Two veggie lentil meals for Meatless Monday
9 Apr
Happy Meatless Monday!
Generally by this time (7:30 a.m.) on a Monday morning, I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
But due to a rather embarrassing rope swing related neck injury, I am laid up on the couch.
My neck has been sore for a few weeks, and I have been, more or less, constantly whining to Artie about how I need a massage, or a Chiropractor or something.
Then yesterday, while running around with Scout at my parents house, I thought it would be a good idea to jump off our old playground, via rope swing.
It was not.
The moment I hit the ground, that nagging ache turned into an 0h-my-heavens-I-cannot-breathe-this-hurts-so-bad, kind of searing pain.
And then it swelled up.
And here I am.
Apparently, 26 is NOT the new 8 years old.
Luckily, blogging does not require much neck movement, so I thought I would do something productive and share a couple of vegetarian lentil recipes I wrote for The Boston Globe Sunday Supper column a while back.
The first day you braise little french lentils with some veggies and herbs. A little tomato paste, mustard and red wine vinegar add zip. Finish it off with an oozy fried egg. Or a Sunny side egg if you want to show off that yolk. Ree Drummond has a lesson on perfect Sunny eggs on her fabulous blog, The Pioneer Woman.
I have to admit, I never used to be much of an egg fan.
I’m not that into breakfast food in general, much to the the chagrin of Artie, who would happily eat breakfast three meals a day.
But I’ve come around recently.
Not only am I completely addicted to Clover breakfast sandwiches, but I love the perfect sauce that is a runny yolk.
It’s great on hearty greens with bacon, pancetta, or guincale.
It’s divine on fresh pasta with garlic and black pepper.
I also like to crack an egg into Asian noodle soups for extra richness and a little protein.
I could go on.
Anyways, after your lentils with fried egg meal, you will have some delicious leftovers.
You could mix them with pasta, or make a simple soup. Or try these curried lentil cakes.
I put them on a bed of spinach and whipped up a simple cucumber raita, and voila!
Vegetarian dinner, take two.
The first meal has a French bistro feel, and second an Indian twist.
My secret to cooking with leftovers is to make sure you have different flavor profiles so both meals feel fresh, and special…and not like leftovers.
Ok, sitting up is becoming increasingly difficult.
Time for me to go ice my neck.
And nurse my ego.
Hope you all had a lovely weekend.
If you celebrated Easter or the beginning of Passover, or had a special meal of any kind, please share the scrumptious details!
Cheers to a happy, healthy and productive week,
-Catherine
Shopping List
1 container (7 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
2 medium onions
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
1 English cucumber
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
Few sprigs fresh cilantro
Few sprigs fresh mint
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Few sprigs fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
1 pound French lentils or le Puy lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Braised lentils with fried eggs
Serves 4 with leftovers
LENTILS
| 1 | pound French or le Puy lentils (about 2 1/4 cups) |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 2 | medium onions, chopped |
| 4 | carrots, chopped |
| 4 | stalks celery, chopped |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 2 | cloves garlic, chopped |
| 2 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 2 | tablespoons Dijon mustard |
| 2 | teaspoons chopped fresh thyme |
| 3 1/2 | cups vegetable stock |
| 3 | tablespoons red wine vinegar |
| 1/4 | cup chopped parsley |
1. In a bowl, combine lentils with enough boiling water to cover them; set aside for 15 minutes. Drain the lentils into a colander.
2. In a large flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, mustard, and thyme. Add the lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are tender when a few are tasted on a spoon.
4. Stir in vinegar and parsley. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside 2 1/2 cups lentils for the cakes.
EGGS
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1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Gently crack the eggs into pan and cook for 3 minutes on a side until white is cooked and yolk is firm but tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn if you like.
2. Spoon lentils into 4 bowls. Taking care not to break the yolks, slide the eggs out of pan and top each bowl with an egg, salt, and pepper.
Catherine Smart 
Lentil cakes with cucumber raita
Serves 4
RAITA
| 1 | English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 1 | container (7 ounces) plain Greek yogurt |
| Grated rind and juice of 1 lime | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon ground cumin |
| 1/2 | teaspoon ground coriander |
| 1/2 | teaspoon sugar |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh mint |
1. In a colander set over a bowl, layer the cucumber with salt; set aside for 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine yogurt, lime rind and juice, cumin, coriander, sugar, cilantro, mint, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Stir in the cucumber.
CAKES
| 3 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 2 | teaspoons curry powder |
| 2 1/2 | cups cooked lentils |
| 1 | cup panko bread crumbs |
| 1 | egg |
| 1/2 | teaspoon hot sauce |
| Salt and pepper, to taste |
1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds or until the curry releases its aroma. Turn off heat and stir in the lentils, bread crumbs, egg, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. With wet hands, shape the lentil mixture into 8 patties.
3. In the skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the patties and cook for 4 minutes on a side or until crisp. Serve with raita.
Catherine Smart
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