Food Journal: A bowl of Lentils for the soul.

Say Hey those of you who have had rough patches in your lives.

HEY!

Hello dearest friends, and welcome, to another episode of my Food Journal.

Today's journal is about a food filled with goodness and memories, I bring to you, Lentils.

You see, Lentils are a type of legumes, rich in flavor and nutrients for its content is over 25% of protein plus, a set of vitamin B, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, and others. Source.

Here in Venezuela, they were one of the must-have grains on the groceries list, sadly now, for many people is a reminder of a very difficult time, a huge crisis, a time of hopelessness and despair.

Remember what I told you about CLAP? I wrote about it in my article Mom: We got Milk!. I quote:

For those who don't know what CLAP is in Venezuela, let me explain:

Local Supply and Production Committee

They are food distribution committees promoted by the Venezuelan government in which the communities themselves supply and distribute priority foods through a house-to-house delivery method.

Source

Well, at first we got a box, and in that box usually came between 2 to 4 kilos of lentils, and the crisis was so overwhelming that for most of us, Lentils became our daily bread. Stew, soup, croquettes, with salt and pepper, potatoes, cured meats like chorizo or bologna, maybe on those days at the end of the month when we could maybe afford some luxury, like a sausage or something. Even our dog Zeus ate Lentils at one point.

For me the thing wasn't the Lentils, it was the fact that it was the only thing we could afford, so, we got bored pretty fast, so I started to look for ways to make them less boring, and I got used to them, and even lost weight!. I remember that I used to joke about how of all the diets I have done in my life, the imposed government diet was the one I needed to lose weight. A dark and sad joke indeed.

But you see, I didn't build an ugly relationship with lentils, in fact, it was quite the opposite, I grew fond of them and the recipes I used to make with them, my favorite one was with cinnamon, cumin, and cocoa powder. Yes, you read right, cinnamon, cumin, and cocoa powder, a pretty exotic blend you might think, for this part of the world at least. I loved it, with white rice and fried plantains, tasty and hearty, so much that sometimes I thought I was eating meat.

One day, they stopped coming on the box, which later became a big bag of food, and they were replaced with Mung Beans. Lentils disappeared from all the shelves, not even informal vendors, or what we call "Bachaqueros" had them. And to tell you the truth, not many people missed them, at least at first, until the Mung Beans, poorly treated and dirty, started to make people sick, and now, they stopped coming also, to the grace of God.

Now, in my family, we are all delicate colon wise and grains and legumes are pretty much banned from the diet, except for chickpeas, green peas, and lentils, which we still don't eat too often to not challenge fate. But before the pandemic started, mom and I started to crave Lentils, however, delayed the purchase until today.

My sister and her husband decided to come today and I haven't restored the fridge yet so, what could I cook that is filling and tasty at the same time?. At 2 am in the morning, with insomnia and watching Facebook videos, I got the answer: Lentils. So, I got up, went to the market with Gigi, got our fresh produce and some Lentils.

I cook them as I saw in the video, Italian style, with a basic Mirepoix (carrots, celery, onions, and garlic), crushed tomatoes, and aromatics. Now, the recipe I saw required Thyme and Basil, which I don't have, so, I used cumin, oregano, black pepper, and bay leaf. I also used beef stock instead of the veggie stock the guy in the video used.

When that came to a boil I instantly thought I was cooking a meat stew, it smelled so fantastic!. I made some rice and fried some plantains I got from the market earlier. My sister and her husband didn't stay to eat, a total disrespect considering I was making enough for 6 people, but hey, no food goes to waste in this house so, half a pot for today's lunch, the rest we'll eat tomorrow or on Saturday, Lentils are generous and last more than 5 days in the fridge.

Gigi had the most shocking reaction upon tasting them:

I'm not having war thoughts, amazing!"

And mom, she remembered my dad and said:

Even your father, the most avid critic of Lentils, would have liked them, The only thing is that he would've added some smoked bacon or something.

Yes, that was the only way dad ate Lentils. Ah, memories....

You want to try them? Here's the recipe:

300grms of Lentils

3 Tomatoes

1 Onion

2 sticks of Celery

1 Carrot

1 Bay Leaf

500mls Beef, Chicken, or Veggie Stock.

500mls of Water.

1/2 teaspoon of Cumin.

1/4 teaspoon of Oregano.

Salt and Black Pepper to taste.

Rinse your Lentils to wash out any dirt they might have. Chop your carrot, onion, garlic, and celery in brunoise (very small squares), to make your Mirepoix. On the side chop your tomatoes also in brunoise, or you can crush them with your hands, or buy them that way.

Now, in a big pot, heat up about 4 or 5 tablespoons of Olive Oil or like me, Vegetable Oil, and at medium heat, cook the mirepoix until the onions are transparent, then add the rinsed and drained Lentils. Stir that for 3 minutes and then add the tomatoes.

Season with the herbs and spices and finally add the liquids. Put a lid on top and cook for 25 minutes at medium heat or until the veggies and Lentils are cooked but still a bit crunchy. Serve hot.

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See you next time.

✨✨Blessings✨✨

@rebeysa85

February 3rth, 2022.