Things went a little differently this month. I told my friends at the Culinary Exchange about the truly bare-bones nature of my pantry and freezer—all the goodies I stashed last summer in there are gone, gone, gone. But then I hit the jackpot when I saw that I had Chickpeas, red lentils and turmeric, all of whom are not even distant cousins. But the broccoli rabe? That was sort of a happy accident! Oddly, it was the only green leafy thing in the fridge.
This was a meal truly borne of desperation. I had a bunch of seemingly disparate ingredients, until I realized that chickpeas and lentils were right next to each other in the cabinet. And that they are not at all disparate, not even distant cousins but good friends. I then glanced at the counter top, where I’d mistakenly left my turmeric root from this morning’s smoothie, and thought, hmmm. Do I have an onion? I have to have an onion.
Thank goodness, I had an onion. My lack of time in cleaning up had paid off, because the turmeric was still sitting out, and my compulsive purchasing of onions, without checking my pantry, also pitched in for good measure.
Next question was—do I have any greens? I didn’t have any canned diced tomatoes. I also didn’t have any garlic. I know, right? Hard to believe.
I should add that I had low expectations for this meal. It was also borne out of one of those frustrating days and nights that nearly resulted in take-out. But I tend to get really stubborn about this kind of stuff, so I went back into the kitchen. And luckily, everyone loved it.
- 2 T. butter or coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
- 1-2 T of turmeric, minced and a sprinkle of dried
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 small bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper, as usual, to taste
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a wide, deep sauté pan, or a Dutch oven.
- Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften and becomes translucent.
- Add the dried and fresh turmeric, stirring to coat the onions and until the minced turmeric becomes fragrant.
- Add the lentils and two cups of water.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Then, after it’s boiled, turn the heat back down to medium-low and cover it.
- Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas, and cook for an additional five minutes.
- Finally, add the broccoli rabe and let it gently wilt, cooking for no more than a minute or so.
- Stir it all together, take it off the heat, add salt and pepper, and serve.
