Lentils weren't something that I grew up eating, except for those times my mum made a big pot of Minestrone and used her trusted McKenzie's Italian soup mix for some delicious home-cooked soup. Lentils in soup make a nice hearty meal, but sometimes it's hard to figure out how else they can be enjoyed. I didn't truly appreciate lentils until my Spanish-born partner made me a pot of simple peasant-style magnificence - namely, du puy lentils cooked with onion and potato and home-smoked chorizo. From then on I was converted. Is there anything more lovely than a simple meal that has sustained generations of people and will continue to be consumed on into the future?
There is a certain romance attached to food - they way it can be easily embraced in our busy lives and connect a part of our imagination to times past - those imaginations of simpler, more rustic lives. Of course, nostalgia delights in romance and hardly wants to dwell on the tough and lean times, which, to be honest, is where that bowl of Spanish magnificence was born. Peasant meals come from hard times, from war, from famine, from struggling to feed a large family for pittance. It's no wonder you find lentils all over the world, in so many different cuisines. They have an amazingly high protein profile and are cheap to eat. From vegetarian folks to the poor who can't afford meat, lentils have sustained and provided for millions upon millions of humans throughout our history, and probably deserve a better wrap in Western food culture.
In a report released by the Environmental Working Group different food stuffs were researched and ranked from best to worst in the case of environmental impact and carbon emissions. Lentils won the top spot. But lentils are not only a really cheap, more green way of getting protein, they also are a great low GI option for people with pre or full diabetes, PCOS, Insulin Resistance or just weight problems.
The inspiration for this meal came from Recipes+ magazine March 2013, but I altered it quite a bit to fit a closer 'Iberian' profile. If you love Nando's chicken, you'll love this.
Recipe
Makes: 4 serves
Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
For Marinade:
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- -
4 chicken thighs, skin off
2 cups of dried green lentils
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
half a bunch of silverbeet, washed and chopped
half a red onion, sliced thinly
Method:
Begin by bringing a saucepan of water to the boil, around about 4 cups. Once at a boil, add dried lentils and stir, reducing the heat so that the lentils are cooking on a rolling simmer. They will take around 20 minutes to cook until soft. Once lentils are cooked, strain in a colander and run under cold water. You can use canned lentils for this dish if you wish, but cooking from dried is much cheaper and not hard at all.
Meanwhile, slice the onion and wash and chop the silverbeet. Take the zest from the lemon and squeeze the juice into a bowl, reserving zest for later. Add the paprika, oregano, olive oil, salt, crushed garlic and sherry vinegar to the bowl. In a large plate place the chicken thighs and pour over the marinade. Leave to marinade for 10 mins, turning once.
In a fry pan heat some olive oil and sear the chicken thighs, spooning out any liquid that forms. Reserve the marinade. Cook the chicken for 5 mins until outside is seared and the garlic has caramelised on the surface. Remove chicken from pan onto a plate, cover and set aside.
Add the onion to the frying pan and cook for about 1 min, then add the silverbeet. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down. You want the onion to caramelise and the silverbeet to wilt - this should take about 4 mins on a low heat. In the meantime, drain the cooked lentils and rinse and drain the canned chickpeas and add these to the frying pan, along with the left-over marinade. Increase the heat and cook lentils, chickpeas, onions and silverbeet until the marinade has reduced - this should take around 5-7 minutes. Remove everything from pan and place in a serving dish.
Take the seared chicken thighs and slice into strips, add them back to the pan and fry off until cooked through. Place chicken on top of lentil mix and let rest for 5 mins. Serve with some chopped fresh parsley.
Leftovers can be taken to work/school for lunch and are really nice with some sweet rocket or spinach.
Recipe without photos - for easier copy/paste printing
Paprika Chicken with Lentils, Silverbeet and Chickpeas Recipe
Makes: 4 serves
Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
For Marinade:
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- -
4 chicken thighs, skin off
2 cups of dried green lentils
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
half a bunch of silverbeet, washed and chopped
half a red onion, sliced thinly
Method:
Begin by bringing a saucepan of water to the boil, around about 4 cups. Once at a boil, add dried lentils and stir, reducing the heat so that the lentils are cooking on a rolling simmer. They will take around 20 minutes to cook until soft. Once lentils are cooked, strain in a colander and run under cold water. You can use canned lentils for this dish if you wish, but cooking from dried is much cheaper and not hard at all.
Meanwhile, slice the onion and wash and chop the silverbeet. Take the zest from the lemon and squeeze the juice into a bowl, reserving zest for later. Add the paprika, oregano, olive oil, salt, crushed garlic and sherry vinegar to the bowl. In a large plate place the chicken thighs and pour over the marinade. Leave to marinade for 10 mins, turning once.
In a fry pan heat some olive oil and sear the chicken thighs, spooning out any liquid that forms. Reserve the marinade. Cook the chicken for 5 mins until outside is seared and the garlic has caramelised on the surface. Remove chicken from pan onto a plate, cover and set aside.
Add the onion to the frying pan and cook for about 1 min, then add the silverbeet. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down. You want the onion to caramelise and the silverbeet to wilt - this should take about 4 mins on a low heat. In the meantime, drain the cooked lentils and rinse and drain the canned chickpeas and add these to the frying pan, along with the left-over marinade. Increase the heat and cook lentils, chickpeas, onions and silverbeet until the marinade has reduced - this should take around 5-7 minutes. Remove everything from pan and place in a serving dish.
Take the seared chicken thighs and slice into strips, add them back to the pan and fry off until cooked through. Place chicken on top of lentil mix and let rest for 5 mins. Serve with some chopped fresh parsley.
Leftovers can be taken to work/school for lunch and are really nice with some sweet rocket or spinach.
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