Spinach Risotto, Lisa's Orange Lentil-Vegetable Soup

A friend came over tonight - I guess this must be the first time we've had dinner guests since the baby was born in late November! She offered to bring a soup that she had made, so I just made a main course. It's been about three months since I've made risotto, and I have been thinking of making it for a while.

I made my "conference call risotto" (see my May 2006 description), using red wine and, in the last few minutes, baby spinach leaves. I mixed in ground black pepper (barely; I ran out!), Himalayan salt, vegan Parm! "parmesan cheese", and a little bit of Earth Balance margarine just before serving - and we all loved it. My friend's soup, made with a number of vegetables and orange lentils, then pureed, was excellent! I really liked the Meyer lemon that she brought for enjoying with the soup. It was a fun dinner with a lot of good conversation.

Tomorrow, we are attending the vegetarian society's first potluck in the new year. It will be our baby's first party that she will go to!