This week I wanted to share with you two delicious lentil recipes. Lentils are cheap and quick to cook. You can find brown lentils at the grocery store next to the other bags of dried beans. You can also buy fancy French green lentils at specialty store, they are pretty expensive and when cooked have more "bite" than the brown lentils. The first recipe was adapted from the Boston Globe and the second recipe comes from a Sunset article about Ethiopian cooking.
This lentil salad is one of K’s favorite recipes. Both lentils make a good side dish to a protein dush such as chicken. They can also be served as a vegetarian main course with rice and a vegetable.
Lentil Salad
2 cups lentils (brown or green)
Put the lentils in a large pot, rinse several times and check for debris. Drain. Add enough water to cover the lentil by about an inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering. Cook 20 minutes of so, checking until the lentils still have some bite. You don’t want the lentils to be mushy. Drain the lentils in a colander.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
generous amount of fresh ground pepper
1/2 red onion cut in very thin slices
6 green onions, cut into slivers
1/2 chopped fresh parsley
While the lentils cook mix the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard together with the salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the onions and parsley and cooked lentils. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, adding more if needed. Great warm and also very good the next day. And the first lentils are done!
Lemony Lentils
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Cloves garlic, minced
Melt butter in a pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
2 cups lentils
Rinse lentils in a bowl. Drain and add lentils to pot with butter and garlic. Stir to coat with butter.
4 cups chicken broth (if you don’t have you can substitute with bouillon cubes)
Add broth and simmer, covered until the lentils are cooked about 20 to 30 minutes. You can let them get a bit softer than in the lentil salad, but you don’t want them to turn totally to mush.
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Grated lemon peel from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Stir into the lentils the above ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
I hope you'll try these new recipes. J was always skeptical about lentil recipes, but now I think she is a convert. Write and tell me what you think!
Hugs,
Mameekosan : )
