French Green Lentils Recipes
Spicy Lentil Soup
Serves 4
1 eggplant, cubed
Salt
Oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 large carrots, diced
1 celery stick, diced
400g can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup PBSEEDS French green lentils
4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Natural yoghurt to serve
- Place eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse well and dry using paper towel.
- Saute onion in oil until golden. Add eggplant and stir until softened.
- Add spices and stir for a minute. Add the carrot and celery and stir for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, lentils and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir through coriander then serve with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkle of pepper.
French lentil & lamb salad
1 1/4 cups (250g) PBSEEDS French green lentils
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped freshly ground salt and black pepper
Lamb fillet, grilled and sliced
- Place lentils in a saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and stand for about 5 minutes or until lentils are just chewable or "al dente". Drain and rinse under cold running water.
- Saute onion, garlic, carrot and capsicum. Stir this into the lentils along with parsley, oil, vinegar then arrange lamb slices on top and season.
- Serve as either a warm or cold salad.
Spicy lentil salad
Serves 6-8
1 1/4 cups (250g) PBSEEDS French green lentils
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 fresh chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 red capsicum, seeded and finely chopped grated rind and juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs fresh coriander, chopped
2 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs toasted sesame seedsPpinch salt
- Place lentils in a saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to the boil, remove from heat and stand for about 5 minutes or until lentils are just chewable (do not overcook otherwise you will not get a nice crisp salad). Drain and rinse under cold running water.
- Add remaining ingredients and combine. Cool and serve.
Tip: This great salad can be made a couple of days in advance and kept in the fridge (which only improves the flavour).
Beef fillet with french lentils & red wine sauce
A great easy meal to impress family and friends
Serves 4
Beef fillet, cut into steaks
Mashed potato (for 4)
Lentils
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 mushrooms, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup (100 g) PBSEEDS French Green lentils
1/3 cup red wine
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tbs finely chopped fresh parsley
Red wine sauce
2/3 cup red wine
2 tbs tomato paste
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbs soft brown sugar
- Lentils: Heat oil in pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic and mushroom and stir for 1 min. Stir in the lentils, wine and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until reduced. If the mixture is too wet, remove the lid and boil until slightly thick. Stir in the parsley and keep warm.
- Red wine sauce: Heat red wine in a pan, then add combined tomato paste, stock and sugar and bring to the boil. Cook for about 10 mins, or until reduced and thickened.
- Make mashed potato and grill steaks.
- Serve steak on top of mashed potato, spoon lentil mixture on top of the steak then drizzle with red wine sauce.
Chicken breast on a bed of french lentils
Serves 4
Olive oil
4 chicken breasts, skin on
1/2 cup PBSEEDS french green lentils
1 red capsicum, roasted, de–seeded and sliced into thin strips
2 kipfler potatoes, steamed and cut into cm thick slices
2 cups spinach leaves, washed
Chicken stock
3 tbs verde sauce (recipe below)
- Heat pan with a little olive oil and place seasoned chicken breast skin side down. When golden, place in a preheated oven at 180°C skin side up. Cook until just pink in the centre and rest in a warm place.
- Meanwhile heat pan with a little olive oil, add spinach, lentils, kipfler potato slices and capsicum and toss until spinach has wilted. Season well with cracked black pepper and sea salt. Add a little chicken stock and verde sauce and allow to reduce.
- Serve lentil mixture on plates with chicken breast on top.
Verde sauce
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 cup flatleaf parsley
1 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 anchovy fillet, drained and rinsed
salt & pepper
Blend all ingredients, except olive oil to form a paste. Add olive oil gradually to form a thick emulsion.
Lamb shanks with french green lentils
Serves 4
1/3 cup olive oil
4 french trimmed lamb shanks
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red capsicum, sliced
400g can crushed tomatoes
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups PBSEEDS french green lentils
Mashed potato to serve
2 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat half the oil in a frypan and brown shanks each side. Remove from pan into casserole dish. Add onion, garlic and capsicum to pan and saute until golden. Stir in the tomato, wine, bay leaf and cinnamon stick then pour over lamb shanks. Cook for 1 hour, then uncover and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the shanks are tender and the meat is just falling off the bone. Keep warm.
- Meanwhile, place the lentils in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Make mashed potato.
- Heat remaining oil in frypan, add spring onion, spices and cook over medium heat for 3 mins. Stir in the lentils and parsley and cook until warmed through.
- To serve, spoon lentil mixture over a mound of mashed potato on each plate. Stand the shanks upright on top and drizzle with cooking liquid and vegetables from casserole dish.