Cooking in Pajamas

 This stew is warm, comforting and easy to make. Loaded with fiber, you do not need very much to fill up on this hearty dish. Feel free to substitute an Italian sausage for the Spanish chorizo. Also, especially with the holidays coming up, this is a good dish to double the recipe and freeze half for another night.

Chorizo Lentil Stew

courtesy of Tasty Kitchen

1 pound Chorizo Sausage
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1 can (15 Oz. Size) Cannellini Beans, Drained
1 can (15 Oz. Size) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 cup Dried Lentils
2 cups Chicken Stock
6 cups Fresh Chopped Spinach
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Crumbled Goat Cheese, To Serve

In a big stockpot, brown the chorizo in a little bit of vegetable oil, stirring constantly, until almost done, about 5-7 minutes.

Add in the cannellini beans, tomatoes, lentils, and chicken stock and stir until combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender.

Remove from heat and stir in the spinach; cover for about 5 minutes to let it wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I ended up using maybe 1/2 teaspoon of salt and no pepper). Serve hot with goat cheese!

Note: If you would like to use canned cooked lentils, make sure they are rinsed and drained, then just bring the soup to boil and make sure the chorizo is cooked all the way through. No need to go the full 30 minutes if they’re already cooked!

I am always on the lookout for one-pot vegetarian dishes that are hearty enough to make a meal, but also tasty enough to be a delicious side dish to those at the table who are not vegetarian.  My friend Deb gave me this recipe last year, and I have been making it nonstop.  It is addictive, and I cannot get enough of the tangy, salty, sweetness of these lentils.  The recipe makes a very large pot, so I always freeze half, right away, in small portions for a quick lunch or dinner.

Once you have a pot of these freshly made lentils, you can serve them in many ways.  My favorite is to just enjoy a big bowl of them, steaming hot from the pot.  It is filling, healthy and comforting.  It can also be served as a side dish to any meat, chicken or fish dish.  It can be spooned over rice, or it can be used as a bed to place a fillet of fish atop. You can put it over a bed of steamed spinach or in a salad. You can even add some to almost any soup you have to make it heartier and more flavorful.

Although you can use any type of lentil for this dish, I use the French Green lentils (or Puy lentils), rather than the brown lentils you find in the grocery store.  Most people (including me) think the French lentils have more flavor than the brown ones and won't get mushy when cooked too long. I use the brown ones in lentil soup, but I have to keep a close eye on them.  Then turn to mush very quickly.  You can find the French lentils at Whole Foods or at Amazon.com.

Sweet and Sour Lentils

1/4 c. Tamari or Soy Sauce

1 large or 2 small bay leaves

3 T. Onion powder

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3/4 c. honey

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Allspice

1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

4 c. water

3 c. lentils-rinsed

4 - 5  large onions, chopped and sautéed until dark brown

Sauté onions in approx. 2 T. oil until dark brown. Set aside.

Rinse lentils in a colander and drain.

Mix the first 8 ingredients with sautéed onions in a 4 quart pot or dutch oven. Add water & mix. Add lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower heat & simmer for 1 & ½ hours. Uncover, remove bay leaves and stir gently.

Lentils can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. These also freeze easily.