Lentil contains almost no fat, but is rich in protein and carbohydrates. This makes it possible to use it in the diet.
The most common varieties are red and green. The first grade is very well boiled soft and suitable for mashed potatoes. Green lentils do not boil soft, retains its shape, but it takes a little more time to cook.
Lentils with chicken - the basic principles of cooking
Before cooking, the lentils are sorted, removed garbage and husk. Then it is poured into a sieve and washed well.
Soak or not depends on what kind of result you want to get. If you like boiled legumes, then soak the lentils before cooking. Cooked lentils without soaking, retain their shape and will be crumbly.
Boil lentils in water, at the rate of: on a cup of legumes, take 2 cups of water. That she did not digest, pour it into boiling water. From the moment of boiling, reduce the heat, and cook with the lid closed from 15 to 40 minutes, stirring regularly. Cooking time depends on the variety.
To cook the lentils with chicken in the oven, boil it beforehand, and fry the meat or stew with vegetables. Then put it all together and put it in the oven for a few minutes.
Recipe 1. Lentils with chicken
Ingredients
• glass of lentils;
• six chicken thighs;
• three tomatoes;
• onion and carrot;
• two glasses of water;
• vegetable oil;
• black pepper, herbs and salt.
Method of preparation
1. Wash chicken thighs, salt, pepper and leave for 20 minutes. Peeled onions cut into half rings. Shred carrots fine straws. Wash tomatoes and cut into small cubes.
2. In an oil heated in a pan, fry the onions to softness, then add the chopped carrots and stew until ready. Put stewed vegetables in a plate. In the same pan, lightly fry the meat, pour in a small amount of water or broth and stew for a quarter of an hour with the lid closed. 3. Lentil bust, remove debris, rinse under running water, and put in a clean frying pan. Top half the stewed onions and carrots, then the hips, put the remaining vegetables on the meat and sprinkle with diced tomatoes.
4. Layered vegetables with chicken pour water, salt, pepper and cook with the lid closed for 15 minutes. Prepare the dish, decorate with greens.
Recipe 2. Lentils with Chicken and Mushrooms Stewed in Cream
Ingredients
• nine champignons;
• 200 g of chicken and lentil fillets;
• half a cup of cream;
• 20 g butter;
• 15 ml of soy sauce;
• rosemary and parsley;
• ground black pepper;
• some flour.
Method of preparation
1. Sort out the lentils, rinse and simmer for half an hour. Divide the cream in half in different cups. In one, add half a teaspoon of flour and mix into a homogeneous mass. Wash the champignons, chop the plates and fry until all the moisture has evaporated. Cut the chicken fillet into slices and fry in butter until the meat is browned.
2. Put chicken and mushrooms into the cauldron, pour in the flour-free cream, soy sauce, add rosemary, pepper and simmer, cover with a lid, 10 minutes. Then pour in the cream with flour, and stir the mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat.
3. Put boiled lentils on a plate, pour it with chicken and mushrooms sauce and garnish with finely chopped parsley.
Recipe 3. Lentils with chicken in the oven
Ingredients
• two chicken breasts;
• carrot and onion;
• three celery stalks;
• 300 g lentils;
• 20 g of tomato paste.
Method of preparation
1. We touch the lentils, remove the garbage and husk, rinse well under running water. Wash my chicken breasts, dip them in napkins and cut them into small pieces. We clean carrots and we rub in large. Peeled onion cut into four parts and chop into thin strips. Celery finely chopped with a knife.
2. Heat the vegetable oil well in the pan, lay out the chicken fillet pieces and fry until half cooked. Add vegetables and mix everything well. Make sure the onions are not burnt. As soon as the onion is soft and transparent, add the tomato paste. Stir and fry over low heat for several minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In the form lay out the chicken fried with vegetables, sprinkle lentils, level with a spoon. All pour boiling water at the rate of 3: 1. Cover with lid and ship to preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Recipe 4. Lentils with potted chicken
Ingredients
• green lentils and white mushrooms - 400 g each;
• two chicken breasts;
• onion and carrot;
• tomato puree from canned tomatoes - 150 g;
• salt and black pepper;
• olive oil.
Method of preparation
1. Wash chicken breasts, dip them with a napkin, cut into medium-sized pieces. Salt, pepper and lightly fry in butter. Peel and slice the carrots, add to the meat and stew a little.
2. Onions and mushrooms clean, rinse, cut into cubes and fry. Lentils sort out and rinse under cold water.
3. Combine fried vegetables with lentils. The resulting mixture is expanded in pots, without reporting three centimeters to the edge. In boiling water, add a little mashed tomatoes, salt and pepper. The resulting sauce pour the lentils in the pots, leaving 1 cm on top, cover with lids and send to an oven preheated to two hundred degrees for an hour.
Recipe 5. Baked lentils with chicken in the oven
Ingredients
• a glass of red lentils;
• half a kilo of chicken fillet;
• carrot;
• two celery stalks;
• 30 g bacon;
• 1 tsp. thyme and thyme;
• 20 g of olive oil;
• on the head of garlic and onions;
• half a cup of broth.
Method of preparation
1. Rinse the chicken fillet, pat dry with a napkin and fry in a single piece in olive oil until golden brown. Lentils sort out and rinse well under running water. Peel the vegetables, grate the carrot, chop the onion, garlic and celery into small cubes.
2. Put the chicken meat in a separate dish. Put bacon in a frying pan, melt the fat from it and add chopped vegetables. Simmer on low heat until the onions are soft and transparent. 3. Add lentils to the vegetables, mix well, pour the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Then pull the chicken out of the pan. Lay out a layer of lentils with vegetables in a baking dish, chicken breast on it. Season with thyme and thyme, salt and pepper. Send the form to an oven heated to 180 degrees for half an hour. Put ready lentils on a dish and decorate with chopped greens.
Recipe 6. Roast lentils with chicken
Ingredients
• kilogram of chicken meat;
• glass of lentils;
• onion and carrot;
• two celery stalks;
• four strips of bacon;
• clove of garlic;
• half a cup of broth;
• two glasses of dry white wine;
• a good pinch of thyme.
Method of preparation
1. Cut the chicken into pieces and rinse. Spread the pieces on a napkin to dry a little. Clean the vegetables, grate the carrot, chop the onion, garlic, bacon and celery into small cubes.
2. In hot oil in the pan, fry the chicken pieces. Put them on a plate and pour prepared vegetables into the dishes and fry for about five minutes. Add lentils to vegetables, stir, pour in wine, broth and bring to a boil.
3. Put the mixture of lentils and vegetables in the form, spread the chicken pieces on top, sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. We send the roast in the oven heated to two hundred degrees for half an hour.
Recipe 7. Lentil Ragout
Ingredients
• two chicken legs;
• 300 g lentils;
• onion and carrot;
• six cloves of garlic;
• garlic arrows and cauliflower - 100 g each;
• Thyme and Provencal herbs - 1 tsp .;
• black pepper, cumin and salt.
Method of preparation
1. To sort and wash the lentils under running water. Peel the vegetables, wash and cut them into small pieces. Add lentils to boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. Water does not salt.
2. Wash ham and dry on a napkin. In the cauldron pour oil and fry the meat until golden brown, salt and pepper. Put chopped vegetables into a cauldron, add lentils, pour half a glass of water, season with spices, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 3. Serve ready stew with vegetable salad, garnish with greens.
Recipe 8. Lentils with Chicken and Lemon
Ingredients
• chicken carcass;
• glass of lentils;
• half a lemon;
• two glasses of water;
• a bunch of parsley;
• teaspoon curry;
• 60 ml of vegetable oil;
• allspice and salt.
Method of preparation
1. Wash the chicken carcass and dry them with napkins. Chicken pour juice from half a lemon. Rub the carcass with a zest, salt, pepper and sprinkle with curry. Leave the chicken to marinate for half an hour.
2. We sort out lentils and rinse well under running water.
3. In a greased, deep form, lay the chicken carcass with brisket down. From above it also we grease with vegetable oil. On each side we lay out the washed lentils and fill it with broth so that it covers it.
4. Shape with lentils and chicken sent to preheated to 180 degrees oven for two hours. At the same time lentils from time to time stir. Serve the dish hot, decorated with greens.
Recipe 9. Braised Lentils with Chicken
Ingredients
• 400 g chicken fillet;
• 200 g of green lentils;
• two onions;
• two tomatoes;
• three cloves of garlic;
• teaspoon of grated ginger root;
• 40 g of lemon juice;
• a bunch of parsley;
• black pepper and salt.
Method of preparation
1. We scoop the lentils, rinse and boil as a side dish. Peel the onion and garlic and finely chop. Ginger peel and grind grated.
2. In vegetable oil lightly fry the onion, add garlic and ginger. Put small pieces of chicken fillet in a frying pan and fry for the first five minutes on high heat, then reduce the fire and fry for another quarter of an hour.
3. Add lemon juice to the chicken, salt and season with spices. Pour in 100 ml of water, cover, and simmer for another five minutes. Spread boiled lentils, diced tomatoes and chopped parsley. Mix everything well and simmer for five minutes. Ready meals are served hot with a salad of fresh vegetables.
Lentils with chicken - tips and tricks from chefs
- Lentils gain the full power of taste if you add something sour during cooking, such as tomato puree or lemon juice.
- To prevent lentils from turning into porridge, pour boiling water over it and boil it. Salt it better at the end of cooking. If salt is added immediately, the cooking process can increase noticeably.
- Turmeric, coriander, ginger and black pepper are ideal for lentils and speed up the absorption of legumes.
- If you prefer boiled lentils, pre-soak them in cold water for at least eight hours, periodically pouring water.
- The readiness of lentils can be determined visually. If it doubled, then you can turn off the fire and serve the dish.
- To make lentils soft, add half a tablespoon of olive oil to the water.
- The cooking time for lentils depends on the variety. Green lentils are cooked the longest, and brown and red are much faster, and at the same time they are perfectly boiled soft.
