Tag: lentils

Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable sides

Warm lentil salad with goat’s cheese

Belinda

How gorgeous does this salad look?
Made from lentils that you can store in your cupboard (a good staple to have in there), and livened up with juicy, sweet beets, radicchio, creamy goat’s cheese and fresh herbs, it’s a really filling salad, which is super-healthy and a no-fuss, no-stress supper.

Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 x 250g packet of pre-cooked Puy lentils
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cooked beets, halved and cut into wedges
Half a radicchio, roughly torn
50g soft goat’s cheese, broken into chunks
50g pecans
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp mint, roughly chopped

For the dressing
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and gently fry until the garlic is just turning a light golden color. Stir in the lentils and warm through. Season to taste.
To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.
Toss the dressing, beetroot and torn radicchio leaves through the warm lentil mixture and transfer to a serving dish.
Scatter over the goat’s cheese, pecans, parsley and mint and serve.

*Note Torn mozzarella or burrata or crumbled vegan feta cheese are good alternatives for the goat’s cheese.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Celeriac and lentils with hazelnuts and mint

Belinda

A wonderful and complex-tasting recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi

“Celeriac is probably my favorite root. It is delicate, yet very nutty, and has an elegant oily smoothness. Like all good vegetables, it is marvelous simply with a bit of olive oil. Here it works with the lentils and nuts to create a hearty Autumn main course. Serve it warm, with a radish, cucumber and dill salad dressed with soured cream and olive oil. Or, allow it to cool down, then take it to work for lunch or on a picnic.

I am slowly transferring to the metric system as it’s far more specific.

Serves 4

60g whole hazelnuts (skin on)
200g Puy lentils
700ml water
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
1 small celeriac (650g), peeled and cut into 1cm chips
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp hazelnut oil
3 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar
4 tbsp chopped mint
salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300F Scatter the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Let them cool down, then chop roughly.

Combine the lentils, water, bay leaves and thyme in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until al dente. Drain in a sieve. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, cook the celeriac in plenty of boiling salted water for 8–12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

In a large bowl mix the hot lentils (if they have cooled down they won’t soak up all the flavours) with the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the hazelnut oil, the vinegar, some black pepper and plenty of salt. Add the celeriac and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

To serve straight away, stir in half the mint and half the hazelnuts. Pile onto a serving dish or in a bowl and drizzle the remaining hazelnut oil on top. Garnish with the rest of the mint and hazelnuts.

To serve cold, wait for the lentils and celeriac to cool down before finally adjusting the seasoning and possibly adding some more vinegar, if you like. Add hazelnut oil, mint and nuts in the same way as when serving hot.

Asian flavors · Curry · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · lentils · Vegan

EASY lentil curry

Belinda

Recipe from food blog, “Contentedness Cooking”

This lentil curry is so very tasty, packed with aromatic spices, creamy, satisfying and protein rich.
Using steamed, vacuum packed lentils makes it a great time- saver.
It is lovely over rice, roasted sweet potato, quinoa or pasta, and even pickiest people will eat this.

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1 x 1 lb pack vacuum-pack green lentils. (Trader Joes sells these))
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cup onions, diced
4 tbsp butter
3/4 cup full fat coconut milk or coconut cream for extra creaminess
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
2 heaped cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tbsp Madras curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 1/2 tsp ground  roasted cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
A good handful of chopped cilantro,  but you only have parsley, that works too
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, melt the butter, add onions and garlic and fry for around 7 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder, cumin and mustard powder and blend well together, allowing the spices oils to come out

Add the lentils, crushed tomatoes and tomato halves to the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes more on medium heat.

Add the coconut milk/cream, spinach and chopped cilantro/parsley and let simmer for a few more minutes until well blended. Make sure the onions are tender and the cherry tomato halves are soft before serving. You might have to let it simmer gently for another 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · lentils · Rice · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Mujadara: lentils and rice with crispy onions

Belinda

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From “The Mediterranean Dish”
Clearly, lentils and rice do not make for a fancy meal. In fact, in the Middle East, mujadara is known more as “poor man’s food,” or peasant food.
This mujadara is very simply spiced with salt and pepper. The main flavor maker here is onions, fried to the point of dark golden brown. This is what gives the rice the beautiful depth, both in color and taste.
I use these all-natural black lentils for mujadara. These petite lentils cook fairly quickly. They have a wonderful, creamy consistency; full-bodied and earthy flavor.

Serves 4-6

1 cup black lentils, sorted and rinsed
4 cups water, vegetable sock or meat stock, divided
1/4 cup Greek extra virgin olive oil, more for later
2 large yellow onions, diced (4 cups)
1 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
1 cup long-grain white rice, soaked in water for 10–15 minutes and then drained
black pepper
Parsley for garnish
For the fried crispy onion garnish
Oil for frying
1 large yellow onion cut in very thin rings

Place the lentils in a small saucepan with 2 cups of the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer, cover until the lentils are par-boiled (10-12 minutes). Remove from the heat, drain the lentils and set them aside.

In a large saute pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and cook until the onions are dark golden brown, darker than typical caramelized onions (about 40 minutes), sprinkle the onions with a teaspoon of salt as they cook.

Carefully pour the remaining 2 cups of water, bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir the rice and par-cooked lentils into the onion mixture. Cover and bring back to a boil. Stir in a healthy pinch of salt and the black pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are both cooked through (about 20 minutes).

Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the Mujadara hot or at room temperature with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and parsley garnish, if you like.

For the fried onions, heat the oil over medium-high heat (to 375 degrees F) in a saucepan. When a small piece of onion bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. Fry the onions in batches until they are golden brown. Transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined plate or try, and then arrange them on top of the Mjuadara.

A dollop of Greek yogurt is lovely to serve it with
Enjoy!

Soup · Vegan

Ginger sweet potato and coconut milk stew with lentils and kale

Belinda

From recipe blog “The First Mess”

NOTES: Coconut milk is naturally sweet and (obviously) so are sweet potatoes. I like to go in with a lot of dried chili to balance things out, but of course add as much as you feel comfortable with.
-Chard or mustard greens would also be delicious in place of the kale.
-My favorite coconut milk is by Aroy-D

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SERVES: 4-6
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
½ – 1 tsp dried chili flakes (I used Diaspora Co’s ground Guntur Sannam Chilli)
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ lbs (690 grams or 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
½ cup brown lentils, picked over
4 cups vegetable stock
13.5 oz (400 ml) can full fat coconut milk
1 small bunch of kale, stems removed & leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped & lightly packed kale)

GARNISH:
chopped cilantro
extra chili flakes
lime wedges
Nigella seeds (optional)

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and let it melt. Add the onions to the pot and stir.
Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric.
Saute spices until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the lentils to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.

Once the stew is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew on top of the pot so that there’s a couple inches available for steam to escape. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are almost falling apart and the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.

Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Place the lid on top and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Season the sweet potato and coconut milk stew again with salt and pepper. Bring the stew back up to a strong simmer and check for seasoning. Adjust with more salt, pepper, chili etc. if necessary.

Serve the sweet potato and coconut milk stew hot with chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges, and Nigella seeds (if using).

Gluten Free · Salad

Greek lentil salad

Belinda

This lovely, earthy salad is from the blog “Cookie + Kate”.

This simple lentil salad is loaded with Greek flavors and health benefits. You can prepare all of the ingredients while the lentils cook. This salad makes great leftovers—just store the spinach separately from the rest so it doesn’t completely wilt.

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Serves 4 mid-sized servings)

1 cup black beluga lentils (dry/uncooked)
3 cups water
3 lightly packed cups of chopped baby spinach
½ medium red onion, chopped
⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed
⅓ cup pitted and quartered Kalamata olives
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
Optional garnish: crumbled feta cheese

Greek dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp tahini
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
½ tsp dried oregano
Scant ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if using regular table salt, start with ¼ teaspoon and add more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To cook the lentils: First, pick through the lentils and remove any debris (like tiny rocks). Pour the lentils into a fine-mesh colander and rinse under running water, then dump the lentils into a medium saucepan. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. Then, drain the lentils and return them to the pot to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium serving bowl, combine the spinach, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil. Set aside.

To prepare the dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Once the lentils have cooled for about 5 minutes, add them to the serving bowl. Pour all of the dressing over the salad and toss until blended.
Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkle of feta cheese on top, if desired.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · lentils · Vegan

“Faux” Gras

Belinda

This is a very cleverly worked out vegetarian or vegan recipe that can fool you into thinking you are eating foie gras. Yes, it’s that convincing, especially because French/British chef, Alexis Gauthier has figured it out brilliantly.

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Serves 6 to 8 as a starter on crusty bread

2 tbsp olive oil & 2 tbsp butter (If you’re vegan, leave out the butter)
1 large shallot, chopped
A pinch of salt
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly or crushed
18 button mushrooms, chopped small into quarters
2 tsp each of minced fresh sage, rosemary and thyme
2 tbsp Cognac
2 cups cooked French green lentils. (1 cup of dried lentils yields 2 cups. Just follow the instructions on the package. They usually take about 20 to 30 mins to cook)
1 cup toasted walnut or pecans
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp beet purée (2 peeled and halved beets wrapped in foil roasted at 400F for 50 mins until soft,then season and purée)
A little lemon juice, optional
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

non-dairy butter for topping (optional)

Wipe the mushrooms clean. Slice off a bit of the stem and any funky parts and quarter them.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a wide skillet, add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to become translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté, stirring until they are soft and starting to color, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Tip the mushroom/onion mixture into the food processor and purée. Add the cooked lentils, nuts, soy sauce, herbs, cognac, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Add the beet purée. Taste when smooth and season to taste, adding more lemon juice, soy sauce or cognac to get the balance right.

Scrape into little individual jars with lids, or small bowls and refrigerate for several hours.

•• One nice addition is to get some good quality butter or non-dairy butter and when it’s soft at room temperature, wipe a little on top of each individual portion. (See the picture above) You don’t need to do this, but it looks more pate-like

•• This recipe can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months, well-wrapped.

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Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable-related

Lentil and Garbanzo Bean Salad with Feta and Tahini

Belinda

Another lovely tasty and healthy meatless salad. Enjoy!

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Lentils

Scant 1 cup dried green lentils (Puy or Casteluccio, if you can find them) picked and rinsed over. (or buy the vacuum packed cooked lentils in the supermarket and skip this whole cooking stage)
2 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
2 fresh sage sprigs
2 tbsp olive oil

For the dressing and salad
2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 large garlic clove
Salt (Maldon or another flaky sea salt if you’ve got it)
2 tbsp well-stirred tahini paste
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tbsp plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 and 3/4 cups drained garbanzo beans (chickpeas,from a 15-ounce can)
1/2 small preserved lemon, pith and flesh discarded, rind finely diced (optional)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
A handful of cilantro or flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1/4 cup Greek feta cheese
1 1/2 tbsp raw sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan until a shade or two darker

Make the lentils: Put the lentils, garlic, sage, and olive oil in a small pot, along with 2 cups cold water, and set it over medium heat. Let the water come to a simmer (not boiling), then turn the heat to low and cook the lentils in a very gentle simmer just until they are tender (about 25 to 30 mins and you might need some extra liquid near the end) Take the pan off the heat and let the lentils cool a bit before draining them. Pick out and discard the sage and garlic. You’ll have about 2 cups cooked lentils.

Make the dressing: Mix together the ground coriander and cumin in a small bowl. Mash the garlic clove to a paste with 1 tsp salt (use half as much Kosher salt, even less table salt) on a cutting board or in a mortar. In a small bowl for your dressing, combined the mashed garlic, tahini, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, 1 tsp of the ground coriander-and-cumin mixture and 2 tbsp water. Stir well, then taste. Add more lemon if desired.

Assemble the salad: Place onion slices in a medium bowl and break them up with your fingers. Sprinkle in two good pinches of salt, then two teaspoons of lemon juice, two remaining teaspoons of olive oil and the cilantro or parsley. Toss well, then crumble in the cheese and gently toss again.

Toss the lentils with the drained chickpeas, preserved lemon rind (if using), and 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (use half as much Kosher salt, even less table salt) in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the tahini dressing and toss it all together really well, then stir in the onion-feta mixture.

Arrange the salad in bowl or platter. Sprinkle the mixture with the sesame seeds and some of the remaining spices. Serve

Do-ahead · Meat

Hot mustard lentils with beets and spicy sausage

Belinda

All my favorite ingredients on one plate. Such a lovely mixture of flavors and textures and so good for you too.

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Serves 4

1lb 2 oz raw beets (beetroot)
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 tsp caraway seeds
1lb of lamb Merguez sausages or another spicy sausage of your choice
2 x 8oz pouches of the ready-cooked Puy lentils
3 oz watercress, stalks removed
FOR THE DRESSING
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Colmans English mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Heat the oven to 350 F. Top and tail the beets, then peel and cut into wedges.
Put the beets in a roasting tin, drizzle over 2 tbsp of olive oil and toss with the onion, garlic and caraway seeds. Roast for 45 minutes until the beets are tender and the onion is sticky and charred.
In another roasting pan, put in 2 tbsp olive oil and the sausages. Put these in the same oven about 10 minutes later, roasting for about 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. (Alternatively, broil the sausages until golden brown on all sides)

Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients. While the beets are still warm, toss with the lentils and dressing.
Add the watercress and serve with the sausages.

Gluten Free · Meat · Poultry

Crispy chicken with creamy lentils and chorizo

Belinda

There’s a whole variety of flavors and textures going on in this dish. I buy the dried medium Spanish chorizo online and it lasts forever. I adore lentils and they soak up the flavors of the chorizo and chicken, and the creme fraiche and lemon give this creamy, tangy finish to the dish. This recipe is positively healing to eat!

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Serves 4

8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on.
4 tbsp olive oil
6 to 8 oz medium Spanish chorizo, peeled and cut into a small dice (You can substitute the chorizo for 4 to 6 oz bacon)
1 red onion, chopped small
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
8 oz puy lentils
2 3/4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 to 3 tbsp creme fraiche
zest and juice of 1 lemon
small bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy braiser with a lid and brown the chicken pieces in the hot oil for about 5 mins until golden all over. Remove and set aside.
Add the chorizo to the oil and brown gently. Remove and set aside. Pour away all the oil except for 1 tbsp.
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 mins then add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the lentils, stock and chorizo and stir well.
Put the chicken pieces on top, put the lid on and leave to simmer for about 30 mins.
Remove the lid and increase the heat.
Bubble for another 20 mins or so until the lentils are tender, most of the stock has been absorbed and the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the creme fraiche, lemon zest and juice, mustard, parsley and seasoning.
Serve with a nice green salad on the side.