Lentils: A Forgotten Treasure

     Lentils are a forgotten culinary treasure.  They come in many colors, shapes, and sizes, they are an incredibly good source of fiber and protein, and at $0.94 a pound (for the green or brown ones), they are very inexpensive; however, if you are like me, then you frequently end up with whole bags of these legumes stuffed inside of some drawer or hidden away in the back of a cabinet.  I buy them with the intention of of having them for a healthy meal, but a few months later, they are still hidden away, covered with a layer of dust.  This is quite a travesty because not only are lentils inexpensive and tasty, they are also incredibly versatile and quick to prepare.

     I think that part of the reason lentils go without the love they deserve is because their preparation can seem a little intimidating.  All too often are they overcooked, and many times they are served as a mushy stew or as an unremarkable member of a soup.  This is quite unfortunate because they are capable of so much more.  Fortunately, I was reminded of the versatile goodness of lentils on Friday.

     A friend of mine was coming over for supper, and she told me that she was bringing over a bag of lentils.  I spent a bit of time pondering over what to do with these little legumes because I had not cooked them in a long time.  Fortunately, it did not take me long to find an interesting application for them thanks to my culinary hero Alton Brown.

     As a recent graduation gift, I received a copy "Good Eats 2: The Middle Years".  Lo and behold, Brown had devoted a small chapter to lentils.  The book came with a very good process for cooking standard brown or green lentils, and some recipes which piqued my interest, not the least of which was lentil cookies (I'll be trying those later).  I decided to try the recipe for lentil salad, and served it over a bed of some lettuce mix with some European style bread.  The whole process from start to finish only took about 45 minutes, and it yielded wonderful results.  It was light, slightly tangy, and very filling, and my friend and I could not have been happier.  

     Thanks to this simple lentil application, I am now more excited than ever about trying other lentil applications as well as some other lentil varieties.  I now feel as though I have rediscovered a wonderful culinary treasure, and I challenge you to do the same.