Friday, April 17, 2009

Illustrious Lentils

I tried out this LENTIL recipe earlier this week with rave reviews (my bf liked it).  Lentils "like other legumes, are low in fat and high in protein and fiber, they also have the added advantage of cooking quickly.  Lentils have a mild, often earthy flavor, and they're best if cooked with assertive flavorings.   The best, most delicate lentils are the peppery French green lentils" (The Cook's Thesaurus).



Here is the recipe.  Lemme know what you think and/or your adjustments to it - ENJOY!

Lentils with Sauteed Onion, Medjool Dates and Almonds
Serves 4

The key to this delicious recipe is caramelizing the onions to a deep golden brown. They should be soft enough where they fall apart easily.

6 tbsp olive oil
1 very large onion, sliced into rounds ¼ inch thick
1 ¼ c green lentils
½ lemon (juiced)
½ c fresh Italian parsley
4 medjool dates, soaked and chopped
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
handful of dried cranberries
handful grape tomatoes sliced in half
Salt and freshly milled pepper
Pinch of sugar

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion with a pinch of salt & sugar and cook, stirring occasionally until they are rich and dark brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender.  Do not overcook or they get mushy.

In the meantime, place dates in a small bowl and cover them with warm water.  Let the dates sit for 2-3 minutes, until they are soft.  Drain and then chop the dates into small to medium sized pieces (careful there are pits).

When lentils are done cooking, drain the remaining water and place them back into the pot. Stir in the onions, lemon, parsley, grape tomatoes and top with dates, cranberries and toasted almonds.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Eat over Red Bhutanese Rice or Quinoa

ALSO - soaking the lentils the night before or even a few hours before cuts the cooking time WAY down.  Overnight soaked lentils take about 7 minutes to cook and hour soaked lentils check around 10-15 minutes.

Love you,  mean it

Emily


pictures taken from the Brooklynfarmhouse, foodmayhem and cafecyan.

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