Help needed to overcome fear of lentils and pulses....

[Sonnet]

Ladies...your help please....
Don't know what to do with the aforementioned things....would LOVE someone to remove that fear and furnish me with receipes for a lentil friendly life...
Any takers?...

Chickpea and pepper curry is delish, not very authentic mind you.

i use tinned because i'm lazy.

Fry sliced onion,garlic slowly in oil with, cumin,coriander, curry powder, garam masala, chilli, whatever you have to hand. when soft add sliced peppers and fry. Add a tin of chopped toms and a little water at a time and leave to bubble for a bit, add chick peas,add mango chutney, I use a whole jar because I have a sweet tooth, bring to the boil and simmer until sauce thickens, before you are ready to eat add creme fraiche, be careful not to boil as it will curdle and simmer for a while. Whole process should take less than an hour. I go by thickness. you can add more spices, salt and pepper to taste.

Madhur Jaffrey Round the World Vegetarian - try the tex mex chilli and also lentils with garlic and gingery spinach. Also Cranks Bible lentils with goats cheese, sun dried tomato and spinach is great.

This is an excellent, inspirational thread. Have always been a bit nervous to try lentils. Have a pack of red ones in the cupboard, with every intention of using them. Just didnt know what with.

Thanks for starting this Sonnet!

Whoops, have just read my post again - for the dhal recipe DO NOT use olive oil, use vegetable oil or ghee .

I'm sure I've got loads more recipes, just need to think.

health by stealth Speedymama - that's my motto (TM FMF }

Nigella's "Feast" has a v good veggie chilli recipe using red lentils and tinned kidney beans -really easy and tasty.

Dhansak is lovely - curry with red lentils and pineapple.

I often chuck a handful of lentils into a veggie curry or casserole too.

Also cannellini beans in vinaigrette with some good sausage or bacon.

Puy lentil in vinaigrette with thyme thinly sliced red onions and crumbled fetta (can also add steamed asparagus which melts and softens fetta)

I would start with red lentils which are IMO the friendliest pulse - need no soaking and easy to get good results. Red lentils go very well with other red /orange / yellow vegetables and fruits I think - something about the sweet taste.

I love a red lentil sauce poured over roast butternut squash. Just fry some onions and mushrooms, then fry the red lentils for a few minutes until slightly translucent. Add veg stock and simmer until soft and gloopy. You could use this as the base for a soup - lovely with sweet potato, carrots, squash, parsnips or swede, or add red peppers, or orange juice, or mango, to ring the changes. It's fantastic food for babies and toddlers as well - really nutritious, attractive looking and sweet-tasting.

WOW - Thanks for all the postings...
Did not get on mumsnet yesterday, so just going to sit down with a coffee and have a good read top catch up!

Thanks so much all of you!!
Cat64 - LOL it was "always" reading the casual references to lentils on threads here that got me started!!
VVV - have also had a bag of red lentils in cupboard for 6 months and not really been sure what i should do with them
What FAB receipes and ideas
Have always wanted to make dharl Mercy - thanks for that,was glad you clarifed the olive oil/veg oil as was confused before I began!!
Fullmoonfiend: I "hid" some in spag bol last night - no complaints, in fact noboby noticed!!
Lucy5 - going to do your Non authentic curry tonight, sounds fab!!

Thank you so much eveyone!!
Sonnet xx

My dd has a friend with very conservative tastes who used to come to tea every fortnight (while her mum did a course). They always had to have pasta with tomato sauce - home-made with onion, garlic, tinned toms & herbs (she doesn't like cheese), but for added protein I would sling in some pre-cooked red lentils (just a handful of dried, boiled until soft), then whizz the whole thing in a liquidiser (lots of children don't seem to like bits!). Provided you keep the quantities modest, they can't be detected at all, but do add a good amount of protein, & dd's friend never suspected me for a moment! Golden soup is another variation, with carrots & pots & a bit of celery, but once it's liquidised nobody knows, & of course the title doesn't give the game away!

1 onion, lardons (or 4 rashers bacon chopped up,) fry them in olive oil, then add 1 tsp cumin seeds. After a minute or so add 4 chopped carrots, a butternut squash chopped into cubes, 200g red lentils and 2 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary, stir and season. Add 1.4 litres veg stock and simmer till lentils tender. Recipe says serve with a sort of mediterranean cheese on toast, but we like it with rice. It freezes like a dream and you can omit the bacon for veggy friends. Scerumptious.

Green or puy lentils - cook as per packet (but in fish stock, and maybe a few fried onions to start them off.) Then line a basin with smoked salmon, and mix the ss trimmings with the lentils, put into the basin and messily invert so it collapses everywhere. But it's scrummy. Had it in a French restaurant and sort of made up the recipe...

Have fun
S's M

Does anyone have any tasty recipes for couscous?

There ARE no tasty recipes for couscous - it's the world's most boring food!

Actually we have it every so often at my insistence, cue moans from dh.

You can use it as a change from rice. Just pour boiling water over & leave 5 mins - more boiling water as needed. A stock cube makes it less dull, but a bit salty for kids. OK with chilli.

Stir oven-roasted veg thro' & serve cold for salad (peppers, onions, courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes - dice, then chuck into pre-heated tin containing olive oil, shake about a bit, drizzle with balsamic vinegar - 30 mins @ 200C).

Or use for stuffed peppers - cook with boiling water, then spoon into halved, deseeded peppers. Top each with spoonful of pesto, chunk feta cheese, halved olives &/or cherry tomatoes. 40 mins in oven at 200C.

This is the nicest couscous recipe I've ever eaten - it makes it a standalone tasty dish. It's from Jamie oliver and is not hot spicy so good for children as well. Easy to make once the spices are mixed together.

Spicy Couscous
Rice, Pasta & Potatoes
Ingredients
425 ml stock or water
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
knobs of butter
1 level teaspoon cumin seeds
1 heaped teaspoon coriander seeds
1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 small dried chili, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
255g couscous

Method
Bring the stock to the boil. In a thick-bottomed, deepish pan slowly fry the onion with the olive oil and half the butter, without colouring.
In a pestle and mortar smash up the cumin, coriander, fennel, chili and salt.
Add the spices, bay leaf and garlic to the onions and continue to fry - they should look and feel like marmalade, but not be coloured or burnt. Add the vinegar and sugar and reduce to a syrup.
Add the couscous and stir. Add the hot stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fork through the rest of the butter to lighten.