Cook your puy lentils in some veg or chicken stock. Cool and serve with finely sliced spring onions and tomatoes, basil....vinaigrette.

Cooked as above sprinkled with a layer of finely sliced red onion and radish previously soaked in lemon juice. Add olive oil.

Cooked as above, sprinkled with tuna parsley, spring onions, herbs, vinaigrette.

Mujaddara:

https://theartofdelicious.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/better-mujaddara-rice-with-lentils-and-fried-onions/

There are lots of variations. I do a simple one without the spices, but I'm so fond of lentils I don't need lots of spices. Black pepper is enough. The important thing is to avoid creating a sticky porridge. This dish is good hot or cold.

Look up Armenian or similar salads. Cold salad with lentils and thing like lemon, sumac, garlic. I’ve made it and eaten it made elsewhere. Here are variations.

For a soup, I make curried lentils with chicken, chicken broth, onion, garlic and butternut squash or sweet potato pieces. I probably add a bit extra powdered cumin and coriander. I remove any chicken fat when making. I’ve even enjoyed it cold.

I recall several recipes from Fine Cooking over the years. You might do a google search for "Fine Cooking Lentils" for some links. One easy one that I like is just tossing French lentils with scallions, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, s&p. Love sherry vinegar.

You could also try a google image search. Pretty much covers the globe with all different combinations of flavors that might suit your family.

Google key words, 'cold lentil salads' and hit image.

I looked at last year this time in my salad file...2019

I stock lots of varieties. Costs the same in the grain pot.

This is labeled in my files 'lentil lunch salad'.

I have black caviar lentils standing by for tonight to have with salmon. !/3rd cup each of white winter wheat, wild rice, and black quinoa cooking now. (lentils have a shorter cooking time). Quinoa went in 1/2 hour after the wheat and wild rice.

Nice amount of leftovers for a cold salad tomorrow. And cold salmon we love.

I suppose my point is, as hard as this last few months have been, we find ourselves with covid shopping and a random pantry and veg crisper. A recipe would be hard to follow without shopping. I think this has been a good thing/time to explore cooking 'in-a-pinch'. Experiment. I've done this for years...some need a specific recipe. Good time to branch out and make family favorites.

Just remembering a nice lentil soup from a book I have called Mad Hungry. A good one to try when soup weather comes again.

http://madhungry.com/?recipes=lentil-vegetable-soup

As suggested already: Mejadra, specifically Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe. The fried shallots make the dish. Check out his recipes in general, lots of lentil based ones, simple and full of flavour.

Yesterday I made Misir Wat (Ethiopian Spiced Lentils), and used Marcus Samuelsson's Berbere spice mix, made with green cardamom pods.

Misir Wat (Ethiopian Spiced Red Lentils)

4 tablespoons niter kibbeh , divided (I used butter)
1 large yellow onion, very finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Roma tomato, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Bebere , divided
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2-1/2 cups Aneto All-Natural Chicken Broth
vegetarians: use Aneto Vegetable Broth
1 teaspoon salt (I used chicken soup base)

Melt 3 tablespoons of the niter kibbeh (or butter) in a medium stock pot. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of the berbere and cook for 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat if needed to prevent burning.

Add the broth and salt, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer the lentils, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes (adding more broth if needed) or until the lentils are soft.

Stir in the remaining tablespoon of niter kibbeh and berbere. Simmer for a couple more minutes. Add salt to taste.

Serve with Ethiopian injera. (I served it with plain white Basmati rice)

Marcus Samuelsson Berbere Spice Mix

2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
6 [green] cardamom pods
4 garlic cloves
3 allspice berries
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
5 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded
3 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

In a small skillet, combine the coriander, fenugreek, black peppercorns, cardamom, garlic and allspice over medium heat. Swirling the skillet, toast until fragrant, 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow the seeds to fully cool, then place in a spice grinder or mortar with the dried onion flakes and chiles de árbol, and grind to a fine powder. (I used a blender)

Transfer the powder to a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients until fully incorporated. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

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I need to make more of the Berbere spice mix and take it with me, as I do not have all of the ingredients in both places.

We saw this lentil side dish on a local chef's cooking show. It's quite good, and certainly healthy.

Michael Bonacini's Lentil Salad

I'm a lazy cook and use a jar of tikki masala sauce.

What brand of tikki masala sauce do you use? Does it have milk, butter, or yogurt in it? I never add dairy to lentils, but I do to other legumes.

You can buy Berbere spice mix from Penzey's, Amazon, or The Spice House, but it is cheaper to make your own, especially if you have cardamom pods, which are readily available at your Indian market.