The Oscars have once again come and gone. Some of the most memorable moments from the nearly four hours of airtime were:
- Lady Gaga demonstrating just how talented she is via her Sound of Music/Julie Andrews tribute;
- someone’s dog named Larry getting thanked in an acceptance speech;
- NPH in his tighty whities;
- Common and John Legend’s performance of “Glory” from the movie Selma;
- learning that their real names are Lonnie Lynn and John Stephens, respectively;
- and Meryl Streep’s resounding applause for Patricia Arquette’s speech about equality.
But enough about that—let’s move on to the food. Here is a recipe for lentils with bacon, kale, cheddar cheese, and dried cranberries. I know this sounds like a strange combination, but it oddly works pretty well. The great thing is that it hits on multiple flavor notes all at once—sweet, salty, tart, vegetal, and so on. Red lentils are ideal here because they break down when cooked and are a good ingredient to mix the cheese with. Feel free to omit the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of chicken for a vegetarian version of this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- 1 lb. red lentils, rinsed
- 5 oz. baby kale
- 1-32 oz. box unsalted chicken stock
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Procedure:
- Place the bacon in a pan over medium heat and begin to render the fat, about 3 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add the lentils and kale and cook until the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the lentils are cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Stir in the cheddar until melted. Add in the cumin and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the dried cranberries and taste and adjust as needed.
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