[Sca-cooks] lentils

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

"Lonnie D. Harvel" <ldh at ece.gatech.edu> wrote:
>I have picked up a bag of dried lentils. I have enjoyed them many times,
>but never prepared them. Recipes? Suggestions?
>
>Aoghann

That depends entirely on which kind of lentils you got.

The split orange ones?
The greenish-brown ones?
French Green?
"Black Caviar" lentils?
Some other kind?

They all take different amounts of time to cook and need different 
amounts of water and have different flavors.

Personally,

I put the lentils with the appropriate amount of water in a big pot 
and bring to a boil (appropriate amount varies with type of lentils). 
If it's a type that need more cooking, i'll let them cook for 15 
minutes before adding vegetables. If the shorter cooking type, i add 
vegetables from the beginning.

I often add broth concentrate (my preferred brand is "Better Than 
Bouillon") with the water (it's a goo in a jar - the jar's not cheap, 
but it's is actually cheaper per serving than cubes and tastes 
infinitely better)

You could also add miso instead of broth concentrate. Be sure to stir 
well to dissolve and distribute evenly.

If you're a meaty kind of person, beef, lamb, pork (in almost any 
incarnation - ham, bacon, sausage, etc.) - and meaty bones - would be 
good added from the beginning - and you might give the broth 
concentrate or miso a pass.

I add large chunks of carrots and any other hearty vegetables that 
appeal to me - potatoes, kohlrabi, celery root/celeriac, turnips, 
rutabagas, parsnips, fennel bulb, etc. Winter squash would also be 
good. These go in either at the start or 15 minutes into cooking, 
depending on the type of lentils. If needed i add more water.

Other good additions are greens, such as spinach, mustard greens, 
collard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, radish leaves, kale, 
chard, etc. If you like cabbage, it would work too. For something 
really tender like fresh spinach or beet greens or radish leaves, i'd 
add them a few minutes before serving. For tougher greens (like 
collards), be sure to get rid of the stalks and veins, chop as finely 
as you like, and cook with the root vegetables for a long time so 
they get all silky.

For seasoning, besides salty broth, and depending on my taste, i tend 
to add Near Eastern/South Asian spices - coriander, cumin, chili, 
turmeric (optional), etc. If i'm feeling particularly lazy, i just 
add commercial hot curry powder. You could make it more "European" by 
adding none of those spices, and using a selection of fresh or dried 
herbs instead, such as thyme, marjoram, tarragon, savory, dill, etc., 
and if you like fennel, caraway, celery, or dill seeds.

If you are adding a limited number of seasonings, you could include saffron.

I like tofu, and it can be added about 15 minutes before the lentils 
are ready to serve.

While the vegetables are cooking, I slice or chop some onions and fry 
in butter or olive oil until they begin to brown or to caramelize 
(depending on my patience and how hot my fire is). I often add these 
shortly before serving or put them on top of each serving, cuz i like 
fried onions.

How long you cook depends on how you like your lentils. The orange 
kind get mushy relatively quickly, which is really not a problem. The 
greenish-brown are next quickest to cook, but tend to hold firmer 
than the orange. French take a bit longer, as do the "Black Caviar" 
lentils. If you want them soft, cook longer, adding a little more 
water, if necessary.

When the lentils are done, if you like you can stir in a sufficient 
splash of balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar. Other vinegars are not 
as nice, although malt vinegar might be good here.

I like soy sauce, what can i say, as i eat my bowl (usually a good 
quality Tamari).

Another good add-in is lots of *good quality* yogurt (the kind 
*without* gums and thickeners). Or sour cream, or cottage cheese, or 
even ricotta.

Or grated cheese - almost any kind works - havarti, teleme, munster, 
cheddar, monterey jack, parmesan and other similar hard dry cheeses - 
stirred into the hot soup.

This is just my wing-it lentil soup-stew. There are more 
sophisticated recipes...
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita