Lentils not a success....

QOTD

Fantastic idea using lentils to bulk up a spag bol. I have lentils in but to honest, had no idea what to do with them

Quasar

Hmmmm lentils with bolognese..... not too sure about that, but then I'm a purist.

Maybe you should have put a lesser amount in? It's not something I have ever tried but I have the feeling that the amount of lentils might have been excessive.

trying-very-trying

Thanks, redmel, i just had a look at that videojug site, and I've bookmarked it. I like to think of myself as not a bad cook, but not great either, and this looked really good.
Oh, sorry forgot to say, that yes I have added red lentils to bolognaise, usually no problem, but when I tried to put them in the stew, well that was different matter, they were more easily noticed. Now, I liquidise the cooked lentils and add some gravy browning to disguise them. I also find that if there is grated carrots, the lentils are less easily recognised.

dND

I prefer lentils in bolognese these days. I usually use green lentil which I cook separately and then add to a well seasoned and long cooked bolognese mix.

I started adding them when I stopped using beef mince and used lamb instead.

It's probably a question of getting used to them, they are a different taste and texture to what you would be used to with 'normal' bolognese, so maybe using just a small amount at first and then increasing the quantity would help.

redmel1621

Hi

Quasar - It may have been too many but it was only a handful albeit a large one...

trying-very-trying - Yes dh found that site, I've had a look through it and there seem to be some nice recipes on there. My only gripe is they seem to be a bit excessive on the use of olive oil (in some dishes), I don't like food to be greasy so I would cut it down a bit...

dND - I use minced lamb, have done for about 9yrs or more. I will try again with the green ones and just add a very small amount first, it would be good if they would just eat them as i'm trying to cut down on red meat consumption so being able to bulk these meals out would be useful.

Mel x

Gingham_Ribbon

Puy (the brown ones) lentils can be a bit more expensive in some places but they might be your best bet with mince.

Videojug is good for walking you through recipes. I used it to make toffee apples for the first time this halloween. (I burnt the toffe but that was my fault!)

champys

i have a vegetarian recipe somewhere that uses bulgar wheat (soaked in tomato juice) to replace mince in chili con carne. the texture is amazingly similar to mince! maybe that works in bolognese too - i will try it out one of these days.

morganb

Personally would have used a tin of brown lentils as they are close in colour to the mince when cooked; I always do this when making moussaka. Red lentils are FANTASTIC for soup and tomato-based curry IMO.

trying-very-trying

redmel1621 wrote: »

Hi trying-very-trying - Yes dh found that site, I've had a look through it and there seem to be some nice recipes on there. I thought that the "how to carve a turkey" might come in useful for getting a bit more out of our turkey. Hubby cuts it like a chicken, 2legs + 2 breasts, but he's a gbgb:rotfl:
dND - I use minced lamb, have done for about 9yrs or more. I will try again with the green ones and just add a very small amount first, it would be good if they would just eat them as i'm trying to cut down on red meat consumption so being able to bulk these meals out would be useful.Mel x

How are they about eating veggies? or beans?
I find that I can double the quantity of mince by adding peppers, tomatoes, celery, loads onions, mushrooms, carrots, sweetcorn, and even sometimes a can of beans, or butter beans.

They weren't too keen to start with, but they've got used to it, and they know that the more that's left on the first night, the longer they'll be eating it for.:rotfl: