come).

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• Food Poems Good Enough to Eat for National Poetry Month
• A Mercifully Brief History of Tea: (Some Notes for a Lecture I Almost Gave at My Alma Mater, Podunk University)