Lentejas con Jengibre (Lentils with Ginger)

It's been a bit chilly the last few days so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to make a pot of lentils. In Spanish they are called Lentejas and where I live, they are a common dish. The prep work is simple and you just cook them until they are soft.

 

In a large sauce pan, add one bag of lentils, 1 can/package of tomato paste, 3 chicken boullion cubes, tablespoon of salt, teaspoon of black pepper, 1 tablespoon of cumin and water about an inch above the lentils (you may need to add more later). Bring to a boil and reduce to a high simmer.

I use a mini processor to make life easier, but the following can also be done with a knife and cutting board. Chop/dice/process your veggies however you like them. 6 strips of bacon, half clove of garlic, 1 small onion, 5 culantro leaves, 1 small carrot, 1 small bell pepper and fresh ginger about the size of a marble. Adjust the quantities to your liking, you can also add celery, curry, coconut milk or other yummy flavors, I normally work with what we have on hand so the recipe changes from time to time.

Add all of your chopped ingredients into the pot with the lentils, stir it together and top with a lid. Check on the lentils every 10 minutes or so to make sure there is enough water and to not overcook them. Cook until the lentils are soft and then they are ready to serve alone or over rice. We will be having ours with the customary Costa Rican staples of rice, beans and a boiled green banana.

Notes: Culantro can be found in your local latin grocery store, if not, you can substitute with the fluffy cilantro that looks like parsley. As mentioned, this recipe changes based on what's on hand, sometimes we have a little bit of cabbage, so I slice it thin and add it to the pot. If we have very ripe tomatoes that need to be consumed, I will throw them in the blender and use them instead of tomato paste, this of course changes the amount of water needed since the blended tomatoes are not concentrated.