lentil
I find it endearing that the optical lens is names after the lentil (Latin for “lens”), whose shape it echoes. The big up side to cooking lentil recipes is they are substantial, filling, highly nutritious, and relatively quick to cook.
Lentils are great cooked into stews, mashed into spreads, molded into croquettes of all sizes, and mixed into grain-based salads. Plus, unlike most dried beans, they require no pre-soaking. They’re also a lot of fun to sprout. Some varieties of lentils hold their shape, while others have a tendency to turn quickly to mush. I’ve found that peppery green Le Puy lentils from France, hold their shape nicely, as do black beluga lentils. I’m often tempted by the vibrant hues of the red and yellow varieties, but because they lose structure so quickly they are best in pureed soups or more traditional Indian preparations., such as dal.
Don’t let their diminutive size fool you; lentils have one of the richest protein profiles of any vegetable, backed up with super-sized levels of iron, fiber, and folate.
Mushroom Scallion Tartine with Poblano Yogurt
A substantial, delicious, mushroom sheet pan sandwich recipe. You roast a bunch of mushrooms and scallions in a hot oven, whip up a simple poblano yogurt while those are roasting. So good!
Last Minute Red Lasagna
Everyone needs a go-to lasagna recipe. A great one. This is a true weeknight lasagna. No pre-cooking sauces, no pre-cooking noodles. You, literally, stir the first five ingredients together into a vibrant crushed tomato sauce, and start layering.
Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup
This quick lentil soup recipe delivers layer after layer of flavor. The tang of the tomatoes plays off the earthiness of the lentils, and the fragrant bolt of saffron yogurt brightens each bowl.
Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter
A favorite green lentil soup topped with a curried brown butter drizzle, and pan-fried paneer cubes.
Lentils folded into Yogurt, Spinach, and Basil
Have you seen the little book, Lunch at the Shop: The Art and Practice of the Midday Meal? It's great on many fronts, and I made these Lentils folded into Yogurt, Spinach, and Basil from it.
Lentil Polenta Casserole
If you've got these two components, and you have five minutes, you can get a dinner like this in the oven, pronto.
Smash-and-Toss Roasted Potato Salad
A flavor-forward potato salad you can make a meal of - French lentils, sun-dried tomatoes, ginger, garlic, almonds, and basil. All together. In one beautiful roasted potato salad.
A New Take on Potato Chowder
A chunky, satisfying, winter-time riff on potato chowder - winking at the Japanese pantry with a finishing swirl of miso, and a touch of sake in the base.
Red Lentil Dumplings
I have one more day in Hong Kong before flying back to San Francisco, and I thought I'd jot off a quick post for those of you who like to see what I pack to eat when I travel. Red lentil dumplings flared out with roasted cherry tomatoes, and a simple smoked paprika and garlic oil.
Persian Yogurt Soup
Traditional and tasty, this soup is a test of patience and restraint. If you're easily distracted, skip it. If you can mind a pot, stirring, singularly-focused, for a half hour, perhaps longer, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful, vegetarian version of the herbed, Persian yogurt soup, Ashe Mast.
