Tag Archives: lentils

Lentil Lasagna

By Erica Beck | Published: May 8, 2012

This lasagna was fantastic. And by fantastic, I mean out-of-this-kitchen, eat-three-times-a-day amazing.

Lentil lasagna recipeIngredients
1 cup dry USA lentils, rinsed
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces lasagna noodles
2 cups chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine lentils, water, fennel seeds and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are very tender and almost all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.
  • Mix lentils with tomato sauce, sugar and basil.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onions and garlic in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil until they are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Turn onions into a bowl and set aside. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and zucchini to skillet and cook, stirring, until zucchini is just tender, about 8 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 13″x9″ baking pan.
  • Arrange half the lasagna noodles over bottom of baking pan. Arrange zucchini slices evenly over noodles, then spread half the lentils over the zucchini and half the cheese over the lentils. Top with remaining noodles, then with onions and finally with remaining lentil mixture.
  • Bake, covered, for 30 minutes or until heated through. Five minutes before lasagna is done, uncover it and sprinkle on remaining cheese. Continue baking until cheese melts.

A Few Modifications
I didn’t have fennel seeds on hand so I skipped them. I threw my onions in with my lentil-tomato concoction, and there was plenty of cheese on my lasagna already so I skipped the final cheese addition the recipe called for.

I’m not one to rave over recipes very often. This one? I even had it for breakfast, it was that good.

Like this recipe? It’s in the Pea & Lentil Cookbook along with 150 other great recipes.

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What we’re reading: GF labeling & chickpea salad

By Erica Beck | Published: April 26, 2012

The rain is pouring buckets here in the inland northwest, so it’s a perfect day to sit down and catch up on some reading.

FDA to Issue Gluten-Free Allergy Labeling Rule in 2012 – The FDA is gathering data in response to demand for an alternative approach to determining a specific gluten threshold level other than the proposed level of under 20 parts per million to define the term “gluten-free”. The original proposal was reopened for public comment in August 2011.

Chickpea salad with roasted peppers and black olives – This looks ridiculously delicious. And simple. The ultimate combination a dish can have.

No-fu Love Loaf – The title drew me in. If you need a vegan version of meatloaf, this recipe is worth a try. Lentils, molasses, bulgur, oats, chia and a host of other ingredients are thrown together in this dish.

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What We’re Reading: Lentil Burgers & Green Monster Hummus

By Erica Beck | Published: April 19, 2012

What We're Reading

How To Make Vegetarian Lentil Burgers – Detailed video walking through a recipe for vegetarian lentil burgers. Lentils. Lime zest. Grated carrots and beets. It’s worth a watch.

Food Pantries to Offer Gluten-free Products – Food pantries in Pittsburgh are stocking shelves with gluten-free products.

Kalyn’s Kitchen: Tuna Pasta Salad with Lemon, Green Olives & Cucumbers – Spring is here, and the pasta salad recipes are popping up like dandelions. Love this fresh twist on pasta salads. Maybe a cup of roasted red lentils thrown in for a little extra crunch?

Green Monster Hummus – This little number pulls a fast one on the traditional hummus recipe. Chickpeas and spinach make a fabulous looking green dip.

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Chili Lentil Topping for Baked Potatoes

By Erica Beck | Published: January 27, 2012

Chili Lentil Topping for Baked Potatoes

Think cooking with lentils requires diving into recipes you’ve never tried before? Wrong! Lentils are an incredibly versatile ingredient if you stop thinking they can only be used in lentil recipes.

The other night I tossed a baked potato into the oven. I don’t know about you, but a baked potato isn’t worth eating if it isn’t smothered in toppings. Whipping up a quick batch of chili lentils proved to be the perfect topping for my supper.

This is a simple dish to make. Baking a potato takes awhile in the oven, and the chili lentils took about 20 minutes to make. You could speed up meal prep by baking your potato in a microwave if you aren’t feeding too many mouths.

My (very) unscientific recipe included:

  • Lentils – about a quarter cup dry. Cover with twice the amount of water, bring to a boil and then simmer until tender. Drain completely and then pour a little water back on the lentils; return to burner.
  • Onion – sautéed in a separate pan and add to cooked lentils.
  • Tomato – chopped and add to cooked lentils.
  • Seasonings – Use whatever you like and add to cooked lentils. I’m notorious for foraging through my spice drawer and throwing in whatever sounds good. This means I sometimes have a dish that tastes really great, sometimes a little funky and almost always that I never remember what seasonings I used. Chili powder was on the list, of course.

Stir on low heat, allowing the spices to permeate the lentil, onion and tomato mixture. Add water if necessary. You don’t want this to be too dry, but you also don’t want rivers of chili making mountains out of your baked potato.

Top your baked potato with a generous helping of chili lentils, sour cream, cheese, olives – all the ingredients that make a baked potato into a feast!

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