Need something different to do with lentils..not soup!

2

Replies

  • lajuice7
    lajuice7 Posts: 58 Member
    Sweet Potato Dal (with red lentils)

    Serves 2

    1 small sweet potato, skinned and diced into 1/2" cubes
    1 sm. onion, finely chopped
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1 to 2 pinches red pepper flakes
    1/4 tsp turmeric
    1/4 tsp garam masala
    1 c vegetable broth (if too thick add up to 1/2 cup more)
    1/2 c. dried red lentils
    4 c. spinach
    salt, to taste

    Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water and saute onion and garlic for a minute. Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes and continue to cook until all the water has cooked off. Add turmeric and 1/4 tsp of garam masala and stir to coat. Add one cup broth and uncooked lentils and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
    Add sweet potatoes, bring to a boil again and reduce to low and simmer, until lentils are fully cooked (lentils expand and sauce thickens), about 5 minutes more. (This is the time to add additional broth if you don't want it so thick)

    Once lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes fork tender, taste. Add more garam masala if desired. Add spinach and continue to cook until spinach wilts and softens. Season with salt to taste and serve.

    *Recipe from Everyday Happy Herbivore.

    Calorie breakdown of Dal per serving: 232 calories, 0.9g fat, 42.2 carb, 17.7 fiber, 4.7 sugars, and 15.4 protein.

    I serve over steamed brown rice- it's good! :smile:


    Another good one, thank you :-)
  • Oh and an easy (lazy, lol) way to eat them- I toss 1 c. green lentils and 1 cup wild rice/brown rice blend in rice cooker with a couple low sodium "no-chicken" or vegetable bouillon cubes and just eat that. The lentils cooking with the rice makes it creamy, and the bouillon cubes give flavor.

    Makes a few servings, so easy to add to something else the next day- make veggie burgers, add to beans inside corn tortillas, and top with enchilada sauce- easy and tasty enchiladas!
  • lajuice7
    lajuice7 Posts: 58 Member

    Can't get this link to come up....blank page, no recipe????
  • fldiver97
    fldiver97 Posts: 341 Member
    Lentil loaf!! Vegetarian meatloaf, essentially. :) I love making that. Also, lentil burgers or meatballs, which follow the same recipe pretty much, you just shape them differently.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/really-good-vegetarian-meatloaf-really-33921

    This is one of the recipes I use. It's always fun to play around with lentils!

    Yup, I was going to suggest same.....It's good, I usually make some mushroom gravy to go with it
  • ebr250
    ebr250 Posts: 199 Member
    These lentil-barley burgers are so good. I gave some to my co-worker and he asked me what kind of meat was in them. He didn't believe me when I said they were vegetarian!!


    http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lentil-barley-burgers-with-fiery-fruit-salsa-10000001964003/
  • You can cook them just like beans, Hispanic style. My husband's favorite meal is rice, lentils, and scrambled eggs on top. He is Colombian and they also eat this dish for breakfast. I sometimes substitute the rice for quinoa for added fiber and protein.

    Yum- this ^^ sounds good! I would sub tofu "eggs" for the real ones, but that sounds really good, will have to try that.
  • melameeee
    melameeee Posts: 7 Member
    i make them into a a dip for crackers. simmer onion and garlic then add lentils and water with tons of spices. i use: bay leaf, cayenne, black pepper, salt, curry, cumin. boil until soft
  • Valley83
    Valley83 Posts: 78 Member
    Saving this for ideas.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    I usually find lentils pretty boring, as much as I want to love them, but I love them in these dishes:

    In a wrap with mustard and veggies and vegan cheese
    Roasted (spritz cooked lentils with cooking oil of choice, salt and season, and roast for about an hour at 300 degrees, until crispy, shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so. I didn't find that completely necessary though seeing as how I forgot.)
    In a quinoa stuffing. (I don't like quinoa either. But lentils and quinoa with some veggie broth, celery, onion, and sage makes a great stuffing.)
  • rlmiller73190
    rlmiller73190 Posts: 342 Member
    I adapted a Hungry Girl recipe for Squash-tastic Shepherd's pie (I know shepherd's pie was a frequent mention on this thread) and substituted lentils for the ground turkey (i'm a vegetarian). I've included the adapted recipe here in my blog! It uses mashed butternut squash as the topping. It was DELISH!

    http://undercoverdiva-asitcom.blogspot.com/2013/01/gettin-started.html
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Mejadara! Topped with blackened onions, if you like.

    4 tablespoons olive oil
    1 medium onion, chopped
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    2 teaspoons ground cumin
    3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
    2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
    3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
    3/4 cup long-grain white rice

    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.
    Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.
    Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper.

    Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lebanese-Lentil-and-Rice-Pilaf-with-Blackened-Onions-108813#ixzz2HX5295Og
  • JessieTangerine
    JessieTangerine Posts: 91 Member
    bump to save the recipes.
  • badzoe
    badzoe Posts: 132 Member
    Wonderful ideas!
  • corapie
    corapie Posts: 21 Member
    I just add my lentils to some sauteed onion & lots of steamed cauliflower. Then I throw in hot peppers if I have them or some curry powder. I like the idea of a lentil burger too, with lots of garlic.

    *Also, lentils don't need to soak overnight. They'll still cook up pretty quickly.
  • scrook43
    scrook43 Posts: 78 Member
    I make this all the time

    one cup lentils (no need to soak)
    one cup brown rice (uncooked)
    one can rotel diced tomatoes with chilis
    one or two cans mixed veg.
    2 cans chicken broth
    salt and pepper
    throw it all in a 9 x 13 cake pan, cover with foil. Bake in the oven at 350 for 1.5 hours. I divide this out into one cup servings and take for my lunch every day. This also freezes and warms up well.
  • juliedor
    juliedor Posts: 72 Member
    I love dahl. Anything people make with mince I can substitute lentils for eg Bolognese,tacos, lasagna.
  • bump
  • ayamagali
    ayamagali Posts: 167 Member
    Oh, so craving lentils now!! I'll have to try some of these :) They make a yummy stuffed peppers! :)
  • babynew
    babynew Posts: 613 Member
    Tasty ideas here! :flowerforyou:
  • carly_am
    carly_am Posts: 145 Member
    Lentil bolognase! (No measurements I'm afraid, all done by sight/intuition/feel/whatever)

    Onion (sautee in pan with bit of oil - red or white)
    Carrot
    Celery
    Butternut squash
    Tin chopped toms
    Veg stock
    Tom purée
    Few herbs
    Red split lentils

    Just whack it all in a pan and cook until veg is soft and lentils cooked through. Can top up with extra veg stock if it becomes dry.

    :)
  • mspris2u
    mspris2u Posts: 161 Member
    bump - 2 bags of lentils and NOW some great ideas!
  • tracym22
    tracym22 Posts: 107 Member
    Bump - some fantastic ideas on here! Thanks everyone, i usually just use lentils to make soup or add to casseroles and stews. I never thought of making them 'The main event'! :flowerforyou:
  • lauraaltman1
    lauraaltman1 Posts: 6 Member
    You can do a lot with lentils!! My fave is simply cooking them in low sodium chicken broth and add onion,carrots,cumin, pepper celery salt to taste. Cook until most of the broth is gone. Then eat as they are or add to salad,mix with brown rice or even make a wrap. The possibilities are endless.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Lentil burger
    Lentil rissoles
    Lentil Salads
    Lentil pot pies
    Lentil & vegetable casserole
    Lentil wraps
    Lentil croquettes
    dhal
    curries
    Lentil and zucchini soup (soooo yum)
    Lentil meatloaf
    Lentil pasta sauce...

    Love my lentils.

    edit: lentil curry puffs...lentil & vege parcels...lentil dip...lentil spreads....
  • RosscoBoscko
    RosscoBoscko Posts: 632 Member
    mix with peppers and spring onion or something along those lines and serve with fish, basically replacing rice.
  • Oh wow GREAT idea! I am so trying the meatloaf nom nom nom x
  • saltedcaramel86
    saltedcaramel86 Posts: 238 Member
    Burgers, "meat"balls, add to salads, curry, etc.

    A fave of mine is lentil bolognese, either with pasta or stuff it into large mushrooms, top with a little cheese and serve with a huge spinach/red onion salad. Yum!
  • avinalaff123
    avinalaff123 Posts: 13 Member
    Go Indian with tarka dal
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tarkadal_90055

    Or traditional English side dish pease pudding. Often served with ham or sausages.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/gammon_and_pease_pudding_56485

    Dal every time! Indian food is amazing for loosing weight so long as you're sensible with your ingredients, the spices you use can transform any set of ingredients into an extremely satisfying meal. Check out this recipe:- http://www.recipeguy.co.uk/tarka-dahl-manju-malhi-stylie/

    Hope this helps :wink:

    Phill