French Green Lentils with Tomatoes and Onions

Lots of people don't think they like lentils.
These little green ones are the bomb.  
You need to try them.
I know I sound like your mother right now, and I'm OK with that.

I picked up a packet at Trader Joe's, they are about $2 for 2 cups of dried lentils.  
I need to buy more... soon.  I loved these so much more than the "regular" kind. One cup of lentils made a dinner for 4 people as a hearty side dish, but even as a main dish, I think you might be able to get at least three servings.

This recipe was inspired by a Martha Stewart magazine recipe and a Smitten Kitchen blog post.  I loved reading what Smitten Kitchen had to say about the original pasta recipe and how she morphed the technique for whole grain farro.  I took her thought process, plus Martha's, even further and came up with this idea for these lentils.  

The onions and tomatoes combine as they simmer and make a sauce at the same time as flavoring the lentils.Yum, almost soup, almost stew- whatever it is, its just plain good food, and good for you too.

Whole Green Lentils are distinguished by their greenish-brown hue and robust, nutty flavor that carries seasoning quite comfortably. Plus, they hold their shape particularly well after cooking, making them a great addition to dishes that benefit from some texture: sides, salads, soups, vegetable curries... Trader Joe's excerpt

Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients

1 cup small green lentils
2-2 1/2 cups broth, vegetable or chicken
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
5-6 small Roma tomatoes, chopped
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste (probably needs at least 1 tsp salt...)

Serve with:
Fresh chives, or green onions, very thinly sliced
Red pepper flakes, if desired
Grated Parmesan cheese, shavings, or even the regular ole' grated kind. 

Slice the onions, chop the tomatoes and mince the garlic.  

Add the olive oil to a medium size saucepan over high heat, add the veggies that you just chopped and 2 cups of stock.  Add the lentils and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked and the sauce has thickened a bit.
 

Here's some more ideas with Lentils:

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup

Hearty Sausage & Lentil Soup

Almond Poppyseed Bread

I literally threw all the ingredients into my stand mixer and then hit the "on" button.
I know I probably should have mixed the liquids and then added the dry ingredients in batches.
However, I was doing a science experiment just for you.
Well... 
Actually it was for me, because I was tired, and I wanted to go to bed, and I wanted to get that bread DONE that evening.
And... it was a success.  I love forgiving recipes.
So...
You have my permission to whomp out an easy batch of this bread and impress  your buddies at work with a treat the next day.
 

 (I forgot to picture the eggs and vanilla)

Makes 2 large loaves
Ingredients

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

2-3 Tbsp poppy seeds (I used 2, but I wish I had used 3)

2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

Glaze:

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp butter, melted 

Topping:

1/2 cup Sliced almond, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Mix all of the ingredients together. 
Pour into greased and floured baking pans. 
Makes 2 large loaves. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick.  It should come out with only a couple moist crumbs on it.

To make the glaze, pour all ingredients into a small saucepan and let cook on stove on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Pour glaze over warm bread while they are still in the pans. Top with toasted almonds and let cool completely.

Here's a platter to take to a party, work or maybe a bake sale.