Recipes

RED LENTILS SOUP

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/8 cup plain flour
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 large or 2 small chopped onions
  • 2 medium chopped carrots
  • 3/4 cup red split lentils
  • 2 lt water
  • 1 tbsp salt (optional)

Instructions

  • Get a pot, pop it on a low heat and add the olive oil and butter.
  • Cook the onions until they get brownish.
  • Add the flour and keep stirring for about a minute more
  • Add the tomato paste, keep stirring until tomato paste is well mixed.
  • Add the carrots, keep stirring for another minute.
  • Add the red lentils, stir through and add the water.
  • Let it boil for at least 15 minutes or until carrots get soft enough to be blended.
  • When ready, use a hand blender to make it smooth
  • Let it boil for 5 more minutes on low heat.
  • I usually add salt right before or after using the hand blender
  • You can add lemon juice, hot red peppers or any herbs according to your own taste while serving.

COUS COUS SALAD

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12-15 chopped spring onions
  • 1 large or 2 small chopped onions
  • 100 gr chopped parsley
  • 6-7 cloves of chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup tomato and sweet pepper paste
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1,5 tbsp salt
  • 2 cups split red lentils
  • ½ cup virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Get a pot, pop it on a low heat and add the olive oil and butter.
  • Cook the onions until they get brownish.
  • Add the flour and keep stirring for about a minute more
  • Add the tomato paste, keep stirring until tomato paste is well mixed.
  • Add the carrots, keep stirring for another minute.
  • Add the red lentils, stir through and add the water.
  • Let it boil for at least 15 minutes or until carrots get soft enough to be blended.
  • When ready, use a hand blender to make it smooth
  • Let it boil for 5 more minutes on low heat.
  • I usually add salt right before or after using the hand blender

You can add lemon juice, hot red peppers or any herbs according to your own taste while serving.

LENTIL BALLS


Cooking time: 75-80 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups red split lentils
  • 1 cup cous cous
  • 2 onions
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup tomato and sweet pepper paste mix
  • 1 lt boiling water
  • 1,5 tbsp salt
  • 100 gr chopped parsley
  • 10-12 chopped spring onions
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Wash the red lentils with cold water and boil with 4 cups of water until they simmer on medium heat. They should end up to be pappy.  Remember to leave the lid half-close, or it will boil over.
  • Add the cous cous to the pot, close the lid and let it rest for 20-25 minutes for the cous cous to get tender.
  • Put the chopped onions to a pan with olive oil, cook until gets brownish.
  • Add the tomato-pepper paste mixture while keep stirring. You can add the spices in this stage.
  • Add  ½ cups of boiling water, stir well, and pour the mixture to the couscous and lentil mixture.
  • Stir mixture well, and close the lid again. Keep stirring every 10 minutes until it’s cooled down enough to knead by hand.
  • Add salt to the mixture and knead at least for 10 minutes. ((If the mixture is too juicy, you can add a little bit more of cous cous to make it more stiff)
  • Add the sliced greens and knead for 2-3 minutes more until mixed well.
  • Line a service plate with washed green leaves, make balls of your desired size and shape or shape them with silicone muffin cups and place them on your plate. You may want to dip your hands in a small bowl of water so the mixture will not stick on your hands.

…to be continued…