Lentil Stew With Spinach and Potatoes

I am trying to expand my vegetarian repertoire. I found this one while searching for vegetarian main courses on Epicurious. We really like lentils, and they are a great source of protein. I didn't have vegetable broth, so I substituted chicken Better than Boullion - otherwise I followed the recipe. This was pretty good, a very hearty stew for being meatless. I thought it was a little too minty - mint was definitely the dominant flavor, and I would have liked to taste the lentils a little bit more. I will probably make this again sometime when I feel like I need some protein but don't want meat.

Dal Bhat

When we went to Nepal last year we had a Nepali househelper who would cook lunch for us, and we would have dal bhat almost every day. Dal means lentils, and bhat means rice. It is a staple meal for Nepalis and also most Indians. An Indian friend of mine told me that she can only go two or three days without dal bhat, and she has to eat it because her cravings for it are so strong! It is a comfort food for many South Asians. I have made it a few times since we left Nepal and it certainly reminds us of good times in Nepal. I tried a new recipe for dal bhat this week. It is more Indian than Nepali in the spices it calls for, but when I have tried to make Nepali dal bhat it never tastes quite right. This was great, very flavorful and a hearty meal. The recipe as written makes a lot, so I would probably half it if I make it again. It was tasty, but my stomach is not used to spicy food and was not happy with me for the next day or so. This is a good recipe though if you like Indian food and you are looking for a vegetarian dish.

Lebanese Lentil-and-Rice Pilaf with Blackened Onions

I'm trying to add to my lentil repertoire, since we plan to move overseas where there will not be much meat available for protein. We are not big meat eaters anyway - maybe I'll cook something with meat in it once every two weeks or so. I made this lentil and rice pilaf the other day. I overcooked it and it came out a little mushy. It was bland when I tasted a little from the pot so I was a little dismayed about serving it to my husband. Once we added salt to the dish, though, the whole thing was transformed. Now, some dishes benefit from salt to make up for the lack of flavor of the other ingredients, but with this once, the salt totally enhances the flavors that are already in the dish. It turned a 2 star meal into a 4 star one! I'll make this again, definitely.

French Lentil Soup

I'm trying to learn how to cook with lentils more often, since I know we'll have lentils available when we move overseas. I made French Lentil Soup today, which was awesome. There's not a whole lot to it in terms of spices, but the flavors meld so well and the balsalmic vinegar adds some depth to it. My hubby said it was the best lentil soup he's ever had! I made Buttermilk Biscuits from the new Joy of Cooking with it - those were pretty good, but my husband says he likes them as much as the ones made of Walmart biscuit mix, so I'm not going to bother with them until we move somewhere that doesn't have a Walmart (Mars, perhaps).