Df9: mexican lentils with pineapple and banana, chicken sausages, baby zukes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried lentils, picked over and washed well.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups chicken stock or water or a combination of both
• 2 ribs celery with leaves, halved
• 1 carrot, trimmed and halved
• 8 sprigs Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 ounces can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 20 ounces can pineapple tidbits, with juice
• 2 underripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. dice

Preparation

• Place the lentils in a saucepan with the chicken stock or water, celery, carrot, and parsley.
• Bring the lentils to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. There will still be some liquid in the pan.
• Drain the lentils, remove the carrot, celery and parsley, and set the lentils aside.
• While the lentils are cooking, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 7-8 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes (undrained) to the pan, and add the raisins, cumin, coriander, and ancho chile powder.
• Simmer uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the pineapple and its juice and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bananas and cook for 2 more minutes. Gently fold the lentils into the mixture.
• A nice glaze would be tasty on the sausages. browne the sausages in a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, and when they were done, remove them from the pan. To make the glaze, melt 2 teaspoon butter in the skillet, and added 2 teaspoons each of mango chutney and guava jelly, and 1/2 t. smoked paprika. Add the sausages back the pan and let them baste in the glaze for about 5 minutes before serving.

Questions

Photos of members who cooked this recipe