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

Lentil lasagne! We have this most weeks as long as fussy-blighter DS is eating elsewhere.

Fry onion, peppers, bung in one tin chopped tomatoes plus same volume of water, some vegetable stock (cube, granules, lovingly simmered handcrafted version, whatever), couple of handfuls of lentils, leave it all to simmer. Use like the meat version.

We have put lentils with onions, carrots leeks and creme fresh as a side dish. Lovely

If your boiling rice for a meal, add a big handful of lentils (the dried kind any colour) they cook in the same amount of time as the rice and prevent the rice clumping. Unless you wanted sticky rice, in which case don't add them.

Put them in anything you would have with mince, you won’t even taste like he difference, Bolognaise, cottage pie, Shepard’s pie, mouskaka, chilli......

dahl

every other use is unpalatable.

^

Garlic and lemon make them a great side for most things.

My two favourite ways to eat them is in a salad with roasted butternut squash, rocket and feta, and Nigella's poached chicken with lentils and lardons.

allotment2kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/cheesy-lentil-wedges.html?m=1

This Cranks recipe for lentil wedge is so tasty. Great hot or cold, with salad or chips, and a handy lunch for work.

This chilli recipe: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/30/vegetarian-chilli-recipe-beans-pulses-anna-jones-the-modern-cook-student

Best vegetarian chilli I've ever had and everyone I've ever fed it too really likes it. I make a big batch now and freeze it in smaller batches. I also usually add some Passata or tinned tomatoes when I defrost it.

This is a great recipe, I use 80% red lentils and 20% puy lentils (Merchant Gourmet ones in a box).
I also add a whole can of coconut milk and just chuck it in when I put in the veg stock/water.

Or this Shepherd's pie recipe: www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/vegetarian-food/vegetarian-shepherds-pie-with-goats-cheese-mash

(And please excuse the typo in my last post - should be to not too)

Me and DH are vegetarian so use lots of lentils. One of our favourite meals is egg and lentil curry. Absolutely delicious and easy to make.

I use the Delia Smith recipe

Lentil bake. Delicious, simple, cheap.

3/4 cup of red lentils
3/4 cup of chopped onions
1/2 cup brown rice
Squirt of garlic puree
3 cups ish veggie stock.
Chuck it in a shallow casserole dish. Stir.
Bake with foil on at about 200 for about an hour. Stir it around. Add a slosh more stock if it's drier than thick porridge consistency.
Add a layer of grated cheddar. Cook for 20 to 30 mins uncovered to form a crust.

It sounds gross but it is so delicious. Serve with green salad and buttered brown bread.

Done badly they can be disgusting grit. My red lentil Bolognese was horrible.

When DS went veggie I tried some lentil recipes and have learned a bit more.
I buy green lentils, soak for a week overnight and then boil for half an hour. At this point they can be frozen or used in any of the recipes above. I use as a mince substitute so in Ragu, chilli, burritos.

Wow some great ideas here! Will have a try at most of them! Thank you

Lentil soup with chicken stock and dry mint and salt and cumin and black pepper. Fry onions and add a bit of tomato puree and black pepper and chilli flakes. Add to blended soup.

Also lentils kofte

If you're not used to cooking with them, you can get pouches of them ready cooked, that you just heat in the microwave, I think Merchant Gourmet make them.
Serve instead of potatoes with pork chops, sausages, duck, lamb tagine, cod loin. As you get used to them you can experiment with adding tomatoes, mushrooms, diced bacon, herbs & spices.

This recipe is delicious but halve it as it makes loads.

almostturkish.blogspot.com/2009/10/red-lentil-kofte-mercimek-koftesi.html?m=1

Weave them?

I put them in everything because I love them. A good snack is a jar of lentils, chop up some beg, add some stock. Just keep in a tub in the fridge and take out a couple of ladles and heat when you want.

There is a slimming world recipe for curried lentil, bacon and tomato soup that is my all time favourite food! Healthy and delish!!

Puy lentils are great with tuna either in a salad or as a bed for a tuna steak.

My fave curry:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-sweet-potato-curry

I do them as a great side dish as follows
1 x tin of green lentils
a packet of diced chorizo (or cut about 50 grams up)
1 onion
3 carrots

Fry the chorizo first then remove from pan leaving the chorizo- ey oil at the bottom
Fry the onions and carrots for about 5 - 8 mins
Chuck the chorizo back in and stir

It’s honestly delicious and I tend to serve with say a plain chicken breast or chop

I second zintoxs recipe. If it makes too much you can freeze them