Lentils - i've cooked too many?

Question

can i freeze them (i'm guessing not)

how long will they keep in the fridge

and another question is once cooked - how can i get them dry to use them for cooking?

i boiled for 25 minutes from dry (fyi)

cheers

Answer 1

Lentil Recipes.

Don't let the name turn you off! This soup has a nice thick consistancy that is nice and flavourful. A perfect blend of vegetables, legumes and grains. I personally do not like the texture of couscous when eaten like rice or pasta yet I LOVE this soup! Leftovers freeze well. Recipe from "Meal Lean i Yumm!"

SERVES 8

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 medium carrots, grated

2 medium zucchini, grated

1 cup red lentil, rinsed and drained

6 cups vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon salt, to taste (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/3 cup couscous

Directions

1Grate carrots and zucchini, set aside.

2Heat oil in a 5 quart soup pot; add onions and celery; saute on medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden.

3If vegetables begin to stick, add a tbsp or two of water.

4Add all ingredients except couscous to the pot, increase to high heat to bring to a boil.

5Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6Add couscous and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

7If soup is too thick, thin it with a little bit of water.

8Adjust seasonings to taste.

9Yield 8 servings -

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love the rich, nutty flavor of these delicious burgers. I don't think of them as an alternative to meat, but a tasty patty standing on it's own merits. It's delicious served with a creamy, mushroom sauce.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

3/4 cup toasted walnut

1/3 cup dried breadcrumb

3 cloves of chopped garlic

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

sea salt and pepper

3/4 cup lentils, cooked,drained and cooled

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large egg

Directions

1Combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, corander, pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a food processor.

2Process until finely ground.

3Add the lentils and 1 Tablespoon oil; pluse until coarsely chopped.

4Some of the lentils should remain whole.

5In a large bowl, whisk egg.

6Add lentil mixture and stir well.

7Divide the lentil mixture into 4 equal size parts, and roll into balls.

8Flatten them into 3/4 inch patties.

9Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet.

10Add burgers and cook over medium low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently after 8 to 10 minutes.

11Cook another 8-10 minutes.

12Serve on buns as a sandwich, adding your favorite garnishes: tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, etc.

13Or, serve as a main dish with your favorite sauce.

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This is based on a recipe from You Are What You Eat. I love eating these kinds of things for lunch, as the protein and complex carbs stop me from craving sugar at 4pm.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

225 g brown lentils

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 vegetable stock cube

4 carrots, timmed and chopped

1/2 a butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 celery, trimmed and chopped

50 g frozen peas

100 g baby spinach

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

Directions

1Soak the lentils in cold water for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and drain.

2Place the onions and stock cube in a saucepan with 750ml water and bring to the boil.

3Add the lentils, carrots, squash, and sweet potato. Bring back to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

4Add the peas, baby spinach and tamari, stir through, then remove from the heat and serve.

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Enjoy.

Answer 2

YES you can freeze them.

Put in a airtight container, they will keep up to 6 months with no problem. I always do huge batches of Lentil Stew so I can freeze them for quick meals.

On drying them, I'd just strain the liquid away.

Answer 3

Sure you can freeze them.

25 minutes, for what kind of lentils? Red? Red are pretty much instant.

Green? and others take a long time to cook properly.

Did you soak and drain them ahead of time?  Soaking and draining many times for a day or two will help keep flatulence away.

Once you cook them, why would you want to dry them?  You just took dry lentils and cooked them, and now you want to dry them again?  Doesn't make sense.  You mean, to keep them as a dry cooked lentil to use as an instant cooking ingredient?  Um... not sure that's an easy thing to do at home... they do that for instant lentil cup-a-soup, but how they actually dry cooked lentils, I do not know.

Answer 4

Yes, you can drain them and freeze them in a plastic bag. My wife does that with all beans and pulses she cooks from dry so it makes it quicker next time.

Edit:

Just asked my wife. If they are frozen in a clump (as is usually the case) then you need to get them out of the freezer a couple of hours before you use them, just to let them defrost. If they are all loose in the bag but frozen, you can throw them straight in the cooking pot.

Answer 5

Once cooked lentils (and most other food) shouldn't be kept for more than three days in the fridge.

However, there's nothing wrong with freezing cooked lentils. I've always frozen beans in their cooking liquid which makes for a great broth/stock for soups and other food but probably also protects them from freezer burn and keeps them in their own liquid for reheating. In fact, I often cook big batches just so I can divide into smaller amounts for freezing in rigid, stackable containers with lids (makes for a tidy freezer) so I can just take out a serving size about twice what a can of beans would be. I can then eat them plain (though a bit seasoned), or put in soups, salads, stews, casseroles, and more.

To unfreeze just take out of the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge or put in a pot, cover and heat on a low setting till thawed. Beans and lentils can also just be added frozen to some recipes. You could also use a microwave to thaw frozen beans but I don't like the loss and change of quality and in fact, no longer own a microwave. Once thawed, the beans will only be good for about three days no matter what recipe they are used in providing you froze them soon after cooking to begin with, otherwise they won't last as long.

As far as getting them dry after cooking, I'm not sure what you are asking exactly. You can't redry them, once they've been cooked, back to the way they were. You can however drain them in a number of ways including putting in a strainer, a colander, or putting a lid/plate over the top of the pot and tipping the water out carefully. But, saving the original cooking liquid for other things is good as there are a lot of good vitamins and flavor (especially if the lentils were cooked with a bit of salt and onions/garlic or the like).

Answer 6

tou could try making a lentil soup and freezing it