What I'm trying to say is that I'm not expecting my family to jump head over heels in love with these new recipes. They might end up being bland and fairly tasteless and that's kind of the point, you know? (This is quite the ringing endorsement for a food-related blog, now isn't it?) If I come across some major duds, I will not share them with you. I'll let you find your own duds:-).
The first meal I'm suggesting, though, is almost too good to be a called a simple meal. It appears simple, but does not taste simple. I used to make these lentils a lot and then I forgot about them until two blogger friends (this one and this one) recently wrote about them. Reading their posts made my mouth start watering. I added chopped apples for the first time because, well, I had some apples around that needed using and we really enjoyed it that way. If you want to keep it simpler, leave the apples out. This dish doesn't come from a particular country. The next one will. So...
Let's not beat ourselves up if we actually enjoy some of these meals and let's not give up on them if we don't.
Sweet and Sour Lentils (More With Less Cookbook
)Serves 4-6. My notes are in italics. These lentils are served over rice (white or brown), so prepare your rice as you are waiting for the lentils to cook.
1 cup dry lentils
2 cups water
2 beef (or chicken or vegetable) bullion cubes
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup apple or pineapple juice (we don't drink fruit juices at our house, so I just increased the amount of apple cider vinegar by 1/8 cup)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed (or minced)
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
sauteed onion, if desired (I left this out)
1 cup peeled and chopped apple (optional)
Bring to a boil and simmer the lentils, water, bullion cubes, bay leaf and salt for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. When lentils are cooked, add remaining ingredients. Heat to bubbly and serve over rice. If you've added apples, let them simmer about 5 minutes to allow the apples to soften a bit. There will be a lot of tasty "juice"- spread it over the rice, too.
I first made lentils when Mamamunitia posted this recipe a few weeks ago. Now I am making this regularly. Mmmm I've been missing out all these years!
ReplyDeleteThank you for yesterday's and today's posts. I've never thought about these issues before. I mean, I knew about world hunger and how we have so much more, but the fact that we take the variety and the enjoyment for granted! That was a new thought. I've printed both posts to share with my husband, and we will definitely be sharing in this journey.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much that poor people's food tastes bland (Indian food, anyone?)---it's that they eat the same basics over and over and over. Beans three times a day (rice with the beans if you have extra cash to spare). Beans and rice are delicious, especially when cooked over a wood fire. It's the constant presence of them, and then lack of meat, that speak to the economic status.
ReplyDeleteSo maybe the challenge should be to eat simple fare day in and day out, like for a whole week out of a month. And you do a lot of that already, no? (Simple fare being the food you have accessible to you, and at a low cost.)
I need to make these lentils again. Thanks for the reminders...about the lentils and to eat simply. And I have some granny smiths getting soft in the garage. I think this is there fate.
ReplyDeleteOh we *love* these lentils too! I was intrigued by Jennifer Jo's post and gave them a go and posted about them too...interesting how we all felt the need to dedicate a post to these amazing lentils...yum, yum! :)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Blessings,
Camille
I tried these a few weeks ago too, and really liked them. In fact, my husband asked just last night when we would have them again.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever made lentils... I think I'll check out the price in the bulk food section next week... We still have a boat load of free pineapple juice concentrate in the freezer so I think I'll add it to the menu next week!
ReplyDeleteTHHP, you should add this to my "Bean Recipe Exchange". Personally, I consider a split pea, a lentil, and black eyed peas as beans although they really aren't. If they're dried and come in a bag, that works for me!
ReplyDelete