It’s a mystery of human chemistry

Posted: December 21, 2009 | Author: Johanna | Filed under: Johanna | Tags: Comfort Food, lentils, rainy day, risotto | 3 Comments »

There are some days when only certain things will do. There are some days when the things that will do don’t make too much sense. There are days when you only have a few things in your kitchen, and have to make do.

Sometimes all these feelings hit at once, and you find yourself asking Twitter whether lentils absorb liquid the same way arborio does. Because for some reason, green lentil risotto sounds like the place to be.

I kind of took a wing and a prayer on this one, because I definitely didn’t get a positive response to my lentil question — in fact, the only person to answer said that she was pretty sure it wouldn’t work out. But, having cooked French green lentils a few times and having noted that they were different than traditional brown lentils, more tender and quicker to cook, I decided to risk it.

I had some thick-cut rind on bacon in the fridge, so I cut a few slices into chunks, and cooked them in a saute pan to render their fat. Before they were crisp, but once they were cooked, I added some diced onion, and a little salt. Once the onion sweated out and softened, I added about 1/2 cup of arborio and 1/2 cup of green lentils to the pan. I tossed this around and then started adding the chicken stock like it was risotto. The lentils sucked up the stock along with the arborio, and in the end, I had a dish that was creamy, soft, and rich — exactly what I needed.

In summation, if you’re ever in the market for something comforting, but a little bit healthy, consider adding lentils to your dish of risotto! The excellent fiber and other awesomeness of the lentils will make you feel better about eating soft smushy cheesy risotto.

Ever have one of those days? What does your body cry out for on a rainy chilly icky winter day?