Tasty Dahl w. Kale

Delicious, delicious dahl!

We all know greens are good for us. Just like regular checkups with your doctor, and daily exercise (regardless of the weather/what’s on TV tonight). And while I really, truly do enjoy eating greens, sometimes the way they’re prepared, makes eating them seem more like my duty as a seeker of calcium and iron than as a seeker of wonderful taste. Don’t get me wrong, there are loads of great ways to enjoy greens– and this is one of them! The reason I like this recipe so much is because it is easy. The reason I love this recipe though, is because it’s as tasty as it is easy.

What you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup dry lentils (works best with red, but green are fine too!)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 big cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups of chopped kale (stems removed)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• large bowl
• lemon wedges (optional)

How you’ll do it:

1. After rinsing the lentils, add them to a pot with the water and stock. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer on low for about 20-25 minutes (this step varies depending on the consistency and texture you want. [e.g.: you want the lentils broken down and the dahl thick, then cook lentils longer and don't add much additional water.])
2. Clean and chop the kale into mouth-sized pieces and set aside.
3. Mince the garlic and set aside.
4. When lentils are at their desired texture, pour into the large bowl and set aside.
5. In the same pot the lentils just came out of, add the olive oil, and garlic and saute for two minutes.
6. Add the kale and saute until good and wilted, approximately 5 minutes.
7. Add the lentils back to the pot, folding into the kale and if desired, add any additional water you may want.
8. Simmer on low for another 10 minutes or so (this is because it is extremely important to cook the kale thoroughly so your body properly absorbs the nutrients).
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve with a wedge of fresh lemon, if desired!

How you’ll eat it:

• alongside a couple pieces of toasted bread
• for lunch AND dinner AND lunch again
• regularly, given the convenience of the huge batches you can make it in and how inexpensive lentils and kale are!

There you have it! Given all this bizarro weather, and how it feels like spring one day and winter the next, I heartily recommend making a batch of this, getting under a blanket, and waiting for this winter to officially bow out.