**Before we get to today’s recipe I’d like to congratulate Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake on winning the Yummy Pics eBook giveaway. Congratulations Liz, I’ll be in touch shortly. **
For as long as I can remember I have always loved lentils. These tiny black beauties are my favorite variety. How many you are saying yuck right now? It’s so strange to me when I hear people say they dislike lentils. Why? To me there are absolutely no flaws as far as lentils are concerned.
These tiny little beauties are called Beluga lentils. The reason being that once cooked they resemble shiny Beluga caviar. They really do, don’t they? Maybe that is why they inspired me to use elegant white (fake) pearls for the photos. (I’m far too young for real pearls -some day though.) Like many other lentils, these too can be used in salads, soups spreads, or Indian dosas. Beluga lentils are also just as delicious and nutritious as other varieties. See it’s a win-win all the way.
In order to keep the Beluga lentils from breaking up they should be gently cooked. By softly boiling them they retain their shape so it makes them perfect for many recipes. You can use any broth or just plain water, but broth will add more flavor. Additionally spices or finely chopped vegetables may be cooked alongside the lentils. For today’s recipe I choose to gently boil the Beluga with a few spices.
- 1 cup Black Beluga lentils, picked through and rinsed
- 11/2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth or water
- 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Pick through and rinse the lentils.Heat the olive oil and saute the garlic and onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Next pour the broth/water and lentils into the pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes then turn heat down to low flame. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Gently stir to well combine. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Allow to site a few minutes before serving.
I served our Beluga lentils as a side dish to leftover roasted duck breast. The night before I had roasted a whole duck. Duck is comfort food for Czechs and it is as common as chicken is in the US. We’ve been spoiled with the availability and inexpensive price of duck, so we eat it often. But of course you can enjoy the lentils on their own or as a side dish.
*You can now signup to October’s YBR. Add your name, link and photograph here: http://www.spiciefoodie.com/ybr/ybr-signup-temporary-page/ *
