Lenten Lentils Oaxacan Style Recipes

LENTEN LENTILS, OAXACAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Bring lentils and water to a boil, with 2 halved garlic cloves and 1/2 white onion.
• Reduce heat, then cover and simmer over low heat about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy.
• Drain and reserve lentil cooking liquid.
• At this point, I like to fish out the garlic halves but leave the onion, which breaks down in the lentils.
• Season with salt.
• Heat oil in large saucepan and saute chopped white onion and the 2 minced garlic cloves until onion is soft.
• Add plantain, pineapple and tomatoes; cook until plantain is soft, anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.
• Add lentils and some reserved lentil cooking liquid.
• Continue cooking until mixture thickens a little; add more cooking liquid or even some vegetable or chicken broth if necessary so lentils aren't dry.
• Serve garnished with fried plantain slices.

DELICIOUS LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Combine 2 1/2 cups water and lentils in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover saucepan, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Mix 1/3 cup water and ground flax seed together in a bowl; set aside until thickened, at least 10 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic until softened and liquid from mushrooms has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan.
• Transfer cooked lentils to a food processor and pulse until about 75 percent of lentils are mashed. Mix onion-mushroom mixture, flax seed-water mixture, oats, flour, basil, black pepper, salt, and onion powder into lentils until well combined. Press lentil mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
• Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and barbeque sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until glaze is smooth and brown sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.
• Bake loaf in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Spread 1/4 cup glaze over lentil loaf; continue baking until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve lentil loaf with remaining glaze on the side.