Bean Week: Crushed Lentils with Tahini and Cumin

And this is part two! I even had a third bean dish on trial this week, but its recipe will have to wait for another day. This lentil dish is divine and an easy weeknight meal for those looking for a dish to prepare on a meatless Monday or any evening where time is tight.

If you are preparing this dish on a weeknight, prepare the lentils in advance and store them for another meal. I do the bulk of my cooking on Sunday and soak beans and/or prepare lentils for use later on in the week. By Wednesday or Thursday, the Sunday leftovers are gone, so the beans and lentils get thrown into salads, casseroles or dishes like this. These little numbers tide Ruedi and I over until the weekend.

From: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried french lentils
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 t cumin
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 T lemon juice
• salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 of a small red onion, sliced
• 4 eggs, boiled
• smoked paprika to garnish each serving

Method

To prepare the lentils, soak a cup of lentils in three cups of water for an hour, then simmer the lentils in the water for thirty minutes. Drain the lentils and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a fry pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and cumin, allowing the garlic a chance to scent the oil. Toss in the tomatoes, half the cilantro and the lentils, stirring them to coat them in the oil and spices.

Stir in the tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for two minutes. Serve the lentils with boiled eggs on the side.