Meatless Monday: Honey Baked Lentils

One of my readers, 'Becca, commented and left some recipe recommendations on my Red Lentil Dal over Rice recipe, after I noted that I was pleasantly surprised that I liked lentils. Honey Baked Lentils was already a recipe that I had wanted to try and when she posted the link I thought I'd try this version.  If you go to the original recipe, linked below, they offer a link to a slow cooker version.  I had originally wanted to try that one, but I had lost track of time and didn't have enough time to slow cook them.  We had recently eaten a lot of rice, so I ended up making cornbread (look for the recipe tomorrow! and some veggies to serve with.  The lentils had a great flavor and definitely had more "chew" than the red lentils that I had used in the dal.  I was pleasantly surprised that my son preferred to eat the lentils over his peas.  The kids ate enough to earn their treats, but weren't huge fans.  As I'm looking to incorporate new ingredients into my cooking and my children's diets, I am definitely thinking of trying some other versions of this recipe.  Thanks for the suggestion 'Becca!

Honey Baked Lentils
Recipe adapted from The Earthlings Handbook, courtesy of 'Becca
http://articles.earthlingshandbook.org/2007/12/03/honey-baked-lentils/

Ingredients:

■1 cup dry lentils (Green or brown lentils hold their shape and texture; red lentils get softer and taste less “beany”, ideal for people who think they don’t like beans!)

■1 cup orange juice and 1 cup water

■1/2 tsp. ground ginger

■1 clove garlic, minced

■2 Tbsp. dried minced onion (You can use fresh onion, but it all floats to the top and gets a soggy consistency.)

■2 Tbsp. olive oil

■2 Tbsp. honey
■2 Tbsp. soy sauce

■salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. (Measure them in the order listed for tidiest use of your measuring spoons!) You can let it soak for a while before baking, if convenient–this makes the lentils and rice softer and may improve digestibility.
 
Bake, covered, at 350F until liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.