Made a wonderful red lentil soup today - very easy and totally yummy.

1 cup grated carrots
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups red lentils
3 bay leaves
2 quarter size slices of fresh ginger
6 cups water

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsps. cumin & coriander
dash cayenne pepper
2 Tsps. fresh lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

Sautee the carrots and peppers in a little olive oil.  Meanwhile, rinse and sort the lentils.  After carrots and peppers are soft, add lentils, water, bay leaves and ginger to pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 mins or until lentils are tender.

While lentils are simmering, chop onion finely, and sautee in a little more oil until brown.  When they are brown, add coriander, cumin and cayenne.  Turn off heat.

When lentils are ready, remove bay leaves and ginger slices.  Add onion mixture to pot, along with salt, pepper and lemon juice. 

Easy peasy, and excellent!

HK, is this it?  Looks so easy, and should be delicious!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Lentil-Dal-101019

They're reddish orange. 

You might also have chana dal, which resemble yellow split peas.  Those are hulled and split black chickpeas.

Are red lentils actually orange?  if so, I have had a bag here for a very long time.  Need to do something with them, lol.  If they are not too old.

I have to say that the mention of The Chew makes me sad, for I watched All My Children.  With that said, keep me posted what you do with the red lentils because I recently decided I'd like to resume eating lentils.  Even if my kids don't like them, I love them and should have them!

I love the Red Lentil Dal on Epicurious.  I've been making it for years.

Running out the door or I'd look up the recipe now.  Will try to remember to do it later.

So, tonight we had the Trader Joe's Organic Tricoloroed quinoa mix.  I know how you love TJs, A!

I just ran across this recipe, in searching out some new ideas.  I have not made it, but it looks good!  Of course, you can leave out the walnuts(I would).  Sunflower seeds might work, or nothing).  It uses both lentils and quinoa.  I got a great blnd of lentils from the bulk bin at my local natural store(but not sure how that works for allergies for others).  This place will talk with you about it, but dd does not do lentils, si it is not a concern for me.  Any lentils would do.  But the smaller ones might match the cooking time well for the quinoa.

http://www.cookingquinoa.net/lentil-salad/

I once made an awesome dressing for a cous cous salad that migh tbe good as well.  More of a sweet balamic:  It is in this recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/couscous-salad-with-dried-cherries/detail.aspx 

This is not as light flavored as the lemon one.  BTW, this was an awesome salad.  I used the "Harvest Mix" from Trader Joe's.  it has Israeli cous cous, some lentils and quinoa.  Worked really well.   Dd eats it all the time(the mix, plain, not the salad, lol). 

thanks becca! that's the kind of thing I think I'm looking for, and I have gotten a lot of feedback on not cooking too much. I had no idea they got mushy.

Adrienne

I had a lentil mix, and it cooked for just 15 mins, so the lentils were al dente.  You do it with some diced celery, onion and carrot.  Once drained and cooled toss with a dressing of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some raw diced crunch veggies of oyur choosing.  Parlsey would be good too.  And a little fresh raw garlic if that is your thing(I love garlic). 

Let me try to find the basic recipe i toyed with.  BRB.

It was this:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mediterranean-Lentil-Salad/Detail.aspx?a=b

And I played with it a bit, adding lebanese cucumbers, dices carrots, and celery after cooking and cooling the lentils.  Tomato would be good, if you had a good one, really anything, like you migh tdo with a rice or quinoa salad.  They take on what you use flavor them.  never used red ones alone, so just do not overcook, since they can turn to mush.

if you decide to go for a soup, i have a good lentil spinach soup recipe. 

The beets will be heavenly!

Looks like I'll need to play this weekend!

Weeknight experiment is roasted beets. yes, that's right, I've not had beets since childhood. My mom gave up trying to get me to eat them how she prepared them.

Found some golden ones and light red ones and purpley ones at Whole Foods this week. Gonna roast w/ EVOO, sea salt, pepper.

This weekend - LENTIL FEST

Adrienne

I just cook them up in chicken stock in the microwave.  I don't d brown rice with them the way that I do puy or green lentils, because the orange/red ones get a little overdone in the time it takes to cook brown rice.

We like them with cumin and garlic/onions, or with a little cinnamon and coriander.

They make a wicked good spread if you mix them with ground canned chickpeas or white beans, too.

They cook up mushy, like a puree.  We usually brown onions in oil with garlic and ginger and then cook. 

I'm not a soup person, nor have ever eaten lentils (knowingly!)

I'd like something like a side dish, like what I do with quinoa. I opened the bag and I love the smell of it uncooked! I also like the smell of basmati rice.

Adrienne