Hey, all! Hope you are surviving this snowy, cold snap that is hitting across so much of the country. We got about 14 inches of snow at the beginning of the week, and last night’s low was -6 degrees. We are in northeast Ohio, so this is not that unusual for us. I watch the weather on television and see many of you in other parts of the country are getting slammed with similar weather that is not the norm for your areas. Take care out there!

Today, it’s time for another recipe and cooking post. This one features green lentils. I never used to be a fan of lentils. Since I discovered various types of lentils besides the standard brown ones, and I am learning better ways to cook them, I have a new appreciation. So, here is a recipe I invented to incorporate some healthy lentils into our diets.

Ingredients:

• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/4 of a red pepper
• handful of baby carrots, finely diced
• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 can diced tomatoes (any flavor, fire roasted is especially good)
• 2 cups any flavor of broth (or water with a bouillon cube)
• 1 cup green lentils

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a 12 inch skillet. Add garlic, onion, red pepper, and carrots.
2. Sauté all until tender. Covering with a lid helps keep the veggies from burning before they are ready. Stir occasionally.
3. Remove lid when veggies are tender. Add black pepper, garlic and onion powders, basil, and thyme. Sauté 1-2 minutes more.
4. Add broth, or water and bouillon, and bring to boil while stirring occasionally.
5. Add the lentils and canned tomatoes. Simmer, covered until lentils are tender. Approximately 30 minutes. You may need to add more liquid as the lentils cook. Water is fine for this.
6. Voila! Dinner is served.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve on rice. Basmati is a good choice, but any rice will work.
• Melt cheese on top for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Stir in a little barbeque sauce or soy sauce for added flavor.

This made more than I anticipated, so after having it for a couple meals, I made the rest into veggie patties.

To do this:

• Put leftover lentil mixture into a food processor or chopper and run until smooth. Pulse at first and then run for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Add an egg, a bit of Parmesan cheese, and about 1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs. Process long enough to mix.
• Form mixture into patties and fry in enough oil to coat pan.
• You can melt the cheese of your choice on top.
• Serve.

And after this, I still had a large lentil patty left, so I crumbled it up and used it as a topping for homemade pizza!

This recipe made a few meals for two people. And it lived on as incarnations in more meal ideas as well. The recipe was frugal and tasty. I’d count it as a winner. Let me know what you think. Don’t forget to follow my blog. I intend to include at least one recipe per month as part of my country living lifestyle page.