Anyone have a good recipe that incorporates lentils?

After doing this for one month I have noticed I need more fiber. I eat a lot of veggies as it is, but I have read that lentils are a good way to up the fiber intake. I've never cooked with them--does anyone have a good recipe that incorporates lentils?

Lentil soup: http://caloriecount.about.com/lentil-soup-rec ipe-r137501

Dhal (lentil stew): http://caloriecount.about.com/dhal-recipe-r17 0325

I use red lentils in both recipes as they go mushy better than the green ones, so you get that nice thick pureed texture without ever having to puree anything.

One of my favourite dishes in the world is dal (or daal or dhal), one of the staple foods of India.

In a cooking pot, cook about 300g lentils in water until completely mushy. I would use either the small red lentils, or the yellow lentils or yellow split peas. I would not use the regular larger brown lentils as they are more difficult to cook into a mush. The cooking time will depend on the type of lentils - small red lentils will take only about 20-30 minutes, yellow lentils maybe 1 hour 30 minutes.

In a frying pan, fry 1 large chopped onion in a bit of oil until soft. Add some indian spices (a curry mix and some mustard seeds will do the job) and a chopped fresh tomato. Fry for a few minutes until everything is mixed together, then simply add the contents of the frying pan into the cooking pot, stir, and that's it! Simple and healthy.

The consistency of the dish can be anything from thick stew to medium thin soup - whatever you prefer.

Oh well, now you have two dal recipes :)

Google it!  There's a bazillion recipes for lentils.  I don't know what you would consider good and if that compares to my thoughts of good. 

This is my favourite red lentil daal recipe (so far): http://happyherbivore.com/2008/11/red-lentil- dal/

Here are a couple that I created.

http://caloriecount.about.com/leslies-chicken -lentil-barley-stew-recipe-r164815

http://caloriecount.about.com/leslies-turkey- lentil-chili-recipe-r163418

Hope you enjoy them.

Leslie

I'd like to refer you to the sticky post at the very top of the forum.  It will tell you how to use the forum Search function.  This time, I'm not going to do it for you.

I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but so many questions could be answered in an instant without waiting for replies.

Try it!  You'll Like It!

Hi--not asking anyone to do work for me. Just asking if anyone has any that they have tried that they like. I'm always happy to pass on recipes I like that fit the low cal lifestyle. If you don't have any, then pass this thread on by...

I found a really great lentil/brown rice loaf recipe on  food network.com  It'a a little long to do but well worth it, it's kinda like a vegetarian meat loaf.  Even my bf loves it and he's a real meat and potatoes kinda guy!

It's a recipe from everyday italian...I think the episode was called vegetarian Italian.

thanks for all the suggestions! I cheated this week and bought a fresh vegetarian spicy lentil chili from the store this week   .

I am very excited to try some of these, especially teh daal recipes!

Hearty Lentil Stew

225g brown lentils

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 vegetable stock cube

4 carrots, chopped

Half a butternut squash, chopped

1 sweet potato, diced

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

50g fresh green peas

100g watercress

2tbsp dill

Soak lentils for 20 minutes, rinse and drain.

Boil onions and stock cube in 750ml of water. Add lentils, carrots, squash, sweet potato. Bring back to the boil then simmer for 10minutes.

Add celery and simmer for a further 5 minutes

Finally, add the dill, watercress and peas and serve. :) Enjoy!

You could also make this into a soup by adding a bit more water and blitzing it with a blender :P

Here are a bunch I like to use:

Greek Lentil soup - http://caloriecount.about.com/fakes-greek-len til-soup-recipe -r176837 

Lentil Chili - http://caloriecount.about.com/lentil-chili-re cipe-r170683

Mexican Bean Salad - http://caloriecount.about.com/mexican-bean-sa lad-recipe-r180 624 (I sub the white beans for lentils because I'm not a white bean fan)

Southwestern Lentil Salad - http://caloriecount.about.com/southwestern-le ntil-bean-salad-recipe-r173464

Black Bean Burgers - http://caloriecount.about.com/black-bean-vegg ie-burgers-recipe-r178055 (I will frequently double the recipe but instead of doubling the beans I'll add lentils instead - I think they are more moist that way)

Lebanese Style Lentil Soup - http://caloriecount.about.com/recipe/179436.h tml

Lentil Loaf - http://caloriecount.about.com/recipe/172823.h tml

Low Cal Lentil Soup - http://caloriecount.about.com/recipe/177267.h tml

Veggie Bean Curry - http://caloriecount.about.com/recipe/172707.h tml

Chicken and Lentils - http://caloriecount.about.com/recipe/178683.h tml

There is this one Rachel Ray recipie that incorporates lentils and sausage (don't know how strict you are sticking to this diet but every now and then it won't hurt you)

It's called Sausage with Garlic Lentils, and its really good.

• 1/2 pound lentils
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 4 large cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 fresh sausages, pork, chicken or lamb, hot or sweet
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cover lentils by 2 inches with water, add bay and onion and bring to a boil. Boil lentils 20 to 22 minutes until just tender but with a little bite left to them.

In a shallow pasta bowl combine the garlic and about 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and let stand 15 minutes.

Place sausages in a small pan and add 1/4-inch water and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, a little drizzle. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-high. Let the water simmer away 8 minutes or so, then crisp the casings 3 to 4 minutes more.

Remove bay and onion from lentils. Toss hot lentils with garlic oil, parsley and salt and pepper. Serve with sausages on top.

enjoy!

lentil vege burgers - better than Boca!

http://caloriecount.about.com/claires-lentil- veggie-burgers-2-recipe-r122644

my mother always used to make me lentil soup with cut up spaghetti pieces in it.. it was really good! i guess an alternative to chicken noodle soup :)

I made dal and it came out really mushy...I didn't even soak the lentils for an hour. I will try again--I also felt like it lacked flavor. The recipe I used needed some...i don't know...oomph in the spice department.

I was about to suggest green lentils with sausages too! A great italian dish...

I have also tried a little heap of puy (green) lentils with a pile of smoky grilled squid/scallops and chorizo on top, with a salad. It looks really flash :)

I usually put some lemon juice and chilli in lentils to bring out the flavours...

Original Post by erinw43:

I made dal and it came out really mushy...I didn't even soak the lentils for an hour. I will try again--I also felt like it lacked flavor. The recipe I used needed some...i don't know...oomph in the spice department.

If you are looking for spice and oomph I cannot recommend this recipe enough: http://www.route79.com/food/daal.htm

The flavours are beautifully complex. I use green lentils (any kind is fine, the cooking time will vary though).  I also halve the salt.  You also need to use real butter in the end stage because it completely changes the consistency and mouth feel of the daal.  I usually make it with fresh chillis and fresh ginger but you dont have to.  Give it a go! It's sooo filling! YUM YUM YUM. Now i've made myself wnat some!