Oh lentils, I’m sorry that I neglected you for the past 32 years. You see, lentils are something I’ve never cooked with before but have heard being talked about in circles (ok or on the blogs I read) for awhile. But I think part of the intimidation and neglect was that I really didn’t know what a lentil was. So to Wikipedia I went and got schooled
“The lentil (Lens culinaris) (International Feed Number, 5-02-506) is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40 centimetres (16 in) tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.”
Edible pulse? Hmmmm…..ok. But the best part of it is that per Wiki, it has the third highest level of protein of the legume family, right behind the soybean and hemp. “Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.”
Holla Michael Scott, we miss you!
I’ve heard that they’re a great addition to soups, stews, casseroles and more but still, the whole intimidation and “how-the-hell-do-I-cook-a-lentil”??” sat with me. Or maybe because every time I hear the word lentil, I think Yentl.
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Papa can you hear me? I’m gonna learn how to prepare lentils.
But one day I was feeling adventurous and decided to buy said lentils. Maybe it was after seeing the price tag for dried beans and how much more you can get for your buck than the canned beans? Or maybe I was just looking for a challenge? Whatever the reason may be, I shelled out $1.50 for a bag and didn’t look back.
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So I found out what exactly they were, purchased them and had them sitting in my pantry. Naturally, the next question was-what to make with them? I consulted my trusted Google Reader feed to see if anyone had made any lentil recipes that looked appetizing in the past. While doing a search for lentils, I found Monique’s recipe for Sausage and Lentil Stew and thought it would be the perfect recipe to try, not only was it a hearty meal but it’s also cooked in a crockpot. Filling and lazy unite!
I tweaked the recipe a little to make it more of Italian Sausage and Lentil Stew
1 cup lentils
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
8 oz Italian sausage, sliced as thin as you can!
12 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
10 oz frozen chopped spinach
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
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I got this package of sausage for only $.72 thanks to Polidori Sausage who sent me a $4 off coupon along with a prize for one of their contests (more to come on that later though) I was hoping to find some spicy sausage but their products were just about cleared out at the supermarket so I mild it was! Since I got it so cheap, I wanted to continue my thriftiness by using half of the sausage and freezing the rest for a later meal.
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Eight oz of sausage later, I was slicing them as thin as I could. hoping they wouldn’t crumble while cooking. I cooked them with 1 tbsp vegetable oil on the stovetop and once finished, patted dry and threw them in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients.
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I set it at low since I had some errands to run and said sayonara for six hours! Along with the bed, computer and coffee (more along the lines of discovery), I would say the crock pot is one of the best inventions ever. Mine is so old school and the one I had when I was in college but I refuse to trade it in until it causes a small fire (which then you all can reference this post and call me an idiot). It works perfectly and is completely functional but I must admit, I’m a bit reluctant to leave for work while it’s on so I usually just cook meals in it during the weekend when I know I will be home or away for a short amount of time. I had a productive few hours in between the time and left and came home-not only did I go to the gym and work out for 35 minutes, I went to the park shortly after and walked for 40 minutes. Who am I? Girl who is trying to really screw up her knee apparently.
I came home and was overwhelmed by the aroma of the stew. I took off the lid and was amazing at how thick it had gotten over the course of a few hours. Since I’m a glutton for punishment, I sat around and waited another hour until it was done. I twiddled my fingers, walked past the crock pot a few times seeing if it looked done and painted my nails. Finally, it was time to see if it was ready and time to chow down!
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Oh yes sir.
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The aroma didn’t deceive me, this stew was awesome and just what I needed on a semi-cold day. You need to make this…..like now! Besides Italian Wedding Soup I’ve never had a soup with spinach in it and it was a surprising addition that I loved. There was just enough sausage in there to give it flavor but it didn’t overtake the stew. The lentils were a nice addition and something I will definitely incorporate in the future. Clicks for new adventures/discoveries in cooking!
The best part was that it made five servings, some of which can sit in the freezer for a rainy snowy day.
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Actually, I lie. The best of this stew was that the cost per meal was only $1.21!
$.72-Polidori Sausage
$1.50-Lentils
$1.00-Frozen Spinach
$1.75 Low Sodium Chicken Broth
$1.10 Fire Roasted Tomatoes
I still have a bag of lentils to burn through and I have a sneaking suspicion that Jessica’s Sloppy Joe’s with Lentils will be my next venture with lentils.
Do you like the lentils? What are your favorite ways to use them?
Think quick-top three inventions of all time?