Lentil Soup with Kale

I just made this tonight and it was yummy. We ate it with grilled cheese sandwiches. I found this recipe in a parenting magazine.

2 tsp. canola oil
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 lg. carrot, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. green or brown lentils
12 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
8 cups chopped kale
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (I skipped this one)

Heat the oil in a 6-qt. pot over med/high heat. Cook onion, carrot, and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir, cooking for another minute or so. Add the broth, lentils, basil, thyme, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add kale, and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and zest and serve.

Veggie Wet Shoes

This dish is delicious served in a wrap/pita, on top of french fries, or straight off the plate.

Ingredients
1 bag green lentils
2 large green peppers (4 if you LOVE green peppers)
1 large white onion (2 is better, I cut back because Colin doesn't like it)
2 tomatoes
salt
pepper
cumin
crushed red pepper
garlic powder
lots of shredded cheddar cheese
Frank's Red Hot
Sour Cream
1 pkg frozen french fries, preferably curly seasoned fries

Put french fries in the oven. Cook lentils and veggies at the same time, in different pots.

Boil the lentil in water with salt. Colin likes them in tact and drains them. I like to boil them with the lid off until they get mashable. After cooked, mix in spices, to taste.

Chop all the veggies. Cook peppers in onions in a pan on high-ish heat. You want them browned and crisp but cooked - not wet and soggy (don't overfill the pan). About two seconds before they're done, add the chopped tomatoes and stir around for a bit. Don't add the tomatoes sooner, they slow down the cooking for onions and peppers - some sort food science is happening there.

Stir the veggies into the lentils. Dump onto your french fries. Top with cheddar cheese. Either microwave to melt or return to the oven until cheese is melted.

Serve with hot sauce and sour cream on the side.

If making sandwiches instead, provolone cheese is also delicious.

Lentil and Rice Pilaf

This recipe makes enough to serve as an entree for four people, or it could be a side dish for a few nights. It has a wonderful Middle Eastern flavor - even Jonathan likes it! We got this from a website originally and have altered it a bit.

4 tbsp. olive or canola oil
1 med. onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice (very important)
2 14-oz. cans vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
3/4 cup long-grain white rice

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice. Saute until onion softens. Add broth, lentils and rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender.

Variation: If you want to substitute long-grain brown rice for the white rice, add additional broth (from 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and allow for additional cooking time.