Noodles With Lentils, Carrots And Swiss Chard

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 cup lentils (french lentils preferred)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• pepper
• 1 bunch red swiss chard or 1 bunch green swiss chard or 1 bunch spinach
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 1 bunch green onion, part only,finely chopped
• vegetable stock, to make a thin sauce
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• hot cooked noodles (buckwheat, rice or wheat)

Recipe

• 1 sort and rinse the lentils.
• 2 cover generously with water and bring them to a boil with the bay leaf and salt.
• 3 cook at a slow simmer until they are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
• 4 be careful not to overcook them or they will lose their shape and texture.
• 5 drain and save the liquid.
• 6 toss the lentils with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside.
• 7 cut the well washed greens into strips about 1 inch wide.
• 8 discard the stems.
• 9 slowly warm 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet with the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, taking care that the garlic does not color.
• 10 add the lentils, carrots, celery and green onions, and stir to coat them with oil.
• 11 cook for 1 minute over medium heat with a sprinkling of salt; then pour in 3/4 cup of the lentil stock and add the greens.
• 12 cook slowly until the vegetables are tender.
• 13 if the liquid evaporates efore the vegetables are done, add more stock so that there will be a little sauce at the end.
• 14 when the vegetables are done, add the hot, cooked noodles to the vegetables, along with the parsley, tossing together.
• 15 season with salt and pepper, more olive oil and a little parmesan if desired.