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3/27 #539 Lentils
Guided by common sense and a doctor’s suggestion, we’ve really been trying lately to eat sensibly. A little less fat, a little less sugar are obvious strategies…as is focusing on foods with carbohydrates that are low on the famous glycemic index. This glycemic index thing is actually very user friendly, as it turns out that a lot of things we like to eat are really good for us. One item that we love, but have neglected are lentils. Once you start using them you’ll wonder where they’ve been hiding all this time. The lentil is a small lens shaped seed that is packed with nutrition. High in fiber, very low on the glycemic index and tasty as all get-out, then lentil has a lot going for it. Lentils come in a wide range of colors, and each seems to have its own characteristics. Green “French” lentils are firm textured and almost meaty. Red lentils get mushy very easily, but are light and almost sweet. Tan lentils are in between, and are inexpensive. Tiny black lentils are packed with flavor and are great for stews. Lentils keep a long time and do not need to be soaked prior to cooking. This makes them excellent components of an improvised meal. One handy tip: wash them in a strainer to remove excess surface starch. They’ll stand up to cooking better. Lentils are a mainstay of Indian cooking, and take very well to the oriental spices. Currries, cardamom, ginger, fennel, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg all go well with them. One favorite prepartation is to mix them with grated carrot and onion as they cook, then season them as you will. Left over lentils are great. Simply reheat them or try blending them into a batch of scrambled eggs. They’re marvelous. Here’s a recipe that Al came up with that you should enjoy. Red Lentil Stew A Radio Kitchen Original Recipe
4 cups vegetable broth 2 tbs malt vinegar 1 large sweet potato, cleaned, cut into ¾ inch cubes with skin 1 cup raw red lentils olive oil ½ yellow onion cut up coarsely 8 ounces fresh spinach, washed thoroughly, cut into 2 inch pieces ½ cup golden raisins 1 tbs mild curry powder 1 tbs cumin 1 tbs ground fennel 1 tsp cardamom 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp black pepper ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1. Bring chicken broth and malt vinegar to a boil. Toss in sweet potato pieces, and reduce heat to medium. As soon as the sweet potatoes begin to turn tender, add the lentils. Stir well and watch closely. As soon as the lentils begin to soften, after about 8-10 minutes, take off heat. When the lentils are fully tender, pour off cooking broth into a bowl and set aside. 2. Sauté the onions in olive oil in a deep skillet over high heat until they become translucent. Toss in the spinach and stir briskly over slightly reduced heat until it wilts. Reduce heat to medium and pour in about ½ cup of the reserved broth and the golden raisins as well. Cook the onions, spinach and raisins until the spinach noticeably shrinks. Cut the heat, and pour in the sweet potatoes and lentils. Add additional broth if necessary, and then add spices. Stir well to incorporate, and cook the entire stew for about five minutes over low heat.
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