Any great/good/ok lentil recipes or ideas?

[MagNacarta]

I rather like lentils and have recently bought both some red and some puy, but they are sitting in the cupboard looking at me. I don't really know what to do with them, I had a shop bought lentil salad the other day, which was lovely. I also like them warm, but haven't ever cooked with them.

So, oh wise ones - while I'm on a low budget food week I thought I ought to use them, but can you help with what to do?

[MagNacarta]

bump

[ChairmumMiaow]

I like a lovely lentil curry. I don't do recipes but do a mild one that DS loves which is basically:

• cook lentils as per instructions. If you're making it in a slow cooker, just do the boiling bit, if you're making it all on the hob then half the simmering time
  
• heat oil in pan, add chopped onions, garlic, a little chilli and ginger, some garam masala and some crushed corriander and cumin seeds. Fry for a couple of minutes
  
• add a load of veggies - whatever you like, and fry for a bit longer (we like pepper, courgette, mushroom and butternut squash)
  
• add a tin of chopped tomatoes, stir round and bring to the boil.
  
• add the lentils and then for best results put in a slow cooker and cook all day. Alternatively simmer on the hob for about five minutes.
  

• Before serving, stir in some chopped spinach if you like it, plus some fresh chopped corriander and mint.

Serve with rice or naan, and in our house, watch the toddler stuff his face

[NorksDrift]

This is nice though maybe not very summery!

[Molesworth]

Red lentil, tomato and bacon soup is easy, cheap and delicious.

Sizzle up some chopped streaky bacon (6 rashers is enough) or cubed pancetta. Finely chop one large onion and a couple of cloves of garlic and add to the pan to soften over a low heat (you can also add other veg at this stage, eg finely chopped carrot, celery, mushrooms). Add a handful of red lentils, stir, then add two tins of chopped tomatoes, a pint or so of stock and a couple of bay leaves. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 45 mins until the lentils are cooked. Adjust seasoning. If liked, stir in a large dollop of pesto at the end. Top with grated cheese to serve (if liked).

[Montifer]

Saute onions and garlic (and chilli if you like it hot), add red lentils and tinned tomatoes and some stock / water.
Simmer til lentils cooked and serve as side dish for meat / fish or with rice as veggie dish.

Puy lentils are delicious with crumbled feta and a vinaigrette dressing.

Puy lentils good with pork, simmer in a casserole with onion, garlic,stock and bay leaves.

[Metella]

This is my fav

• Fry an onion until soft
• add some curry paste (as much or as little as suits you) and fry for one minute
• add 100g of red lentils and 600ml of vegetable stock
• boil rapidly for 10 minutes then simmer for 20 minutes
• add a large tin of butter beans and heat through
• serve with chapattis or rice

This is really cheap and very tasty.

[sorky]

Sainsburys chicken and lentil hotpot is delicious.
It was in their meals for a fiver recipe section a while ago.
It feeds 5 of us for two meals.
The first with crusty bread etc, the second meal with a side of roast potatoes.

If the recipe isn't on the site anymore, I'll post it up for you, it is yummy!

[MagNacarta]

Thanks everyone, some great ideas. I fried some onion and garlic, added celery and then some lentils (like puy, but waitrose own) with water and chopped carrots. It was lovely hot and then I had it cold having added some cherry tomatoes and a bit of balsamic dressing - yum.

[janeite]

I made something similar to the thing you describe the other night but with a good slug of port and a stock cube, thickened with flour slightly to make a 'gravy' - I then topped it with sliced, par-boiled potatoes and grated cheese and baked it until the cheese was brown. Even fussy dd1 gobbled it up!

I cook puy lentils in port and stock, with garlic and onion then stir in some roasted vege and use as a lasagne filling.