Okay, so what can I do with $5 of lentils?

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

I literally have no idea what to do with lentils. Or how to cook quinoa. Or what quinoa is, but apparently it's good for PCOS.

So wise ones (meaning Onyx, coz she caused this thread, but you're all wiser than me anyway!), what do you do with lentils?

[~me~]

Use them instead of mince for meals such as Bolognaise, Burgers.
Lentil soup is beautiful.
Quinoa is like Cous Cous..but better for you So use it the same way.

Lentil Salad

2 tins brown lentils
5 roma tomatoes - diced
1 spanish onion - diced
1 bunch coriander - chopped
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons - depends on your taste
250g Danish Feta
2 tsps ground cumin
olive oil

1 - Drain and rinse lentils
2 - Combine with diced tomatoes, onions, coriander
3 - Crumble the feta in finely
4 - Add cumin, lemon juice and a good drizzle of olive oil
5 - Mix
6 - Taste and add more lemon juice or cumin if required.

[Nai]

What sort of lentils? Red, green, brown?

[LimeSlice]

What kind of lentils?

Probably a good thing to get you started on them is to add them to a bolognese sauce. So use 250gm of mince, 1 can of lentils (no need to soak, costs about $1, easy peasy) and 800gm of shredded mushrooms and cook your bolognese from that.
You will cut down your meat, cut down your fat...and cut down your calories. Good all round. And cheap as chips.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

LOL, do different colours taste different Nai?

ETA - Thanks for the recipes girls, very helpful!

[2CheekyMonkeys]

I have a packet of quinoa in the cupboard as well. no idea what to do with it

[PumpkinZulu]

I think I nabbed this recipe from someone on BB actually, pretty much word for word. Please claim if it's yours, because it's the easiest most delicious thing I've ever eaten.

Dahl soup

2 tbspn butter
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 chopped onion
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1kg canned chopped tomatoes
1 cup red lentils
2 tsp lemon juice
600ml vegetable or chicken stock
300ml coconut milk
1 bunch chopped coriander

Melt the butter, add garlic, ginger and onion and saute, stirring constantly, until onion is translucent but not brown
Add turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder & cumin and cook for 30 seconds to release the spices
Stir in tomatoes, red lentils, lemon juice, stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil
Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for approx 30 mins until the lentils are tender
Add the coriander and season to taste

If you fancy a Malaysian twist to it you can use lime instead of lemon juice and add a tablespoon of peanut butter too

[Nai]

Different lentils cook differently and should be used for different things.

[Rouge]

Quinoa is like a cross between couscous and bulgar wheat. It can be used as a filler. Or as a grain replacement. So instead of rice or pasta. Or in muffins, crackers, cookies etc.

You could even serve lentil Dahl with quinoa some fresh tomato a dollop of low fat yoghurt and a good sprinkling of fresh coriander.

[*beannaithe*]

Good thing about quinoa too is that it is gluten free, unlike bulgur wheat and couscous. If that is an issue for you

[LimeSlice]

Oooh... probably not the most health conscious, but puy lentils, cooked in butter, with garlic, bay and thyme.... mmmnoms

[Tinks]

My nanna used to make the most beautiful shepherds pie with red lentils.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Can you use them straight from the can? What about the ones that come in the soup packets, don't they need to be soaked for a month or something?

[veus]

I cook rice with quinoa for some texture. We eat a lot of rice at home, no gluten. So anything different from rice or to add to always welcomed. Pilaf with quinoa instead of rice. Quinoa salad.

[lady_neon]

You do need to soak the packet ones, but it depends how long you cook them for. I usually only ever soak them for half an hour.

I use them in dahl, soups, curries, patties, salads.

[Nai]

You don't need to soak red lentils as they cook in about 30min

[lady_neon]

You don't need to soak red lentils as they cook in about 30min

Yes I forgot this one - just rinse them before cooking.

[black_rose]

I make a salad with lentils, red onion, parsley and corn. The dressing is oil, lemon, garlic and mustard.