-Earlier today a friend of mine asked for a recipe for some lentil stew that I made about a month ago. Of course instead of providing him with something I of a straight forward answer he got the following:
I don't happen to have the recipe on me at the moment (nor did I the last time I made it), but I am quite willing to try to re-create what it was I did.
The last time I made it I think that I didn't start by adding some onions and oil to the pot, but that is normally how I would start. From there I would add the potatoes and lentils. I base the number of potatoes on the size of the batch I want to make, so maybe 3-4 cubed potatoes. In terms of lentil volume, the original recipe called for next to no lentils, I like to add close to a cup, again, it is flexible. At this point I would also add water and seasoning. As far as seasoning goes, I use vegetable bouillon/stock and black pepper. I would use maybe two tablespoons of the powdered stuff and a teaspoon or so of pepper. Add enough water (or you could use liquid vegetable stock) to cover most of the ingredients. I would say that it is better to start with less water and add more later than too much and need to boil it off.
(I typically use green/brown lentils and let them soak for an hour or two before cooking. I have never used canned lentils, but I presume you could. If you use red lentils I don't think it is necessary to let them soak).
The original recipe calls for carrots and celery, and suggests that they should be added only at the end of the cooking period. I find this works, but many people don't really like almost raw celery and carrots in their stews so I tend to add these ingredients at about the same time as everything else. It should also be noted that basically any vegetables you want should work. (For instance, when you were there I left out the celery because I know Rebecca doesn't like it and replaced it with things like frozen beans and corn.)
The great thing about this recipe is that it is quick, unlike regular stew. In all you probably only need to cook this for about an hour.
I realize this description/recipe has been a bit rambling, so if you have any questions feel free to write back or call.
This was then supplemented with the following nugget:
Also, upon consideration 1 cup of lentils seems like a lot for 3-4 potatoes, I might dial that back a bit.
I am curious to hear how this turned out as these may be some of the least precise recipe instructions I have ever given anybody.
-Last night we managed to lose our ultimate game by a single point. Even more impressive than the margin of our defeat is the fact that the final point was scored with less than a second left on the clock. Bummer.
-This afternoon Jeannette talked me into going to see the movie Black Swan with her and a few of her friends. While I will give this thing credit for being well acted and, at least as far as I could tell, technically well crafted, the experience was somewhat less than enjoyable. Maybe I am just turning into my father, but I really am not too interested watching someone self-destruct on screen, no matter how artfully it is done.
-My pea/lentil soup and bread should be ready for consumption shortly. After dinner I will have to be sure to get back to work.
No comments:
Post a Comment