Lentils are amazing! They always make me feel confident about my cooking. For those of you with kids, lentils have tons of fiber and have fun and unique texture to expose your kids to. Lentils are a part of the legume family along side peas, peanuts and beans. They are used in many vegetarian cooking as well as popular Indian recipes. They have amazing health benefits, (including lowering your cholesterol, preventing constipation and managing blood sugar levels), are inexpensive, and are easy to cook with. For more information on the nutritional facts and health benefits of lentils visit wpfood.

Curried Lentils

Kacey Olson
*Put the following into a 2 ½ quart sauce pan:

1 C dried brown or red lentils, cleaned

3 C unsalted chicken broth or water

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots – peeled, halved and sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (include leaves)

1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped (can omit this)

1 teaspoon crushed fresh garlic

½ teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or veggie bouillon granules

2-3 teaspoons curry powder.

Bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until lentils are soft.  if using red lentils, cook for only 15 to 20 minutes. With either lentil check after suggested time to make sure the vegetables are cooked until soft or desired crunchiness.

Eat plain or serve over rice (basmati if possible) or couscous.

*Good to double this recipe if cooking for more then 3-4.

I like to get the water and lentils cooking while I chop up the veggies. Here is a picture of my saucepan with all my ingredients. After everything is added, I mix thoroughly and allow to simmer. To use as a sauce for Hawaiian haystacks, just include:

red lentils

chicken broth or water

onion or onion powder

garlic or garlic powder

chicken or vegetable bouillon

curry powder–go easy

I hope you have fun trying this recipe. Let us know how it goes. If you have any questions or hiccups feel free to ask us anything.

See ya around!