To ask what to do with lentils?

[CrazyHippo]

Dr has told me I should try to eat more lentils for one of my deficiencies... but what do you do with them?

Ive only ever had them in soup/stew but I dont tend to eat much of those.

Is there anything else i can do with them? Ive had a quick google but always prefer tried and tested recipes

I put a tin of lentils in with chilli or curry or bolognaise.

Lentil dhal!

Or lentil bolognese. Think there's a nice recipe on bbc good food somewhere.

Actually, you've just reminded me that I used to make a really nice lentil tagine which I haven't had for ages - think it has sweet potato, peppers, tomatoes etc in it, plus ginger, garlic and some spices.

You can chuck them in anything really. Spag Bol/chilli, stews, casseroles, lasagne or cottage pie, paella, couscous, salad, med veg.

I find they pick up the flavour of anything you put them in.

Oh and curry of course.

I make a lovely lentil cottage pie. Soak a cup of lentils for 10 mins or so then drain and add a pint of stock and fry carrots, celery, onions or whatever veg you have available and like and add to stock and lentils with a bit of purée, seasoning and a couple of teaspoons of bisto then simmer for 20 mins.

Boils some potatoes and then mash and add to a dish over the lentil mix and put under grill to brown.

So delicious and fairly easy too. Can use sweet pots if prefer.

You can add them to pretty much everything, spaghetti Bolognese, cottage pie, curries, dhal is delicious, I like them added to cous cous or bulgar wheat with veggies, hot or cold as salad, throw in some olive oil/lemon to pep it up a bit. Puy lentils with herbs and lamb, I like them with salmon too. There are all different kinds to try and they work on different recipes

Fry off some garlic and chopped onions, throw in a can of brown or green lentils (or cook some dried ones) season well and throw on top of some rocket and crumble some goats cheese on. Think this is based on a Delia Smith recipe.

Daal - so easy and comforting.

Tinned and raw are very different.

Tinned lentils are very nutty and are fab in salads. I'd do :

Tin of lentils, drained
Chopped veg - cucumber, red pepper, grated carrot
Feta
Finely chopped shallot

Combine in a bowl

Then make a dressing out of olive oil, maple syrup or honey, coarse mustard and red wine /white wine vinegar. Pour over the salad, stir and serve.

Pressure cook them with onion, garlic, spices, and make a soup.

Lentil dhal - we use an internet recipe for it which I can't find but Jamie's recipe for it looks great.

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/collections/lentil-recipes/ I've not tried these recipes I tend to make it up as I go along, but a quick Google found loads of options

Second for lentil ragu. Freezes well too. Lentil shepherds pie is also v good. Also those pouches that you throw in the microwave for a minute are great. Puy lentils and pasta mixed with some veg and pesto is an easy meal. Oh come to think of it, Sainsbury’s had some lentil pasta recently which would help your deficiencies.

Another vote for dal/dhal, I make this recipe every week and DP and I both love it:

www.bbc.com/food/recipes/tarkadal_90055

I also make spaghetti bolognese with tinned lentils instead of mince.

Lentils are highly, highly underrated! One of my favourite things is sausage and lentils - cook some Puy lentils - add to garlic and onions, fried, perhaps a bit of tomato, some herbs - eat with some nice herby sausages.
Tarka dhal - boil red lentils (quick) with turmeric and salt - quickly fry up a bit of garlic, some red chillies,some bay leaves and some cumin seeds in some oil and sling it on top. Onion too if you like it. Jamie Oliver puts tomatoes and ground coriander in too but I think that's overkill.
Lentil Bol - cook some brown lentils - fry up some onion and garlic and celery, other veg if you like it - cook everything together with a tin of tomatoes and some oregano - eat on pasta with cheese on top.

Use puy lentils in a salad with roasted peppers and tomatoes, feta, chopped herbs and a vinigarette dressing.

Or a pasta and put lentil soup.

Or as an accompaniment to fish, they work especially well with cod or any firm white fish.

Depends on the type of lentils. I gently boil red lentils in veg stock until they turn into a sort of mush (keep stirring or it will stick and burn) and use it as a mashed potato alternative. (It solidifies as it cools, but will heat up nicely again in the microwave). Great with butter melting in it. Or use chicken stock for more flavour.

Lentil dhal. Add them to any mince-meat based sauce dishes or use them to replace meat (bolognese, shepherds pie, lasagne). Cook them (or used tins) and mash/blend them up with veg and spices to make burgers/bhajis. Have them in a salad. Have them as a side instead of potatoes.

Lentil lasagne! It is what I feed all non-lentil eaters. Think the hairy bikers have a good recipe on the bbc food website.

Puy lentils in salads. Use the ones straight from the pouch.
Tinned lentils for lasagne and cottage pie.

Lentils and chickpeas are similar so you can switch them in to chickpea recipes. The only real difference is my DH wouldn't let a lentil on his face.

This stuffed red pepper recipe is lovely.
I like to make a yoghurt and mint sauce on the side.
www.getthegloss.com/article/recipe-spicy-stuffed-red-pepper-from-the-8-week-blood-sugar-diet-recipe-book

Throw them in the bin

We have these - www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/merchant-gourmet-puy-lentils-tomato-basil/623488-88446-88447?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzZqqtdPQ2wIVR5UbCh3KsAFXEAQYASABEgKlnvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKe5qbjT0NsCFcKlUQodgOsKOA as a really easy jacket potato topping. One pack - microwave for a couple of minutes (we find it comfortably serves two adults and a toddler), bung on jacket potatoes and serve with salad. Yummy and easy

We also add dried lentils (usually green lentils)to Bolognese to make it a bit healthier and make mince go further, make dhal with split red lentils, and make a puy lentil veggie moussaka like this - www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/mediterranean/greek/vegetarian-moussaka-with-ricotta-topping

Make a good lentil bolognaisI with put lentils(they keep their shape and dont disintegrate).You can use it where ever you might use mince.So lasagne,chilli,cottage pie,on pasta or baked potato.
I make a large batch ,divide and freeze.I just add different herbs and spices when I use them according to the dish.
Dhal is good too as you can just use some as an accompanying dish to curry.

This Jamie recipe is great, we just use the pouches. Have also bastardised it over time to include chorizo and left out stock/honey/walnuts - still seems to work!