Italian Lentil Soup; Chocolate Mousse Pie

Those of you lucky enough to come to Lawrence for the Tech HOP got to enjoy catering by our very own Teri Nelson. We had several requests for the recipes she made, so here they are!

Italian Lentil Soup (Adapted from Milwaukee Journal, 1980)

2c. lentils
1lb Italian Sausage (hot, mild, or combination)
2 quarts water
2 Cans (15oz) chicken broth
1/2lb pepperoni, thinly sliced
1c. chopped onion
1 can chopped tomatoes, with juice
1/2t. dried oregano
1/4t. sage
2 carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans, drained
handful of your favorite shaped pasta (macaroni, rotini, rotelle, shells, bowties)

Pick over lentils, rinse and drain. Remove sausage from casings and form small balls. Brown in large kettle, then drain off fat. Add lentils, water, broth, pepperoni, onion, tomatoes and juice, oregano, and sage. bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and garbanzo beans and simmer 10 minutes. Add pasta and simmer 10 minutes longer. Serves 6 to 8, freezes well.

Chocolate Mousse Pie (Bon Appetit, 12/80)
For crust, combie 3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs and 1/2 cup melted butter and pat on to bottom and sides of 10 inch springform pan. Chill 30 minutes before filling, or bake 10 minutes at 350, then cool to room temperature.

1 lb. semi-sweet chocolate
2 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
2c whipping cream
1/3c powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Stir in whole eggs and yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Beat cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Stir a spoonful each of egg whites and whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in remaining egg whites and whipped cream. Pour into crust and chill 6 hours or overnight. Beat additional 2 cups whipping cream with some powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff. Spread evenly over top of torte. Garnish with chocolate curls, leaves, or grated chocolate.