Trader Joe's Lentils...What do you do with them?

[DaisyM]

I really love Trader Joe's lentils. I've just been serving them with a little olive oil & lemon. Do you do anything interesting with them? Since you need to use them within two days of opening the package I'd really like some other ideas.
Thank you!

[mariacarmen]

i know i've posted this a few times before, so at the risk of re-repeating myself ... this is my favorite salad of all time. cold lentils, arugula, avocado slices, hard boiled eggs in eighths. make a vinaigrette of evoo, dijon, minced shallots, and juice of 2-3 lemons, or more, s&p. blend gently. the complimentary textures, the lemony-ness of the dressing (as you already know from your prep of the lentils), the bite of arugula.... scrumptious! people are shocked at how much they love it when they first try it. after i first made it (i swear!) i had it in a restaurant and they added pink grapefruit to it, which was also good, but my way is still my favorite.

[Bcakes]

Just stumbled upon this post via google. I love to eat them as a cold salad with diced cucumbers, onions and ham seasoned with lemon or lime, olive oil, S&P and whatever spices I feel like throwing in (cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper). It might sound weird but it is delicious. I got the idea from a Rick Bayless recipe in Mexican Everyday.

Also you can make an awesome Veggie burger from them. I use this 101 cookbooks recipe:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/...

[KaponE]

Regular lentils are really good sprouted, and used in salads. I like sprouting French green lentils with dried peas, mung beans and adzuki beans. It only takes 3 days for them to be ready for use.....and you can't beat the nutrition per ounce.

[MrsCheese]

Do they still carry these? They haven't had them at my TJs the last couple of times I was there.

[bluefood]

They still have them in Philly, at least.

[Greekfood Koukla]

How about lentil soup? I eat this soup on a weekly basis (as do most Greeks) usually for Wed/Fri (non-meat days).

I don't use a recipe for it since I've made it a million times, but this seems to be closest to mine - some put vinegar in it in their bowl before eating; I love it this way, with red wine vinegar.

http://mamastaverna.com/lentil-soup-f...

Sidenote: Every Greek kid loves this soup, if not to eat it, to say it....when you pronounce it, it sounds like you're saying F-word soup. I think we all tormented our Mother's with that one....

[bluefood]

I think these lentils are great, but I'd like to make them at home - does anyone know what kind of lentils these are and how you prepare them at home?

[MrsCheese]

I just posted this on a different TJ's thread:

I use the precooked lentils in the refrigerated section to make warm lentil salad, which is based on a recipe from Gourmet.
Cooked a finely chopped red onion in 2 T. evoo with a couple of cloves of minced garlic, some thyme, salt and pepper until softened. Whisk together 1/4 c. red wine vinegar, 1 T. Dijon, S&P, and 1/2 c. evoo to make a vinaigrette. Once the onion is done cooking, add the lentils over med. heat to heat them up. Add as much vinaigrette as you like to the desired consistency. Cut a 1# kielbasa (I just use Hillshire Farms) into rounds and brown in skillet. Add the kielbasa with 1/4 c. chopped parsley to the lentils and you're done! An improvised bistro meal for a weeknight.

[tachis]

I've recently discovered these and love them! Even though lentils are pretty easy to prepare from scratch, these somehow just seem so much more convenient. Anyway, I like to make a salad with them--halved kalamata olives, roasted red/green peppers, purple onion, grilled or steamed zucchini or yellow squash sliced thin, feta chese, and a lemon vinagrette with fresh herbs (oregano works well). Makes a great, healthy weekday lunch that tastes best at room temp.

[paulj]

Are you talking about the cooked ones in the frigerated vegetable section?

[DaisyM]

Yes, the refrigerated ones!