The saying "looks aren't everything" applies to lentils. They're not striking, but behind their dull exterior is a food beautiful in other ways - nutritional value, culinary flexibility and price.
Those attributes explain why lentils have been so important for so long in so much of the world. Lentils have been consumed for thousands of years and were one of the earliest crops to be cultivated.
Lentils are a type of pulse - the dried edible seed of a legume. The seeds form inside pods, where they ripen and dry naturally in the field. They are sold dried, in bags or bulk, or cooked and canned.
Today I'm talking about the former.
Lentils can be divided into two main groups - large lentils, and small lentils. There are numerous varieties in each group, often categorized by colour, such as yellow, white, orange, black and even pink lentils.
You'll likely find those more interestingly coloured lentils at ethnic food markets. You'll also see, most likely at a specialty food store, French or du puy lentils for sale. This more costly type of lentil, which some say has a more refined taste, is named after Le Puy-en-Velay, a French city surrounded by farms that grow them.
In supermarkets, though, the two most common and budget-friendly lentils you'll see for sale are whole green lentils, and split red lentils.
It may surprise you to know they were likely grown in sa国际传媒.
According to the website for Canadian Lentils, lentils.ca, sa国际传媒 produces 67 per cent of the world's supply, exporting a total value of almost $900 million in 2011. Pretty impressive numbers since lentils were first grown in sa国际传媒 only in 1970.
Nutrition has something to do with that popularity.
Lentils are low in calories, fat and cholesterol and, among many other good things, are a good source of folic acid, fibre, potassium and iron.
If you eat lentils with foods rich in vitamin C, such as bell peppers, citrus or tomatoes, your body will absorb its iron more efficiently.
Lentils are also rich in protein, lacking only one of them: methionine. Because of that, to get complete protein, serve or cook lentils with things such as grains, nuts, eggs, seeds, meat or dairy products.
Dried lentils should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. You can store them for a year or even longer. However, the longer they are stored, the drier they become, which in turn increases cooking time. If they take forever to cook, you know they have been around too long, either at your home, or at the store you bought them from.
You do not need to presoak lentils as you might a dried bean. Before cooking, simply rinse in cold water and drain well, pick out any debris or damaged lentils, and you're ready to go.
When the word split is used to describe a lentil, it means that the seed coat around the lentil has been removed and the inner part of the lentil has been split in half. Because of this treatment, split lentils cook faster than whole lentils. Also because the seed coat is removed, split lentils don't hold their shape well once cooked. That makes them more suitable for things such as pureed soups, rather than a salad or other dish where you wanted to see the whole lentil.
No matter what type of lentil, they'll cook more slowly if cooked with salt or very acidic ingredients, so add those items when they are done.
Lentils have a mild, earthy flavour and are at their best when accented with bold flavours. In today's recipes, I've done that in a balsamic vinegarspiked soup; cumin-and garlic-rich casserole; and citrus-flavoured salad accented with seared scallops and feta cheese.
For dozens more recipes, go to the Canadian Lentils website.
There you will also find more information about lentils and videos of Food Network star Michael Smith preparing them.
> Recipes, C3 Eric Akis is the author of the bestselling Everyone Can Cook series of cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
This hearty soup can be a main course when served with slices of warm, crusty bread.
Preparation time: 30 minutes Cook time: 50-60 minutes Makes: 6 servings
1 cup green lentils
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 large celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 medium, ripe tomatoes, halved, seeds removed and discarded, flesh chopped
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp herbes de Provence (see Note)
3 Italian sausages
? salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
? freshly grated Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar to taste
1 Tbsp chopped freshly parsley
Wash the lentils in cold water, and drain well. Discard any discoloured or damaged ones.
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and tomatoes and cook until all are quite tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the lentils, stock, tomato paste and herbes de Provence.
Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, or until lentils are quite tender. Skim off foam as the lentils cook.
When the soup is almost ready, preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high.
Grill the sausages 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, or until cooked through. Turn the heat to low and keep sausages warm until needed
When ready, season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into hot bowls. Slice the sausage and divide and arrange on the soups. At the table, allow guests to sprinkle and drizzle soup, to taste, with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar.
Note: Herbes de Provence is a French-style herb blend sold at most large supermarkets in the bottled herb and spice aisle.
RED LENTIL CASSEROLE WITH GARLIC MASHED POTATO TOPPING
Here's a hearty, meatless casserole similar to Shepherd's pie, minus the meat. It's soft in texture and would best be called comfort food.
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 60 to 65 minutes Makes: 8 servings
1 lb (450 grams) red split lentils (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper
1 (14 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 1/2 lbs. russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen peas
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup warm milk
Wash the lentils in cold water, and drain well. Discard any discoloured or damaged ones. Place lentils in a pot and cover with 6 cups of cold water. Bring lentils to a gentle simmer, and simmer until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Skim off foam as the lentils cook. (When done, lentils will be tender to the bite, massed together, but mostly still look like individual lentils.)
When the lentils are tender, set a large, fine sieve over a bowl.
Spoon the lentils into the sieve (you may need to do this in batches), let excess liquid drain away, then set in a second bowl.
Place the oil in a large, wide skillet or shallow pot set over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, gently boil the potatoes and garlic in lightly salted water until very tender.
When the onion and carrot are cooked, stir in the flour, oregano, cumin and cayenne and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and stock.
Thoroughly mix in the lentils, corn, peas, salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spoon and spread the lentil mixture into a 9-x 13-inch casserole (see Eric's options). When potatoes are tender, drain them well, ensuring the garlic stays in the pot. Thoroughly mash the potatoes. Whip in 2 Tbsp of the butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the potatoes over lentil mixture. Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining butter. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and the filling is bubbly.
Eric's options: If you're only serving one or two, you could divide the lentil filling and potato topping among smaller dishes.
Bake the ones you need now, and freeze the others. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Baking time will be a few minutes shorter, depending on the size of your dishes.
SEARED SCALLOPS ON LENTIL, FETA AND CHERRY TOMATO SALAD
This fine main-course salad combines nutritious lentils with tasty seared scallops.
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: About 20 minutes Makes: 4 servings
For the salad
3/4 cup green lentils
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 cherry tomatoes, each quartered
1/3 medium English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
100 grams feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
Wash the lentils in cold water, and drain well. Discard discoloured or damaged lentils.
Place lentils in a pot and cover with 4 cups of cold water.
Bring lentils to a gentle simmer and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Skim off foam as the lentils cook. When the lentils are tender, set a large fine sieve over a bowl. Spoon the lentils into the sieve, let excess liquid drain away and cool to room temperature. Combine the oil, juice, vinegar, honey, garlic, oregano, cumin and cayenne in a medium bowl. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the cooked lentils, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate salad until needed.
For the scallops and plate 2 Tbsp olive oil
16 large sea scallops, patted dry salt and white pepper to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
12 to 16 whole leaf or butter lettuce leafs
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- olive oil for drizzling (optional)
Heat the 2 Tbsp oil in a large non-stick skillet set over medium-high. Season the scallops with salt and white pepper, add them to the skillet, and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until just cooked through.
Sprinkle with lemon juice and remove from heat.
Arrange 3 to 4 lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates. Mound lentil salad in the centre of each plate.
Top each mound of lentils with 4 scallops; sprinkle with parsley.
Drizzle each salad, if desired, with a little olive oil and serve.
