Lentils & Kale Delight—Think Single

Servings: for one or possibly two people

 

I am a single person with a wonderful toy poodle and a lovely Green Singing Finch. Most of my days, I eat my main meal in the middle of the day (following my Swiss heritage I guess) and a little something more in the evenings.  This is a wonderfully EASY, quick, tasty, and healthy dish to make for your evening meal (or any time of the day for that matter)

Ingredients:

1/2 C. lentils (the packaged brown kind)

1 or 2 chopped garlic (I actually use the jar kind)

1/3 C. chopped red onion

4 or 5 sprigs of whole parsley

1 or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 or more mint leaves (chopped)

1/2 Tblsp. cumin seeds

2 C. chicken broth

1 C. or more of chopped fresh kale

Shaved Parmesan cheese for topping

Additional ingredients you can add are:

One diced boiling potato to make a perfect protein with the lentils (you might want to add a bit more liquid if so).

For the naughty at heart, a bit of diced bacon from the start.

In a good sized pot, place the above mentioned ingredients and bring to a nice simmer. Place a lid on top but tilt it—and simmer for anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes depending how tender you wish the lentils and kale to be.  You can adjust the herbs to your taste. I felt that I didn’t need to add S&P—but do whatever inspires you.  That’s what cooking is all about—a little experimenting and lot of enjoying.  Use a lot of the right side of your brain when it comes to cooking.  It should be creative and fun.

Place in a beautiful soup bowl and top with freshly shaved Parmesan.

By the time I have cooked this, my toy poodle is hungry for his meal. So of course, I give him a bit of chicken stock and parmesan, all of which he loves and well appreciates. Then for Bandit, the bird, he gets some fresh kale.

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.innkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.