LEMONY LENTILS WITH KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and carrot in the hot oil until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme sprigs, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; cook and stir to coat, 1 minute.
• Stir lentils, tomatoes and their juice, and chicken stock into onion mixture. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Add kale, lemon zest, and lemon juice; cook until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

HEALTHY BRAISED LENTILS WITH KALE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 6-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, fennel and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, broth, lentils and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring just to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender, about 30 minutes. There will be a good amount of broth left in the pot, which is fine. Turn off heat and stir in the kale and 3 tablespoons of the parsley until the kale is just wilted. Divide the lentil mixture among 4 large bowls and set aside while frying the eggs.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet. Crack the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper; fry 2 minutes for sunny-side up, or longer if firmer yolks are desired. Top each serving of lentils with a fried egg and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

GARLIC LENTILS WITH KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook red onion in hot oil until browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Pour lentils into the pot with onion; add enough water to cover the lentils by 2 to 3 inches. Bring the water to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low.
• Stir tomato paste, garlic, brown sugar, and paprika into the lentil mixture to integrate the paste smoothly into the liquid; bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour.
• Stir kale into the lentils, reduce heat to low, and cook until the kale is tender, 10 to 15 minutes; season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

LENTIL AND KALE STEW

Steps:

• Cut stems off the kale and mince. Chop leaves into pinky finger-sized strips.
• Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion until soft and starting to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Grind fresh salt and pepper over the onion. Add black and red lentils; toss with onion to coat.
• Stir in vegetable broth, cumin, and cayenne. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and add kale stems and leaves. Simmer until lentils are tender and broth is largely absorbed, about 20 minutes. Squeeze in lemon juice. Sample stew and adjust cumin, cayenne, and pepper until it has a complex, full-flavored taste.

PASTA WITH LENTILS AND KALE

Steps:

• Simmer lentils in water (2 cups) with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep lentils barely covered, until tender but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt.
• While lentils simmer, heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring, 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden (stir more frequently toward end of cooking), about 20 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to moderate, then cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.
• While onion cooks, cut out and discard stems and center ribs from kale. Cook kale in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer kale with tongs to a colander to drain, pressing lightly. Keep pot of water at a boil, covered.
• Coarsely chop kale and add to onion along with lentils (including lentil-cooking liquid), then simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add pasta to kale-cooking liquid and boil, uncovered, until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup pasta-cooking liquid, then drain pasta in a colander. Add pasta to lentil mixture along with about 1/3 cup of pasta-cooking liquid (or enough to keep pasta moist) and cook over high heat, tossing, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

CREAMY LENTILS WITH KALE ARTICHOKE SAUTE

Steps:

• Place first 4 ingredients and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until lentils are tender and liquid is almost absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat., In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add kale and remaining salt; cook, covered, until kale is wilted, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add artichoke hearts, garlic and Italian seasoning; cook and stir 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese., Serve lentils and kale mixture over rice.