Meredith’s Ayervedic consultant gave lentils the thumbs up yesterday.
A break for me–I love all lentils.
Meredith’s not so keen, though she likes the taste—their tendency to “airify” is not so agreeable.
There’s a big glass jar of green/grey Puy-type lentils on the shelf in the larder that’s seen no action for months, so…
inspired by a recipe in Rose Elliott’s Bean Book that combines lentils and spinach (and remembering the pound plus of beautiful organic spinach in the fridge)–I gleefully took it down last night.
This and is another one pot meal–though some brown basmati rice makes for a good companion !
for 4
8oz green/grey lentils–washed thoroughly, but no need to soak them
2 celery sticks–washed
1 clove garlic–peeled
half a large onion–peeled
water to cover the lentils by an inch or a bit more
the other half of the onion–chopped
1 clove garlic–pulped with half a teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
450gms/1lb spinach–washed and drained. (Use frozen if you like–thawed and squeezed)
a couple of pinches of salt
juice of a lemon
- Put the lentils in a pan with the water and add the celery, onion and garlic.
- Bring to the boil, turn the heat to low and cook covered until the lentils are tender–try not to overcook them to mush. The time depends on the age of the lentils–about 25 minutes; check them from time to time.
- While the lentils are cooking–heat a tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan and add the chopped onion and garlic.
- Cook gently until they are soft and beginning to colour.
- Add the cumin and coriander and cook for a minute or two longer.
- Remove the celery, onion and garlic from the lentils and drain them of most of the excess liquid.
- Add the spiced onion and garlic mix and turn it all over to coat the lentils.
- While this is proceeding find time to put the spinach in a large saucepan with a couple of pinches of salt snuck in between the leaves–no extra water is needed.
- Cook on the lowest heat, covered–until it has wilted.
- Drain it of excess water but don’t squeeze it.
- Add it to the lentils and squeeze over the lemon juice
- Turn it over carefully–and serve with some rice on the side and a couple of lemon quarters on the plate.
Evidence of a change of mind!
Robin Ellis 