Thanksgiving is only 2 days away! Last year we gave you a great Lentil & Wild Rice Pilaf that has been one of our most searched recipes all year. This time around we have another delicious recipe that will be a perfect side dish for all of your holiday gatherings.

This Sausage and Lentil Stuffing is a simple recipe to follow and produces a delicious blend of sweet and savory flavors. It can be made ahead of time and re-heated on the day of your feast, but is also quick enough to be a “day-of” dish as well. Smother it with a few ladles of turkey gravy and you will have a perfect leftover meal as well!

What you need:

• 1- Package Hurst’s Garlic and Herb Lentils
• 1 lb. ground sausage w/ sage (breakfast sausage)
• 1- cup diced onion
• 1- cup diced celery
• 2- cups diced apple
• 1- 12 oz. bag of your favorite stuffing mix
• 6.5- cups water

1. In a large stock pot, brown the sausage over medium-high heat for roughly 5 minutes. Add in the copped onion and pepper and continue to sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add water and lentils (not seasoning packet yet) and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the lentils for 25 minutes (covered).

2. Remove the lid and check lentils for tenderness. If done stir in Hurst’s garlic and herb seasoning packet. Remove from the heat and allow the lentils to cool uncovered for 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375˚ while waiting. After 15 minutes, add in the bag/box of stuffing mix and the diced apple, then fold together to combine. The mixture should be fairly moist.

3. Scoop the entire mixture into a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish and bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes. Garnish with some fresh sage leaves and enjoy!

]]> http://hurstbeanblog.com/2011/11/22/sausage-lentil-stuffing/feed/ 0 hurstbeans Sausage Lentil Stuffing GandH small cropped Sausage Lentil Stuffing Sausage Lentil Stuffing Sausage Lentil Stuffing http://hurstbeanblog.com/2010/11/19/lentilsandwildrice/ http://hurstbeanblog.com/2010/11/19/lentilsandwildrice/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:50:13 +0000 hurstbeans http://hurstbeanblog.com/?p=1487 Continue reading →]]>

Thanksgiving is now less than a week away and cooks across the country are scrambling to prepare for next weeks’ feast. If time is running out and you are looking for a quick and easy side dish, give this delicious recipe a try… it just might end up on your “every year” menu.—

While they are often used with turkey leftovers for a delicious “day-after” soup, beans can also be used in a variety of side dishes on Thanksgiving day. This Lentil and Wild Rice recipe features the earthy flavor of lentils and rice, combined with the sweet flavor of dried cranberry’s, and the crunch of toasted walnuts. It only takes about 30 minutes to put together, and fits perfectly along side any traditional Thanksgiving dish.

What you need:

1. 1 package Hurst’s® Garlic and Herb Lentils
2. 1 cup chopped onion
3. 4 cups cooked wild rice
4. 6 oz. dried cranberry’s
5. 8 oz. almond slivers
6. 1/2 cup chopped green onion
7. 1 tbs. olive oil
8. Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Pour the lentils into a colander or sieve. Rinse and sort through the lentils, checking for any stones or debris and discard.

2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the onion with the olive oil. When the onion becomes translucent and starts to brown, add 4 cups of water and rinsed lentils. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the lentils (covered) for 20 minutes.

3. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and add Hurst’s Garlic and Herb seasoning. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.

4. While the lentils begin to cool, pour the almonds into a pan. Over medium-low heat, begin to toast the almonds. Pay close attention (burn easily!) and just when they begin to turn golden brown, remove from the heat and set aside.

5. Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Garnish with some of the chopped green onion and serve warm or cold.

*This is my recipe for MLLA #29, this month hosted at Lisa’s Kitchen. As always, Hurst is sponsoring this great blog event so be sure to get your recipes in for your chance to win the great prizes!

During the hot summer months, there couldn’t be a better time to make this refreshing and delicious Mediterranean Lentil Salad. It works great as a side dish for your next cookout, or perfect as an easy and healthy snack any time of day.

This recipe uses Hurst’s® French Green Lentils. While any type of lentil would work for this dish, it’s best to use a “whole” variety rather than a “split” because they will hold their shape and not break down during cooking. One of the great things about this healthy dish is how quickly it can be made. In less than a 1/2 hour everything can be prepped, mixed, and left in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

What you need:

• 1 lb. French Green (or other whole variety) Lentils
• 2 Cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 Cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 Cup diced red onion
• 1 Cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 Cup diced green pepper
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp. Penzey’s “Mural of Flavor” seasoning (discussed HERE and you can buy online HERE)
• 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. clove
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, sauté the yellow onion with a tablespoon oil. When the onion becomes translucent, add the chopped garlic and cook until the mixture begins to brown.

2. Sort and rinse the lentils thoroughly. Remove any debris or dirt and discard. Add the lentils into the pot and cover with 7-8 cups of water. Turn the heat to high and bring the contents to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are completely tender.

3. While waiting for the lentils, add the olive oil, vinegar, and all dry seasonings to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together thoroughly, then add the red onion, green peppers, and tomatoes. Stir to combine.

4. When the lentils are finished cooking, drain completely and add them to the mixing bowl. Stir well to combine and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

(Try topping it with some crumbled feta cheese for even more great flavor!)

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to utilize one of the most underrated and versatile ingredients. Readily available this time of year, pumpkins have a sweet, earthy flavor that works great in a wide range of dishes, especially soups. Don’t confuse using fresh pumpkin with that canned stuff though, just a small amount of prep work with a “Pie Pumpkin” will make all the difference in the world… and they make a nice serving dish too!

More often than not, we associate cooking pumpkins with making pumpkin pie. While the dessert is delicious in its’ own right, pumpkin works just as well in many other dishes. This recipe uses Hurst’s® Confetti Lentil Soupreme™  as the base and adds the sweet “fall flavors” of cinnamon and allspice, as well as a little bit of heat from cumin and cayenne pepper. The result is a deliciously rich and creamy soup that not only tastes great on an early fall evening, but is incredibly healthy for you as well.

What you need:

1- Package Hurst’s® Confetti Lentil Soupreme™

8- Cups of water or stock

1- Whole “Pie Pumpkin” or “Cooking Pumpkin”, skinned, seeded, and cubed (should produce about 4 cups)

1- Cup diced onion

2- Cloves garlic, smashed tsp cumin

2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2- Cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tbsp. Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Place lentils in a colander or sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Set aside.

2. Dice the onion into 1/2″ pieces and set aside. Cut the pumpkin (serrated knife works best) in half length-wise. Using a spoon, carve out the soft “stringy” insides along with the seeds. Then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the outside. Chop the remaining halves into 1/2″-1″ pieces.

3. In a large soup pot (or Dutch oven), turn the heat to medium-high and sauté the pumpkin, onion, and garlic with the olive oil and butter. Cook until the onion becomes translucent and the pumpkin begins to brown slightly.

4. Add the water or stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the lentils, 1/2 of Hurst’s flavor packet, and the rest of the dry seasonings. Reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes.

5. (OPTIONAL STEP) At this point, if you would prefer a chunky style soup, skip ahead to the next step. Otherwise, using a submersion blender (or a food processor/ regular blender) puree the mixture until smooth or you reach a desired consistency.

6. Stir in the heavy cream until completely incorporated.

7. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh ground pepper.

This recipe easily makes 10-12 servings and freezes very well too… Enjoy!

Pumpkin Lentil Soup is my submission for this month’s My Legume Love Affair: 16th Helping. Our host this month is Cook Sister!, so be sure to check out the results and send in your recipes! As always, Hurst’s is proud to sponsor the MLLA event and will provide the usual 6 pack of beans to the winner!

While still low in fat, but high in fiber and protein, Lentils differ from many other dry beans because they have a much shorter cooking time. Hurst’s® HamBeens® Confetti Lentils look great in the package, and taste even better when following this very simple recipe.

What you need:

• 1- Package Hurst HamBeens Confetti Lentils

• 1lb. Ground Beef
• 1- Cup Diced Onion
• 1- Cup Diced Carrot
• 1- Cup Diced Celery
• 2- Can Diced Tomato
• 2-3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
• 1-2 Tbs. Butter or Olive Oi (for sautéing)
• 8-10 Cups Water

1. Dice the carrot, onion, and celery into bite-size (1/4″) pieces. This mixture is known as a Mirepoix. Also mince the garlic cloves.

2. Heat Olive Oil (or butter) over Med-High until pan is hot. Add the chopped veggies until they begin to soften, probably around 5-7 minutes.

3. Add the ground beef and sauté until meat is browned. Then add the cans of diced tomatoes and stir to combine.

4. Stir in Hurst’s seasoning packet and continue to simmer.

5. Place the dry lentils in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water thoroughly. Check for any stones or other unwanted debris that may be present.

6. Add the lentils and 8 cups of water to pot. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1- 1.5 hours.

7. The beans and vegetables should be completely tender, and some of the water should be reduced. If you prefer a more “brothy” soup, add water or beef stock until you reach desired consistency.

8. Serve with rice or some warm cornbread… ENJOY!