Twice in a week, going steady with some braised lentils!

Wow! Two posts in a week! We promised to stay in touch, and well, so far so good! With not so much to do in school, there is loads of time for some quality moments with my favorite cast-iron pot! This time it ended up in a dinner consisting of braised lentils with red wine, pasta and french-style green peas with lemon and garlic. One thing I can promise, this is not a shy stew! We're talking some massive flavor: wine, garlic, tomato, lentils making magic during an hour in the oven. Here's the recipe for you!

Braised lentils

For probably 6-8 or so (or less with yummy leftovers)
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
2 carrots
1 stalk of celery
2,5 dl red wine
1 l boiling water
3 tbsp tomato purée
250 g small green lentils (like the french kind, Puy)
400 g canned tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and peper
Oil

Start of by popping your pot on the stove with some oil and heating it up to medium heat. Turn the oven on to 170 degrees C. Chop the onion and garlic finely and start frying it in the pot. Chop the carrots and celery in small, small cubes and add them to the onion. Fry everything until the onion's getting soft. Pour in the wine, and add the tomato purée, sugar and bay leaves. Let this boil on medium heat until the wine is reduced by half. Add the canned tomatoes, lentils and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then take the pot of the stove and put it into the oven with the lid on. Leave it to do its thing for 30 minutes, then take it out, stir it up and put it back for another 30 minutes without the lid. During these last 30 minutes, stir it up once or twice more. After a total of one hour in the oven you should have some wonderful braised lentils spreading a divine smell of wine and tomatoes in your kitchen. Serve with pasta or just a great sourdough bread and some nice greens. Bon apètit!