Now that we’re spending more time at home, does anyone else feel like they’re cooking All.The.Time? This is where Well+Good’s Preparatory School The series is coming. Each week, a different healthy eating expert shares a plan for what to make on Sunday and ways to recreate that Sunday staple in five different dinners to enjoy throughout the week. Additionally, you also receive a grocery list outlining everything you need. All month of May, Preparatory School highlights different pantry staples. This week we’re sharing easy lentil recipes to help you get the most out of the legume.
Healthy cooking teacher Pamela Salzman comes from a large Italian-American family. (We’re talking 28 first cousins.) Meals that can be prepared in large quantities and can feed many mouths were a cornerstone of her childhood, and these are the type of dinners she learned to master very early, using basic ingredients that are cheap, shelf-stable and rich in nutritional power.
One of these foods is Lenses, the pantry item she’s highlighting in this week’s meal prep plan. The long list of benefits of lenses include lots of fiber and protein (a win for your gut health!), and they’re also very versatile for cooking. Need proof? Here, she shares some of her favorite easy lentil recipes, including one from her new book, Faster than fast, ($25.20) and shows how to enjoy the legume all week without getting bored.
Keep reading to see Salzman’s easy lentil recipes designed for meal prep:
Ingredients to buy for the week:
Produce
- 1 lawyer
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 1 bunch of radishes
- 1 package frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 package of frozen corn
- Garlic
- Fresh thyme (optional)
Meat and dairy products
Spices and sauces
Pantry Items
What you will need in the pantry/fridge:
What to do on Sunday:
smoked braised lentils with sausage
Meal preparation tip: This easy lentil recipe is flavorful and nutritious enough to enjoy on its own, but even spicy, it can be reinvented into meals with completely different taste profiles. If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or just can’t find meat at the moment, that’s great; It’s just as delicious without the sausages, or you can use a plant-based sausage substitution. The recipe below makes nine cups, enough for you to enjoy as is on Sunday and five different ways throughout the week.
Makes 9 cups
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 large onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 teaspoons paprika
2 cups French lentilsrinsed (flat green or flat brown lentils do not hold their shape well and become a little mushy)
2 teaspoons sea salt (+ 1/2 teaspoon if you are not cooking lentil sausages)
5 cups of water
Freshly ground black pepper
1 packet precooked sausages (4/pack)
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until soft and translucent, about eight minutes.
2. Add the carrots, garlic and paprika. Cook for two more minutes.
3. Add the lentils, thyme, salt and water and bring to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. (Some brands of lentils take 30 minutes to cook while others can take up to 50 minutes.) If the lentils seem too runny, simmer a little longer uncovered. Taste the lentils and season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. If you are making sausages: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook sausages on a baking sheet until heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the sausages into thirds and serve with the lentils.
5. Store lentils and sausages separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Other Make-Ahead Staples
Asparagus and roasted radishes: Washing, cutting and roasting vegetables takes about five minutes of prep (and 10 minutes of cooking, with the oven at 400°F) and can be incorporated into lunches and dinners throughout the week to get more fiber beyond. relying on the greens. All you need is salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil on top before putting them in the oven to roast. This will be part of your dinner later in the week, so prepare a serving of each (about half a cup of each vegetable) to eat then, but feel free to prepare more for lunch throughout. throughout the week if you wish.
That’s it, preparation work done! Here are the easy lentil recipes you’ll enjoy all week long:
Monday evening: lentil and sausage soup
Leftovers: 1/2 cup lentils and braised sausage
New ingredients: 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups chicken stock (vegetables soup that works too)
Place one cup of cooked lentils in a medium saucepan with one cup of frozen mixed vegetables. Add some leftover sausage, if desired. Next, add chicken stock or vegetable stock to create your desired soup consistency and heat until heated through.
TUESDAY dinner: lentils and roasted spring vegetables
Leftovers: 2 cups lentils and braised sausages; 1 cup roasted asparagus and radishes
New ingredients: 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup chopped cashews, 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
It’s time to enjoy the asparagus and radishes you roasted on Sunday. Simply reheat the lentils and vegetables in a pan on the stove until hot, with a little olive oil. Serve topped with chopped cashews and feta cheese.
Wednesday dinner: Brussels sprouts and Dijon-cashew lentils
Leftovers: 1 cup lentils and braised sausage
New ingredients: 3/4 cup shredded Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup soaked raw cashews (cashew butter also works), 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard1 clove of garlic (chopped), 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar6 tablespoons of water
This Dijon-Cashew Sauce only takes a few minutes to make, but it completely transforms lentils. Combine the cashews or cashew butter with six tablespoons of water, Dijon mustard, garlic clove, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender.
Then fry the shredded Brussels sprouts in olive oil with a pinch of salt in a medium skillet for three to four minutes, until they start to become tender. Move the sprouts to one side of the pan and add the cooked lentils and sausage. Reheat the lentils and mix them with the sprouts. Plate the lentils and Brussels sprouts, then drizzle the sauce over them.
Thursday evening: lentil and corn tacos
Leftovers: 1 cup lentils and braised sausage
New ingredients: 3/4 cup frozen corn (thawed), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon hot sauce2-3 tortillas1/4 1 avocado, sliced, 1/4 cup salsa1/2 maybe pinto beansrinsed
A few simple condiments give the lentils a Mexican-inspired taste. To prepare these tacos, add the thawed corn, lentils and sausage, salt, cumin and hot sauce to a skillet over medium heat. In another pan (or in the microwave), heat the pinto beans with a pinch of salt and pepper. Divide the lentils and corn among two or three warm tortillas (depending on how filling you want your tacos) and top with salsa. Eat the pinto beans as a side dish.
Friday: sloppy joes with lentils
Leftovers: 1 cup lentils and braised sausage
New ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup diced onion, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, 1/2 can rinsed pinto beans, 1 cup Tomato puree1 tablespoon Tomato concentrate1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp Maple syrup2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, hamburger buns
Think you need beef to make sloppy joe’s? The lenses work perfectly! Heat the diced onion and garlic over medium heat with the olive oil. Saute for four minutes until the onion is soft. Then add the lentils, pinto beans, tomato puree, tomato paste, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Let the lentil mixture simmer for 15 minutes, stirring periodically. Serve on toasted buns.
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