is there anyone who can either tell me what is so great about lentils, or just come and sit with me and agree that they do not understand them....

[HappyPSYCHOnewYear]

please.

as I really don;t understand the appeal of putting lentils in food.

what function do they fulfil

and what nutrients do they provide??

are they not just teeny tiny hard blobs that go soft in water and just bulk out food??

I will sit with you, I bought some dried green lentils a few months and have no idea what to put them in. I feel like it is some special understanding that I'm lacking, 'the understanding and enjoyment of lentils'.

well, it's veg (pulse) without really thinking about it. So easy to add to food and a good filler for the 5/8 a day. Nice slow burning carbohydrate too.

My dh is veggie so I just generally make curry/soup with them

is it really counted as a vegetable??

well, 1 point for the educating side of them then

i use split red lentils to bulk out minced meat dishes such as spag bol and chilli. makes the meat go further as well as being much more filling and a good source of fibre

have also made dahl which is a nice easy filling dinner

have used green lentils in chicken casserole

MN showed me the way of the lentil!

claire....you are better than me, I have not even ventured out to buy some, until I know why and whay I might be buying!

It counts as a vegetable, but it's also low-gi, reasonably high protein, high fibre, and high in iron.

Oh, and they're also damn tasty.

red lentils = lovely in soup and dal
puy lentils (small dark green ones) = lovely with sausages cooked in red wine
brown lentils = make good meat subsitute in bolognese sauce.

Very high in protein, but also create huge amounts of wind (well in our house, anyway!).

lulu....I often see them in recipes, and todays 'tip of the day' include them too.....hence my thrrad actually.

I just hear of them being used as a jokey term really, rather than as an actual food-stuff, so was hoping to learn

another thing, unlike that hideous quorn shite it soaks up the flavour of the surrounding food well and add's a sort of nutty squishishness of it's own

They're high in iron and can lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar levels healthy....

They're cheap and can bulk out things - I do a lovely chicken and lentil dhansak curry. I do agree they're a bit dull/tasteless on their own though

And until other legumes, they don't need to be presoaked.

oooh OK - I'm not sure if mine are puy or not they are more pale green, but I would like to try the sausages in red wine thing.

you can make a very simple sauce with red lentils with cinnamon, that is lovely.

also good as a thickener instead of using double cream like I do in soups

since I discovered lentils soups in this house have been a bit healthier

so do they not actually have a taste of their own then???

would that mean that I could add them to foods that I do in my crockpot and my children are likely to just eat them without thinking??

((they have a very canny nack of finding hidden veg))

oooh....I am dairy allergic......if they can be used as a thickener that would be good for me then right??

a light, faintly nutty, squishy taste

and yes, very good at hiding in food

They do have a taste, but it's pretty mild.

If you want to use them as a thickener, I think the red ones are best, as they are skinless.

I think you've got normal green lentils, which are the same as brown lentils, and better in soup, and bolognese (they are very 'meaty')
This is the recipe I use it is lovely

With many lentils you have to know how to flavour them -- as with most things. I mean, you wouldn't just fry up mince with no other ingredients and expect it to taste good would you?

The exception is puy lentils which can be boiled and eaten with no flavour or just with a little salt and oil. Sometimes I cook puy lentils, add chunks of feta cheese, bung in some vinegarette and possibly a finely chopped red onion if you can be arsed, and that's it. Delish!

well.....I am learning something here.

I might ponder buying some to chuck into a bolognaise.......tis the easiest one to try first I think.

oh at the moment i love lentils...espesh 'boring old red lentils'

i make an exotic dish called 'lentil muck'(that is basically lentils toms and whatever veg is knocking around...cooked for ages) that we serve with rice,pasta,potatoes,on toast or solo as a soup..delicious..so so surprisingly delicious.

(as for sneaking them into food...my ds can spot a lentil in anything)