I rarely get to use an oven so can't personally comment - but it comes from my Leiths recipe book which always yields good results.

Lentil & Mushroom Bake with seed topping

1 large onion, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
8oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced (most mushrooms should be fine for this)
5oz Brown lentils
1/2 pint mushroom stock (just put some dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes, minding any grit, or use any stock you like)
8oz canned chopped tomatoes

topping:
2oz fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
1oz pinenuts, chopped
1oz pumpkin seeds
1 oz butter (melted)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and fry over low heat until it starts to brown. Add carrot, celery & mushrooms and fry until soft. Stir in lentils, stock and tomatoes, season with salt & pepper, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender and liquid has reduced to a syrupy sauce binding ingredients together. Check seasoning and adjust.

Preheat oven to 375F/190C/gas mk5. Brush an ovenproof dish with oil.

Topping - mix together ingredients and season with salt & pepper.

Spoon lentils into oiled dish. Scatter on topping and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.


There seems to be plenty of leeway in this recipe for you to make omissions, additions and substitutions. (The Spanish part of me would compel me to fry the tomato before adding the lentils and stock - and I prefer using Japanese panko to wholemeal breadcrumbs.) You should be able to get creative with the seeds you choose for the topping.

Ok, I am starting to like lentils. I'm actually surprised because it had always been one of those foods that I shied away from because I perceived it tasted bad and/or was just weird.

Tonight I cooked up a different type of bake that I found on the net - Mushroom and Lentil. (basically breadcrumbs, vege stock, onion, red lentils, mushrooms, some herbs/spices and some tomato paste). Was very nice and moreish.

Can't see myself going vego, but will definately include more lentil in my diet.

PS, Thanks LapLap for the bake recipe.

National Lentil Festival
 

Pullman, Washington (PUW) holds the National Lentil Festival annually.

For those who enjoy everything lentil, this is the event for you!

According to its website, Friday has a giant lentil cookoff, where they make a HUGE vat of lentil Chili. I flew in a day too late (heading back to school at Washington State) but my parents saved me a cup and it was good! Saturday has a bunch of vendors selling all sorts of weird products and foods, such as lentil eggrolls, which are ok... and I even heard a rumor of lentil ice cream.

Unfortunately, this occurred last weekend, so if interested, you'll get to wait another year to enjoy~

One of our favorites, any indian grocery store should have the spices.


Dhansak

6 tbl oil
5 green chillies -- fresh, chopped
1 inch ginger -- grated
3 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- sliced
2 bay leaves
1 piece cinamonstick -- (2 inch)
2 lb lean lamb -- cut into large pieces
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chana dhal or yellow split peas
1/4 cup moondhal
1/4 cup red lentils
2 potatoes -- cut and soaked in water
1 eggplant -- cut and soaked in water
4 onions -- finely sliced, deep fried and drained (we sauteed them in a bit of the oil)
2 oz spimach -- fresh or frozen, thawed, chopped
1 oz fenugreek leaves -- fresh or dried
4 oz pumpkin -- squash, or carrots, chopped
4 oz fresh cillantro -- shopped
2 oz fresh mint -- chopped
2 tbl dhansak masala
2 tbl sambhar masala
2 tsp brown sugar
4 tbl tamarind juice
salt

Heat a bit of the oil in a large fry pan. gently fry the chilies, ginger, crushed garlic, bay and cinnamon for 2 minutes, add the malb and water, bring to a boil, cimmercovered, until the lamb is half cooked

Drain the meat stock into another pan, and put the malb aside. Add the lentils to the stock, coom for 25 or 30 minutes until they are tender. Mash them with the back of a spoon. Keep the heat low when you are cooking, they will not soften at high temp.

Drain the potatoes and eggplant, add ot the lentils, add most of the sauteed onions, save some. Add spinach, fenugreek, and the carrot/squash/pumpkin

Add some hot water if it seems too thick, cook until veggies are tender, mash again with a spoon, keeping the veggies a bit course.

Heat a bit of oil in a large pan, save some mint and corriander for garnish, gently fry the rest with the masalas, salt, sugar. Add lamb pieces, dently fry for 5 minutes.

Add the lamb and spices to the lentils, stir. If the lentils absorb too much fluids, adjust with a bit of water. Cover, reduceheat, cook until the lamb is tender, add the tamarind juice

Fry the garlic slices until golden brown

Sprinkis the garlic over the mix, garnish with the remaining onion, and reserved leaves

Serve over rice.

Cordelli, you just made me drool. Big time.

OP, try cooking red lentils in coconut milk with thai curry paste (red or green) and vegetables, plus onions, peppers, garlic-ginger paste, and some chilies. Not very orthodox, but as a quick meal it's quite acceptable over rice.