Lovely lovely lentils

Am I the only one who thinks lentils get a bad rap? They are so often considered a boring staple in a vegetarian, or flexitarian, diet. No doubt, they are a blank canvas, without much flavor of their own to impart to a dish, but they are filling, low in calories, rich in folates, iron and protein, and the blankness of that canvas, means that they are versatile indeed, and can form the basis of many a dish. Unlike cooking with dried beans, there is none of that planning ahead to soak them overnight, and the "Will they ever cook" uncertainty, even when left bubbling for hours. I am all for canned beans.... However, lentils cook quickly, and what is more, you can easily buy ready cooked lentils in Trader Joes (in the produce department), which will keep in the refrigerator for weeks and make a fabulous salad (click here for recipe). 

And just in case you think that these are the only things you can do with lentils, some bored quarantined Russian has made an imitation of the Mona Lisa with them. Yes, lentils are artistic. I kid you not. Click here for the proof.

The recipe below (adapted from an original in the New York Times) is deceptively simple, but full of rich flavors that lend themselves beautifully to a lentil dish, and make for a comforting dish that is anything but boring. With some garlic bread on the side to mop up the lovely juices, and ward off vampires (bonus), it is the perfect bowl of goodness for a winter's evening. Tasty, easy, filling, good for you - what more could you want?

Lentils Cacciatore
Serves 4

olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup capers, drained
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and quartered (not the tasteless canned kind!)
3 TBSP tomato paste
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 14oz can crushed/diced tomatoes
3/4 cup red lentils

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large dutch oven or saucepan. 

2. Add carrots, onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently until the onions are softened (5 minutes or so). 

3. Add the capers, tomato paste, garlic and rosemary and cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring to prevent the tomato paste from sticking. (The mixture should start to turn a darker red at this point).

4. Add the wine, and cook until the wine has almost completely evaporated.

5. Add the tomatoes, lentils and 2 1/2 cups of water and stir to combine. Bring to the boil, then partially cover, and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes, by which time the lentils should be starting to break down and be nice and soft. Add the olives and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste to check seasoning.

6. Serve with garlic bread