LENTILS

I use lentils in soup, I also add porridge oats as they are also good for the system.

yogagran- did you survive???

Just love lentils and it is an amazing way to add bulk and veg protein to a curry, bolognese, stew, soups, etc.

My OH just loves a good chicken or lamb couscous- and we often use couscous for a quick stir-fry. Pour boiling water over dry couscous- and by the time I've chopped veg for the stir fry and given it a few mins in the frying pan- the couscous is ready to pour over and stir- very fast and healthy, what's not to like. Actually prefer the slightly chunker bulgar wheat. Often use a little in beef burgers instead of breadcrumbs- perfect.

Yes granjura, I survived. It was really delicious spiced carrot and lentil soup, whizzed when cooked to be really smooth.
I used the ancient lentils but have since replaced the packet with a new supply

I've kept my head down for the last week or so with the thread on soup makers but will now admit that we have a soup maker. My DH could be nicknamed "gadget man" and he decided that we should have one. I threw out all the arguments that have appeared on the thread, such as "we have a saucepan and a whizzer so we don't need one", but a soup maker was delivered about a month ago and I must admit that I am impressed. It's one that you can saute onions and spices in before you add all the other ingredients. The finished soup is much smoother than my whizzer makes it and it is good to be able to put everything in, turn it on and just leave it to get on with it, no waiting for it to come to the boil, no stirring, no messy hob if it should boil over. I'm converted!

There was a doctor on Radio 2 debunking detox as recently as last Monday.

"If you are trying to reduce your meat consumption a tin of lentils added to a lb of mince means more portions and less meat in each."

I've been doing that with soya mince lately, replacing a third of the mince with soya (by calorie, not weight) tastes more meaty than all mince.

I quite fancy trying some lentils but I'm a bit short of recipe ideas, I don't really eat (drink?) soup.

The NHS on detox.

A fabulous way to make a meal go much much further for any person, student, family on a tight budget- 350gr of mince will make a bolognese for 4- add a tin, of soaked lentils, and it will stretch to 6 or perhaps 8- and has a good protein content.

I love lentils. I used to make a lovely cheese and lentil loaf, but have lost the recipe. I make quite a lot of Indian style meals (DH loves a curry), and I make dal dishes. I use, red, brown and green lentils. My DD uses the black urud dal in some of her recipes.
I also love lentil soup in all combinations, with tomato, coriander, cumin etc. I could go on all day, but I'd probably be very boring.

Do lentils need soaking? When I made the soup I put them in the liquid straight from the packet without any soaking and they were soft and it doesn't seem to have made any difference. So why soak?

Or, for that matter, why use a tin of lentils if they cook quickly without soaking?

I never soak lentils - and so don't buy tinned. I usually cook up a batch of lentils with a stock cube and then freeze them in small pots to add to stir fries, pasta dishes, or use in nut loaves, etc. I love red lentils but also like beluga (they look like caviare).

We love lentils and wish I could find more recipies for them bar lentil soup and a couple of other dishes which I just can`t bring to mind at this particular time probably because I`m on a very nice Roija - cheers

"I have yet to meet a bloke who likes couscous!"

There's one here, I had some of this last Friday.

Yogagran, I was always told that lentils in a packet need to be washed in cold water before use. Is this still true? I always give them a good rinse in cold water first. The water is often quite dusty I find, especially red split lentils. They dont need to be soaked though.

Thanks mrsmopp, I'll rinse them in future. That reminds me that my Mum always rinsed rice before cooking but I never do. Although she used to cook rice in just enough water that it was all absorbed and I cook it in lots of water and rinse it when it's cooked. Which used to cause arguments with DH as he rinses it in cold water. He says that stops the rice cooking any more but I claim makes the rice cold so I rinse cooked rice in hot water. Is one right and one wrong?

I rinse the rice with hot water from the kettle as it separates the grains and stops them sticking together, as the starch is rinsed off.
I think all packet lentils should be rinsed in cold water, i tip then into a sieve and run it under the cold tap till it runs clear. Maybe it tells you on the packet to do that, I'm not sure.
I did the same with dried fruit, then Whitworths said their dried fruit was ready washed. My mum didn't trust them and used to say she was washing away the "impurities".

I/we love lentils just wish I had more recipies for them but ham and lentil soup is a favourite in our house. Have this vegetarian recipe for puy lentils which is gorgeous. Have a happy lentil day!! Oooops not that funny

Doesn't anyone use millet? That's nice, too. DBH&Son prefer it to couscous because it's firmer - they loathe quinoa, so I often make it because then I mix it with my preferred veg and know it's safe from thieving males.

I've been throwing a handful of lentils into many dishes for years, to improve roughage consumption as much as anything. I love baked ham hock and puy lentils with a big dollop of greek yoghourt.

another lentil lover! I always rinse lentils ,beans ,rice[especially], dried fruit before cooking.

No rinsing here, and I am still alive. I work on the 'you will eat a ton of dirt before you die' principle. It's all extra roughage. I think of it as self-immunisation.