Green Lentils and Green Peppers with Brown Rice

I LOVE LENTILS! I think they’re such sleepers in the world of legumes because you don’t really hear about them, they’re sort of boring to look at, but when you go out of your way to eat them they can really wow you. They have a delicious flavor, satisying texture – and they’re packed with nutrients. The best thing about lentils is that they are sooooo versatile and they do such a great job of absorbing flavors. I used to eat these as a child at my Grandma’s house – she’d make green lentils with garlic, spinach (or dandelion greens) and italian sausage. Unbelievably good! I often make them like that, but recently I’ve been making lentils with a little bit of a curry spin. I made this version and even my son Jaye, who is definitely not a legume fan, gave them a nod. So here’s a recipe I put together this week with fresh peppers I picked up at Farmer’s Market – I had to buy them because I could smell them from several feet away. See what you think!

Green Lentils and Green Peppers with Brown Rice

1 c of green lentils
6 green peppers (cleaned and chopped). **I think the peppers I used are called cubanelle or bull-horn – they’re the long, sweet green peppers that are shaped like the horn of a bull.
1 tbls freshly crushed garlic
1 tsp of corinader
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp green cardomom – (take the little seeds out a crush them prior to adding)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1tbl of kosher salt
a couple bay leaves
1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
a few splashes of olive oil

**side note – the combination of spices I used could be found in “garam masala” which is a spice used in a lot of Indian cooking. There’s some good information here if you’re interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garam_masala

• First of all wash the lentils and set them aside
• On medium heat, add some olive oil to the bottom of a medium-sized pan.
• Saute the peppers for about 5 minutes until they are beginning to brown and soften. Add a little salt while they’re cooking.
• Stir in the garlic for about 20 seconds and then add the lentils and stir for about a minute or two, adding salt, pepper.
• Add about a 1/2 cup of water and let it get to boil.
• Turn the heat down and start to season as it turns into a simmer.
• Add all the remaining spices, stir well and partly cover with a lid and simmer for about 40 mins stirring occaisionally and adding more water if necessary. It might look a little soupy for a bit, but the liquid should be mostly evaporated toward the end.
• I’d start the brown rice about now. Just cook your favorite brown rice according to the package directions. Remember it takes longer to cook brown rice than white rice.
• When the lentils are cooked, turn off the heat and leave them partially covered. They should be soft, but not necessarily mushy and should still resemble their original shape.
• Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves.

Serving suggestion: No fancy suggestions here (not that anything I do in the kitchen is fancy since I’m more about simple and delicious) – it’s just really great on it’s own, spooned over steamed brown rice. I think this would also be great with a fresh tomato salad, with red onions, fresh parsley, olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar.

So there you have it! I’ll add a couple more of my favorite versions – if you have one that you love with lentils, feel free to point us to your blog!