Warm Lentil and Potato Salad with a Garlicky Mustard Vinaigrette, smitten kitchen

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2 large shallots, 1 halved, 1 finely diced,
4 sprigs of thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 cup dry small green lentils (see Note up top for varieties)
1 small bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 pound fingerling potatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed to a paste (I use less)
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of your favorite olive oil
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed if salted, drained if brined, and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped
1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Cook lentils: Pick over and rinse lentils. Place them in a small/medium saucepan with the halved shallot, thyme branches, bay leaf, some salt and 4 cups of water. Simmer the lentils over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender. Drain (discarding shallot, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes: In a separate saucepan, cover potatoes with 1 to 2 inches cold water. Set timer for 15 minutes, then bring potatoes to a simmer. When the timer rings, they should be easily pierced with a toothpick or knife. Drain and keep warm.

Make the dressing: Place the chopped shallot and red wine vinegar in the bottom of a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in minced garlic, dijon, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and olive oil. Stir in chopped capers, cornichon and scallions.

Assemble salad: Slice potatoes into 1/2-inch segments and place in serving bowl. Add lentils, dressing and all but 1 tablespoon parsley and combine. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Scatter salad with remaining parsley.

Serve alone, with a soft-cooked egg on top, or as a side to a larger roast, chop or sausages. Reheat as needed. If you plan to make this at the outset of several meals and would like to eat it warm, I’d keep the dressing separate, warming only the lentils and potatoes and stirring in the cold dressing to taste.

Keeps in fridge for up to 5 days. Makes 4 lunch servings, 6 servings as a side dish

Lentil Enchiladas

2 1/4 cups lentils, cooked (I used Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
4 oz can fire roasted green chilis
1/2 cup lite shredded Mexican cheese, divided
8 8″whole wheat flour tortilla taco shells

***Enchilada Sauce***
1 15oz can (1 3/4 cup) tomato sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350F
To make enchilada sauce: In a medium bowl, add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Mix until combined; set a side.
In a skillet add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add green chilis and lentils, cook until warmed. Add 1/4 cup of cheese and mix until cheese is mostly melted.
Spoon a little bit of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Evenly distribute lentil mixture to tortilla (about 1/4 cup), place tortilla seem side down onto baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until cheese has melted

Optional: Top with tomatoes, jalapenos and greek yogurt

from peanut butter and peppers blog

Mushroom-Lentil Pate, The Washington Post, December 26, 2012

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The herb-infused lentils are such a nice element of this pate that you might consider making extra and using the leftovers, including their liquid, to sauce pasta or rice.

Serve the pate with whole-grain crackers or rye toasts, garnished with thyme, if desired.

MAKE AHEAD: The pate can be made, covered and refrigerated 2 days in advance.

Makes 1 1/4 cups (5 servings)

1/3 cup (about 3 ounces) dried brown lentils
2 sprigs thyme, plus more for optional garnish
1 teaspoon medium-grain sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife, then minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon medium-dry sherry
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) pecan halves or pieces, toasted (see NOTE)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Cover the lentils with an inch of water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until tender, about 20 minutes, adjusting the heat so the water is barely bubbling. Remove from the heat, stir in the thyme sprigs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, then cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until warm. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil, the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook until translucent, 7 or 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, toss to coat with the oil, cover partly and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until most of the remaining liquid evaporates. Add the sherry, and cook until it just glosses the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Cover the skillet and remove it from the heat.

Pulse the pecans in the bowl of a food processor until they are finely ground. Add the onion-mushroom mixture and process until just combined. Drain the lentils, reserving the cooking liquid for another use, if desired, and add them to the food processor along with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Process until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and pulse just until combined. It should be about the consistency of peanut butter.

The pate can be served in a bowl immediately, garnished with additional thyme, if desired. It can also be molded. Transfer the pate into a small loaf pan or bowl lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. When ready to serve, unmold the pate onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap.Garnish with additional thyme, if desired.

NOTE: To toast the pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven, shaking the sheet occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.

Spiced Lentils and Poached Eggs from Cooking Light

photo from magazine

Notes from dmv: despite following the directions my cooked lentils were mushy so I decided to serve them over rice and omit the eggs.  Also served with jarred cilantro chutney rather than fresh.  This simple dish was delicious.  Recipe is from one of favorite blogs: http://www.thebittenword.com/

1 cup dried small red lentils
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion–used less
1 cup chopped tomato
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain; discard bay leaf.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and tomato; sauté 8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add curry, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add lentils; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add water to a large skillet, filling two-thirds full; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer. Add vinegar to pan. Break eggs into custard cups. Gently pour eggs into pan; cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Carefully remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon. Place about 3/4 cup lentil mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 poached egg. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro.

Lentil Soup – Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine

 

1 ½ tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp veggie stock concentrate
good squirt of tomato paste
chopped parsley
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with their juice
6 cups water
1.5 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed well
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 potatoes, diced

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook until vegetables begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking them up with a large spoon. Add the water and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered. Add potatoes about 30 min into the cooking time, cook until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Just before serving stir in the vinegar.

My variations: used 2 carrots for no particular reason, orange lentils as I like the color and balsamic vinegar as I didn’t have red wine vinegar.

Serves 4 – 15 minutes prep time – total time 45 minutes.

Note cooking time for lentils can vary from 20 to 40 minutes depending on how fresh they are. The older they are the longer they take to cook.

Variations: cooked dry pasta short such as elbow macaroni, or break up strands of spaghetti or linguine. Use about 2 ½ cups cooked pasta (1 c dried).

Very tasty and easy to fix, most ingredients usually on hand.

Choklay’s Tibetan Lentil Soup – Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

1 ½ c. dried lentils, rinsed
6 c. water
1 tbsp oil
1 ½ c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
1 fresh chili, seeded and finely minced – can substitute pickled jalapeno slices well rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
1 potato, diced into ½ inch cubes
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 c. undrained canned tomatoes (28 oz. can)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ tsp. salt

In a non-reactive soup pot, bring the lentils and water to a boil; then reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onions, garlic and chili for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, coriander and cumin and sauté for another minute, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the lentils are tender, coarsely chop the tomatoes in the can and stir them into the soup pot. Ad the chopped cilantro, salt and the sautéed veggies. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until all of the veggies are tender.

Serves 6
Yield 10 cups
Total time 45 minutes

Mushroom Barley Soup – Horn of the Moon Cookbook

 

1c raw barley
6 c. boiling stock
2 tbsp oil
2 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped or sliced carrots
1 tbsp dried dill weed
1 ½ c. sliced celery
4 c. sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 tbsp tamari
parsley

Combine barley and stock in a 4 quart soup pot. Cover and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil and saute the onions, carrots and dill weed. A few minutes later, add the celery. When browned and cooked nicely, add to the soup pot. Saute the mushrooms in the same pan quickly on high heat until lightly cooked, then add salt, pepper, tamari and more water or stock if needed. The barley will continue to absorb water, making the soup thick. Before serving add parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran

Panch phoran (also spelled panch phoron and panch puran) is a Bengali blend of five spices– fenugreek, mustard, kalonji (nigella), fennel, and cumin, in equal amounts. (In Bengal, radhuni would be used instead of mustard, but it’s not available in the U.S.) You can buy this spice blend in Indian grocery stores or you can make it yourself.

If you want a more assertive panch phoran taste, grind an additional 1/2 tablespoon of it and add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

  • 1 1/2 cups masoor dal or red lentils
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon canola oil (or canola oil spray)
  • 1 tablespoon panch phoran
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste (or 1 tsp. minced ginger)
  • 16 ounces diced tomatoes (or 1 can)
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets)
  • 1/2 cup water
  1. Pick over and rinse the lentils and add them to a pot with the water and turmeric. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the dal is tender, about 20 to 35 minutes. When done, add salt and set aside.
  2. While the dal is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Heat a large, deep skillet, preferably non-stick. When hot, add the canola oil and shake it to spread it around. Add the panch phoran and stir. (You may instead use oil spray; spray before and after adding the panch phoran.) When the first seed pops, immediately add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger paste. Stir and cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower, and water, and stir. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes.
  3. When the dal and cauliflower are both done, add the dal to the cauliflower mixture. Stir well, and check seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve hot, over rice if desired.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 55 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6

 

Lentil Soup with Mushrooms and Swiss Chard



 

 

 

 

 

This soup gets much of its savory appeal from umami-rich mushrooms and red wine.  A generous amount of butter and olive oil and a nice long cooking time contribute to rounding out the broth.  The end result is a rich, filling dish with a depth of flavor sometimes missing in vegetarian soups.

2 cups brown lentils
6 cups cold water
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large can plum tomatoes, drained and crushed with your hands
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill OR 1 tablespoon dried dill
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
3 bay leaves
1 head of Swiss chard, ridges removed and cut into ribbons
¼ cup red wine
8 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick

Place all of the ingredients except the Swiss chard, red wine, and mushrooms into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil.  When it begins to boil, add the red wine.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for two hours.

Thirty minutes into the simmering time, add the Swiss chard and stir well to combine.

Saute the sliced mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil.  After the soup has been simmering for one hour, add the sautéed mushrooms to the soup pot and stir again.

After two hours of simmering, taste the soup.  If the lentils aren’t tender yet, allow the soup to simmer for another thirty minutes or until the lentils soften.  Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

This soup keeps in the fridge for several days and also freezes well.

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