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Friday, January 16, 2009

BBQ-Baked Lentils

If you've been hesitant to try lentils, this would be a great introduction meal for you, especially if you are a fan of baked beans. You could also start small with this, and serve it as a side-dish without the rice for your family and see how it goes over. If everyone likes it, turn it into a main course by serving it over brown rice. The lentil-brown rice combination provides a complete protein and it makes a wonderfully frugal meal.

If you're not a fan of the bbq/baked bean taste but still want to try lentils, I definitely recommend trying them in a Mexican-inspired dish.
BBQ-Baked Lentils
  • 1/2 lb. lentils
  • 4 c. beef stock or water
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2 c. barbecue sauce, bottled or homemade (recipe below)
1. Pour lentils and beef stock or water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/3 c. cooking liquid and drain.

2. While lentils cook, heat olive oil in a small skillet. Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

3. In a casserole dish, combine lentils, vegetables and barbecue sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve as is for a side dish or over brown rice.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce
  • 1 1/4 c. ketchup or 1 c. tomato sauce, 2 T. vinegar and 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T. honey
  • 2 t. garlic powder
  • 2 T. Tabasco sauce
  • 1 t. cumin
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 t. allspice
1. Stir all ingredients together until well combined. Store in refrigerator until use. Will keep for at least 1 week.

4 comments:

Lora @ my blessed life said...

I've had a bag of lentils in my freezer forever--now I know what I can make with them! Thanks!

Loks said...

This looks very good. I'm hesitant using lentils because of bad experiments with them. Not everyone here likes them. But I shall try this recipe out.
Thanks. Marlyn

Anonymous said...

Lentils sound great! I haven't had them in awhile...I just forget about them sometimes! Thanks for sharing!

Stephanie said...

I made these for lunch today - along with the bbq sauce - yum! I put mine in a tortilla w/ a little rice, lettuce and cheese. A delicious lunch - thanks!