Spicy Red Lentil Chili

I'm not going to be the one to say that you ate too many sweets this past month. I won't tell that I saw you sneak that extra helping of dessert, and I'm certainly not about to hint that it's time to start eating some healthy food now and then. I'm not going to suggest that you make one of those New Year's resolutions that you're probably not going to follow through with anyway. And I'm most definitely not going to try to persuade you to make this soup just because it's tasty, healthy, and, um, shall we say,  cleansing.

Instead, I'm going to show you this soup and tell you that if you make it, you'll feel good about yourself, inside and out. And what better way to bring in the new year than by feeling whole and renewed?

Welcome, 2012!

Shredded Chicken with Kale and Curried Lentils

It snowed here this weekend. Yes, here in DC. Snow. Before Halloween. I expect this from upstate NY where I grew up (I remember many a Halloween with trick or treaters trudging through the snow). But not DC. Not yet. Thankfully none of the snow stuck and I awoke this morning to a sunny crisp fall day. Almost like the weather wanted to apologize for the snow mistake of yesterday.

So because it wasn't snowing or raining today (and therefore my overwhelming urge to make bread had dissipated) and because these lentils are ORANGE and tomorrow is Halloween, this is what we had for dinner.

Green Lentils and Rice

I love lentils. I love rice. When I found this recipe, I was ecstatic- you mean I can combine two of my favorite sides to make one even better one?! Hurrah! And this dish is not your run-of-the-mill rice dish. It has just the right amount of spice combined with a nice warm hint of cinnamon. Sounds weird, I know (but after the sweet potatoes with black beans, no combination of spices can scare me), but it's really great.

Try serving with Chicken Saag or Chicken Curry Korma.

Green Lentils and Rice
Recipe adapted from India's 500 Best Recipes
Pictures by Caroline

1 3/4 cups rice (basmati recommended)
3/4 cups green lentils, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and grated
2 jalepeno peppers, chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
3 1/2 cups water

1. Place lentils into a small bowl. Pour cold water over the top until lentils are covered. Soak about 20 minutes.
   
2. Pour lentils and water into a medium saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain.
   
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil on medium heat in a large pot. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and salt until the onion is soft (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the lentils and rice and saute 2-3 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook about 20-25 minutes, checking periodically to add more water if needed. Cook until all the water is absorbed and rice is tender.
   

Lentil Soup with Beef

Just when you think spring is here, Mother Nature turns around and throws you a curve-ball in the form of an early spring blizzard. Maybe you're lucky enough to live in a part of the country with pleasant weather right now, but I'm really sick of the snow, wind and clouds.

But at least it gives me a reason to keep eating dishes like this one. Lentil soup has always been one of my favorites on a cold and blustery day. So until the balmy days of spring and summer arrive, this easy one-pot meal will make life seem a little more pleasant.

And what better way to use up those lentils from the Chicken Dhansak a few weeks ago.

Lentil Soup with Beef
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Pictures by Caroline

makes 6-8 hearty servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
2 cups water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with
2 cups lentils (any color), rinsed

1. Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl.
2. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
3. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
4. Add the lentils. Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.
5. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Chicken Dhansak

This dish is a delicious combination of Indian and Iranian flavors. Dhansak is a type of curry that traditionally includes lentils. I love the flavor, slight spice of the dish, and the texture of the lentils.

Like many Indian dishes, it's fairly easy to throw together, but contains several ingredients or spices you may not have on hand. I would recommend just biting the bullet and buying all the spices you'll need for this recipe; once you've collected all of them, you'll be able to make almost any Indian dish.



Chicken Dhansak
from India's 500 Best Recipes
Picture by Caroline

1/3 cup green lentils*
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 curry leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
1 inch piece fresh root ginger, chopped
1 fresh green chili, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
4 chicken breasts
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Rinse the lentils under cold running water. Put into a pan with the stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan and fry the cumin seeds and curry leaves for 2 minutes. Add the onion, ginger, and chili and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, salt and chili powder with 2 tablespoons water.
3. Add the tomatoes and the chicken pieces to the spices. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the lentils and the stock, half the chopped cilantro and the garam masala. Cook for a further 10 mintues r until the chicken is tender. Garnish with the remaining fresh cilantro and serve over rice.

*Before cooking the lentils, be sure to pick them over and remove any small twigs that may have hidden themselves amongst the lentils.