Skip to main content

Discovering Lentils

I have had an interest in cooking with Lentils more creatively for a while now. They are cheap and healthy, what more could you want!?! When I picked up The Wheat Free Cook at Williams Sonoma a couple weeks ago and flipped to this recipe for Lentils and Chickpeas I was very excited and had to pick it up! I made the recipe today while I was cleaning house (again proving I should not multitask while I cook). I think I overcooked the lentils, but I still loved the end result, so that's all that matters. It is a really basic start, but the cumin really compliments the green lentils. I used 3 cloves of garlic instead of just 1 for more flavor and when I make it again I may add carrots or another root veggie.

3/4 cup green lentils (picked over and rinsed)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (or 3 if you're like me and love garlic)
3/4 cup chopped parsley (I didn't have it, so I didn't use it, not missing much in my opinion)
1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Fresh ground black peper

1. In a large saucepan, combine the lentils, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Drain, reserving liquid. Return the lentils to the saucepan with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the chickpeas, olive oil, cumin, and black bepper to tast. Heat gently and tast for seasoning. Serve hot, drizzled with additonal olive oil.

I think this one will freeze well and will make a great bring to work lunch :)
-l.v.

http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Free-Cook-Gluten-Free-Recipes-Everyone/dp/0061119881
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The End is Near

On January 4 th I will begin my 5 th & final quarter of culinary school. It's been 15 months of 5 am alarms, full-time student/part time worker budget & a whole lot of stress. But it has also been rewarding and a great deal of fun. I have made some life-long friends and countless connections I hope to carry me through to where I want to be. The problem now is to figure out where that is. How do you decide where to direct your focus in life? When does the sign show up, telling you where to go, what to do, who to be? I've done this once, graduated from college, took a job, worked a 9-5...and was quite successful at it. So, what's the hold up now?? The uncertainty I feel regarding my next career move is enough to cause shortness of breath, nervous actions and mental blocking to keep myself from over thinking about the decisions I have to make. Today I'm going to spiff up my resume and apply for some jobs. Or, at least make some connections, since there aren'...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Cookbooks=Inspiration

I am the proud new owner of 4, yes 4, shiny new cookbooks. Each is signed by the author, which I love. I have a small obsession with signed cookbooks, can hardly resist a purchase when the author is near to place their personal message to me on the title page. It's enough instant excitement to cause nervous chatter or lack thereof on my part. As I sit at the kitchen table tonight, trying to nail down a great dessert recipe for my C.O.D. (final culinary school project) I'm reading snippets from " The Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef ", loving the personal stories she shares. Love "grocery shopping as foreplay"...as I have to agreee...picking out the evening's dinner is fabulously fun and romantic for food minded people. While I love going alone because I can peruse the aisles for hours (as I often do), shopping with another person you're going to cook for brings the excitement to a different level. It's fun to see what people notice and be influenced...
Post a Comment
Read more

True Appreciation

When eating, do you think about where you food comes from? Where it was produced, raised or grown? More importantly, do you think about who brought you the wonderful ingredients you're about to consume. I was eating an apple the other day and I thought, at some point someone hand picked this single piece of fruit off of a tree, in an orchard somewhere in Washington State (or at least I hope that's right?!). I like to think they are earning a good wage, one that supports their family and helps them enjoy a pleasant lifestyle. And, I hope the farm or orchard is doing well, sustaining themselves economically as well as environmentally. As a culture, we are so far from our food's original source and the original form of the product, that we no longer "connect" with our food. We forget to thank the farmer who planted the seed, tended to the crops and eventually harvested them. We don't appreciate the chicken who gave it's life so we could enjoy a del...
1 comment
Read more