Roselin32 posted this on the Recipe Exchange. I've made it before, and thought it was pretty good.

Lentil and Feta Cheese Salad

1 1/2c lentils
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp basil
2 cloves garlic, one whole, one crushed
1/2c diced celery
1 small onion chopped
1/2 c chives, chopped
3/4c crumbled feta cheese
6T olive oil
3T wine vinegar
1/8 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Rinse lentils. Put in saucepan with enough water
to cover. Add bay leaf, basil, and one clove garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add celery and onion, cover and simmer til lentils are tender.
Drain and discard bay leaf and garlic clove.
Put lentils, celery and onions in a serving bowl. Add chives and feta cheese.
Mix remaining ingredients in a jar and shake til well blended.
Pour over lentil salad and toss. Let stand for 2 hours at room temp tossing
occasionally before serving.

Source: Sensational Salads
RL`

French green or black lentils work much better than our normal brown lentils for side dishes and salads. They don't fall apart like the brown, but do take longer to cook. (The Indian yellow and green lentils cook fast and soft like brown ones.)

This lentil chili recipe was in last months Bon Appetit. I've already made it a few times because we liked it so much.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lentil Chili with Cumin and Green Onions

WARM LENTIL AND CHICORY VINAIGRETTE

(generously serves 4)

1-1/3 c. green lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. diced onions
2 oz. lean smoked ham, cut into 1"x1/4" slivers
1 pound chicory, thinly sliced
1/4 c. defatted chicken stock

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the lentils, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Add cold water to cover by about 2". Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. Drain; discard the bay leaf. Return to the pan.

In a cup, mix the vinegar, pepper and 1 T. oil. Drizzle over the lentils and toss lightly to mix. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large no-stick frying pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 T. oil. Add the onions and ham. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Add the chicory and stock. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicory is wilted. Add the lentils and toss lightly to mix.

One of my favorite dishes in a vegan restaurant we sometimes patron is a lentil nut loaf with a mushroom sauce. I don't have the recipe, but here are some google results.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lentil nut loaves

I'm not sure of the spelling but there is a Middle Eastern dish called Muhjedra that I really like. It's a porridge of lentils cooked with chopped onions, celery, carrots, and cumin served over rice with crispy fried onions on top.

Jessy, I used to make a lentil loaf that contained shredded beets. We really liked it, but somehow I lost the recipe. I'm going to search for it again. Your post inspired me.

I make a baked lentil spaghetti I call "Lentils Bourginon."
Cook about a cup of lentils. (See directions below) Cook enough spaghetti to serve 8. For this dish, I break the spaghetti into thirds before cooking. When both lentils and spaghetti are finished, in the pot you drained the spaghetti out of, combine lentils, spaghetti, a package of shredded italian cheese, and two large jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce spiked with 1/4-1/2 cup burgundy or other rich red wine. Add more tomato sauce if you think you need it. Spread into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle lightly with parmesean, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 min. or more, until hot and bubbly throughout. Can use shell maccaroni for a more "goulash" type dish. Can use 4 1/2 cups homeade spaghetti sauce. Can add sauteed vegetables like zuchhini, mushrooms, onions and peppers, or spinach.

Rice, Lentil and Spinach Pilaf
(Great stuffing for acorn or delicata squash)

1/2 cup green or other lentils cooked with 1 cup water or bouillon
1 cups Basmatic rice, cooked with 2 cups water, salt and pepper to taste.
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 onions
2 clovs garlic
4 celery stalks or green or red pepper strips
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Grated zest of one lemon
3-4 cups spinach or other greens

Sautee veggies in 1 TBLSP olive oil or 3/4 cups veggie stock if you're watching your fat. When veggies are cooked through, add spices and then cooked lentils and rice. Put in a casserole or stuff into cooked squash. If serving as a casserole, can add sauteed cubed squash or carrots. Top with ground toasted nuts if desired--cashews sunflower seeds or walnuts.

(from the "More With Less" Mennonite cookbook)
Basic cooked lentils
1 cup lentils
2 cups water (or bouillon)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt, added after lentils are cooked
Bring water to a boil, add lentils, simmer 40 min. or unti lentils are tender, adding more water if needed.

Add the following flavor options to the lentils:

Curried lentils
Saute together
1/4 cup margarine (whoa! how about 1 TBLSP olive oil!)
1 large onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. salt (or less)
1-2 TBLSP curry powder
2 TBLSP lemon juice
Serve over rice garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro

Sweet and Sour Lentils
1/4 cup apple or pineapple juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar (or less)
1 clove garlic
1/8 tsp. cloves
sauteed onion, if desired and celery and peppers or other veggies.

Heat til bubbly. Serve over rice. This is really good.

Easy lentil stew
1/2 lb. diced ham, browned sausage, browned ground beef, or 1/2 cup fake hamburger
3/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups water
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt (or less)
1 onion, chopped and sauteed
2 stalks celery, (optional, or whatever other veggies you like to add to the saute)
1 clove garlic, minced.
Bring to a biol, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 min. until vegetables are tender.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Thanks!

I cook the lentils in vegetable broth with a bit of garlic and onion, then drain any extra liquid. Then stir into hot cooked rice and toss with carmelized onions. It sounds so plain, but my sister and I could eat a pound of it each LOL. You have to cook the lentils separately, every time I have tried cooking them together I either get vomit coloured rice or mushy rice with little lentil bullets in it ;)

I posted on this forum a few months ago an old Julia Child recipe, Lentilles en cassoulet. You can find it by doing a search on this forum. The recipe is a real crowd pleaser, but it does take a fair amount of work. You'll need to make a good beef stock on your own if you don't have a reliable source.

There are also lentil salad recipes, served at room temperature, nice in warm weather. Pasta with lentils is also a tasty dish. The cooked lentils are flavored with olive oil, garlic and some tomato. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on the pasta. You can find typical recipes doing a google search, and modify them to your own taste.

Happy hunting.

This is what our family makes: heat oil or butter on a low heat in a sauce pan, add a tbs (or so) of flour, stirr untill it starts browning, add chopped onions (you can also add celery, carrots, whatever you feel like), keep stirring and when softened add water (yep, it will hiss), diced peeled potatoes, salt, bayleaf or two and plenty of lentils. Bring to boil, turn the heat down and let simmer until potatoes and lentils are done. Turn off the heat, stirr in minced garlic and marjoram, add little bit of vinegar to taste and enjoy.

You can add celery etc. with onions, use stock instead of water, ... make it to your own liking.

Sorry I don't have any measurements, we just eyeball it. It shouldn't be runny at the end but water should be absorbed. We just eat it with pickles (sour goes really well with it) and bread/toast/dinner rolls. My mom would sometimes add broiled hot dog to go with it.

I think the dish Ruthanna's referring to is called Mujadara, and I agree, it is wonderful.

Lentils are also used to make hummus, which is traditionally made with chick peas.

Sol

Thanks for the additional ideas. I will be elimiating garlic in any I try, as I am allergic to it. Hives are not welcome! I am not a fancy or adventurace cook. I like simple stuff, and am a rather picky eater. I am trying some new things once in a while and the lentil dish they had on the show looked and sounded good. I'll give some of these a try.

Tami

just tripped over this on the top rated mexican page on allrecipes:

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons fat free sour cream

DIRECTIONS
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

This is my favourite lentil dish.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Mung Bean and Cauliflower Stew
==============================
Adapted from: Classic Indian Cooking by: Julia Sahni

I have substituted different lentils for the mung beans.

1 cup yellow split mung beans
(moong dal)
2/3 cups finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/3 small cauliflower cut into 1 1/2 inch flowerets, about 2 1/2 to 3 cups
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Chicken broth

For TADKA

12 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh coriander (Same as cilantro) leaves chopped.
. Put the mung beans in a deep pot along with chopped onions, ginger, and
3 cups chicken broth. Add turmeric, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat
and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes or until the mung beans
are cooked but are still very firm.

Add potatoes, cauliflower, salt, and 2 more cups of broth and cook for
an addition 15 minutes or until the vegetable are tender and the beans
are thoroughly cooked.

To make the Tadka

Heat the Ghee or oil over high heat in a frying pan. When it is very
hot, add cumin seeds, and fry until they turn brown (about 15 seconds).
Add red pepper, stir for a moment and immediately pour the contents of
the frying pan into the stew. Add lemon juice and chopped coriander
leaves. Stir well to mix. Check for salt and serve.

I usually serve this with Basmati rice and chapati (Indian Bread).