I thought I’d kick off the 2015 recipes with something I love while at the same time is extremely healthy.  Lentils, like beans, are full of fiber and protein and as such, they are very filling.  Using them is a great way to have a satisfying vegetarian meal.  You can simply cook lentils with water and a few vegetables or you can get as creative as you’d like with different stocks or wines.  They are also quite good with a bit of bacon or a ham hock if you’d prefer a dish with meat in it or something even heartier.  Here, I decided to keep it vegetarian and use red wine.  I chose red lentils simply because of the red wine to keep the color consistent.  There are a variety of colors available at most markets and any would work here.  Oh, and as a special bonus…lentils take much less time than beans to prepare.  Here, the lentils simmer for 10-20 minutes or so after they are brought to a boil.

PS: The recipe below is a very typical French preparation.   However, you can add or subtract vegetables as you prefer or based on what you have on hand.  I chose these because they are what I had on hand and all are consistent with a French approach to lentils.  Recipe with additional pictures follow after the jump…

Ingredients:

1 Cup red lentils

1 White onion, chopped finely

2 Carrots, chopped finely

2 Celery stalks, chopped finely

3 Cloves of garlic, sliced thinly

½ Bottle red wine

2 Fresh Bay leaves

1-2 Fresh sage leaves

2-3 Tablespoons grapeseed oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Water as needed

Olive oil for drizzling

Instructions:

• Gather and chop the onion, carrots, and celery. Gather the leeks and garlic and slice them very thinly.
• In a medium or large heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, add the grapeseed oil. Allow oil to heat for a couple of minutes, then add all the vegetables.  Add a pinch of salt to the pan and stir the vegetables around.
• Sweat the vegetables until they are well cooked, about 8-10 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning.
• Add the bay leaves and the sage leaves. Cook another minute or so.
• Then, add the red lentils.
• Turn off the heat and add the wine. After that, turn the heat back onto medium and stir the lentils and vegetables around a few times.
• The lentils should be completely covered with liquid at this stage. If they are not, add enough water to the pan to cover.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer ten minutes, uncovered.
• Taste the lentils and if they are soft, remove from the heat. If they are not soft, continue cooking another five minutes or until you reach you desired consistency.
• Remove Bay leaves and Sage Leaves
• Taste again and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Drizzle with olive oil.

Serve with a salad and some crusty dark, whole grain bread.  Serve while hot.