Incredible, Edible Lentils

With all due respect to eggs, which I love dearly, lentils have it all going on!

However, I admit that I didn't always feel this way. When lentils first came across my radar, I thought of them dismissively as a hippie-dippie pantry staple. Not any more. Now, all has changed; I love lentils! Surprisingly, so do all who sit at my table. Lentils are incredible: delicious, healthy, inexpensive, flexible. In fact, this dish is a starting pointing from which you can head in many directions, depending on which dressing/herbs/veggies you use.

One ingredient I adhere to, however, is the French du Pay lentil. This tiny bean holds its shape as it cooks quickly to a tender toothsomeness. Red and yellow lentils tend to fall apart, and though that's an asset in other recipes, it doesn't work well here. This dish is wonderful at room temp next to fish or chicken–or on its own with well-buttered bread. 

Credit for this recipe–as well as my love of lentils–goes to Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty and Deborah Madison's The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. 

Summary:
The ingredient list makes this recipe look kind of daunting, but it's not. Everything comes together in three basic steps:

1. Cook lentils in water with aromatics (carrot, celery, etc.)

2. Dress cooked lentils

3. Sauté diced veggies and combine with lentils

Ingredients

for cooking the lentils

1 cup small dark, French lentils

½ tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 small, peeled carrot cut into large chunks

1 stalk celery cut into large chunks

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon kosher salt

for dressing the lentils

2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of Kosher salt and pepper

for sautéing the veggies

2 tablespoons olive oil

12-15 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

½ teaspoon brown sugar

1 peeled carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or chive

pinch of salt

for greek yogurt topping

½ cup plain greek yogurt (Non-fat yogurt may be healthier, but the 2% version is beyond better)

juice from ½ lime

Stir together the plain greek yogurt and lime juice. 

Preparation

1. Rinse lentils and place in medium sauce pan, adding in all the other lentil-cooking ingredients. Cover the lentils with water. You want about an inch of water above the lentils. Bring lentils & Co. to a boil and then reduce heat to a healthy simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes. Lentils should be tender, so if the water cooks off before you reach tenderness, just add a little more water and continue to simmer. Once lentils are tender, drain any excess water and remove the carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Stir in 2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt & pepper. Set aside.

2. In a small sauté pan, add olive oil. Using medium heat, add tomatoes, brown sugar, diced carrot, diced celery, and a pinch of salt. Sauté 3-4 minutes. Tomatoes will start to collapse and celery and carrot will soften slightly.

3. Remove from heat and add the veggies to the lentils. Stir to combine. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

4. Serve lentils with a generous spoonful of plain greek yogurt

Carrot Hummus

Carrot hummus is a thing of beauty. With all due respect to traditional chickpea hummus, the brilliant orange color gives this hummus an unbeatable glow. Of course, if this upstart were just a pretty face, than the recipe would not follow below. Carrot hummus, I am happy to report, tastes as wonderful as it looks. We started enjoying it with pita chips and it quickly assumed a place in many meals. As delicious spread for just about any sandwich (especially any involving good summer tomatoes), a summery sauce to dress pasta, and with chards of grilled Tuscan Panne as part of a light warm weather meal: there are not too many things that aren’t better off with a bit of carrot hummus. As for making it, easy! As long as you have a food processor, you are almost there.

ps. When it's too hot to use the oven, the grill does a great job roasting carrots on the baking sheet. 

Adapted from "River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes," by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Photo credit: Elisabeth Heissner

INGREDIENTS

1  teaspoon coriander

6 tablespoons olive, plus more for drizzling

1 teaspoon honey

1 pound carrots, cleaned, peeled, and trimmed

3 large unpeeled cloves garlic, cut the narrower end to expose the clove

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon peanut butter (or 3 tablespoons tahini)

1 tablespoons of fresh chives, finely chopped (optional, but worth it)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spray lightly with PAM.

Add coriander into large bowl with 3 tablespoons of the oil and all the honey. Stir to combine.

Cut the carrots into 1/4-inch chunks. Smaller carrot pieces allow the chunk to cook though without excessive browning.  Add all the carrots to the spiced oil along with the garlic. Toss thoroughly to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Tip the carrots & garlic onto the baking sheet and spread in an even layer.  Roast in oven and push around a bit to keep any sides from getting too brown. When carrots are tender and just starting to brown around the edges, 20 or so minutes, remove the baking sheet from oven. Although you don’t want to burn the carrots, please note that nice roasted brown carrot will be a plus, not a minus, here!

Cool slightly, and slip the roasted garlic cloves out of their papery skins. Gently lift foil with carrots and garlic pooled in the center and pour the contents in to a food processor. Add the limes juice, peanut butter, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Puree until smooth. Add more salt and pepper in needed. Add chives shortly before serving.

Transfer to a serving dish and lightly drizzle with more oil.