I did not start eating lentils until I got married back in the 70s. It was never served in my mom's house. I learned how to cook them because my husband liked them. I usually seasoned them with smoked turkey and added diced carrots, onions, and celery. Learned that lentils are a common dish in the Middle East. They are legumes, and they come in different colors: black, brown, red, and yellow. They can not be eaten RAW. Also, you don't have to soak them before cooking.
FUN FOOD FACTS:
Lentils are one of the oldest cultivated crops in human history. (You know it! They're mentioned in the Bible.)
Lentils likely came to the USA via European Settlers, especially from Mediterranean countries.
In the early 1900s, the USDA and land-grant universities began promoting lentils as a rotational crop due to their nitrogen-fixing properties.
As of today, the USA is now one of the world’s top producers of lentils. The United States grows several types: green, red, black (also known as Beluga lentils), and French green (Puy-style) lentils.
LEBANESE RECIPE: Mujaddara
Mujaddara is a dish of cooked lentils with groats, typically rice, and is garnished with sautéed onions.- Here is a recipe: Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions) -Cookie and Kate
“Mujadara is served across the Middle East in various forms and goes by differing names, depending on where you are. It has many spelling variations: mujadarra, mujadarah, majadra, mejadra, moujadara, mudardara, and megadarra.”
The good thing about lentils is that they are very inexpensive, and one small bag (16 oz.) can fill a large pot and feed a lot of people.
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