Cooking Lentils

Lentils are a healthy and versatile food. They are also inexpensive, making them a great staple for anyone interested in healthy, frugal living. They are probably the fastest cooking of all the legume family, and they don’t require soaking making their preparation faster still. They are nutritious too. Rich in antioxidants, selenium, and B vitamins, all of  which boost the immune system. Like the other pulses, they contain anti-carcinogenic phytochemicals. They are also packed with protein, high in iron and folate and very high in fiber, which is good for your digestive and heart health.

Lentils come in a variety of types, usually described by the color. Red lentils are by far the fastest cooking and are often used in Indian cuisine. However the green and brown varieties of lentils are more nutritious than than red variety.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried lentils
2 cups water
1/4 to 1/2 teas sea salt (to taste)

Instructions:

Rinse the lentils under running water and pick through them to remove any bits of soil or rocks. Add lentils and water to a saucepan (with a lid) and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and cover to let the lentils simmer, but leave the lid ajar a bit so that they don’t boil over. Check on them occasionally to make sure the water has not boiled down below the level of the lentils and add more as needed. When the lentils are tender and can easily be mashed with a fork, they are done. It usually takes about 30-45 minutes for them to cook (older lentils take longer to cook, so it’s best to just test them to decide when they are ready), or 20 minutes if using the split red lentils. Add salt in about the last 15 minutes of cooking time, so when you think the lentils are starting to get soft. Cooking often neutralizes the taste of the salt, so if you add it at the start you end up having to add more salt to get the same flavor.

When they are finished cooking, take the saucepan off the heat and cover tightly with the lid. Leave to sit for 5-10 minutes. The lentils will absorb more of the water making them juicier and more tender. It’s not essential to do this, but I really like the way they turn out when I do.

Makes about 4 cups cooked lentils.

Variations:

• Add some diced potatoes or sweet potatoes, they will cook in the same time it takes the lentils to cook. You’ll probably need to add more water to compensate for what the potatoes will absorb, but you can add it as needed while it’s cooking.
• Add spices in addition to the salt. Curry powder, ground cumin, garlic, cayenne or chili powder, and cilantro all go really nicely with lentils.

Kitchen Tip:

Here’s a tip from Cori at Well Being Universe (see the comments), to reduce flatulence add 2-3 cloves to the boiling water when you are cooking your lentils.
I can’t wait to try this, I love the taste and smell of cloves and I bet it adds a beautiful, subtle flavor to the lentils.

Slow Cooker Lentil Quinoa Stew

This hearty lentil stew is an easy to cook, high protein meal that suits those on low carb diets – such as the South Beach diet and low GI diets. Both lentils and quinoa are high in fiber and protein.

Ingredients:

2 cups brown lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
7-1/2 cups water
1-2 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 small sweet potato, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teas wheat-free tamari (or soy sauce if you aren’t on a wheat-free diet)
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons tomato paste
mixed herbs (any of: oregano, thyme, tarragon, marjoram, sage, cumin)

Instructions:

Rinse and drain lentils, being sure to pick through them to make sure there are no stones. Rinse and drain quinoa. Add to slow cooker.

Dice potatoes and sweet potato, and chop garlic. Add to slow cooker along with herbs (dried or fresh and finely chopped), tomato paste and 6 cups of the water.

Cook on high for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. When the stew thickens and cooks down after about 2.5 hours add 1 additional cup water. Usually the lentils and quinoa will cook before the potatoes do, and potato cooking time will vary depending on how big the pieces are. Once everything is cooked, turn off the heat, add tamari and let set a further half hour.

Mix the miso and remaining 1/2 cup of water, then add to the stew and mix well.

Serves 6.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve with grated parmesan on top
• Serve with toasted sesame seeds or gomasio (toasted sesame seeds and salt) on top for a vegan alternative
• Use barley instead of quinoa

Related products you might be interested in:

• Crockpots
• Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready When You Are