Mexican Lentils

Kind of boring in color – but oh so tasty!!!

Yesterday afternoon was one of those where the time just gets away from you and you have no idea how or when it happened.  My Dad stopped by with some Christmas decorations that were in his shed and then stayed for a while to chat.  Then before I knew it, he was back again, this time with a truckload of moving boxes full of Christmas decorations.  By the time he left, it was “go time” in the kitchen.  I opened the fridge and found a yellow pepper, a package of Chorizo, some salsa and an onion.  Then on to the pantry where a jar of Lentils were staring me in the face.  What resulted was pretty darn good.  Like really darn good.  No, I’m serious it was good.  Sounds funny with the addition of the salsa but that really made it taste great.  Check it out.

Mexican Lentils
{Printable Recipe}


1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
2 c dry green lentils
Water – enough to cover
1 pkg of Chorizo sausages
Olive oil
1/3 c feta cheese

prepared salsa (smooth type is best)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Toss sausages in a little bit of olive oil and place in a roasting pan or pyrex dish.  Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, turning once, or until skin is crispy.
3) In a large skillet with high sides, or stock pot, saute the onions and pepper in a small amount of olive oil until the onions are soft.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute longer.  Toss in the bay leaf and lentils and give it a stir.  Pour enough water to cover the lentils by 1/2 inch or so and turn the heat to medium high.  Cook until the lentils are soft and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves.
4) Cut up the sausage and toss into the lentils along with the feta cheese and give it a stir.  At the table, top each serving with a dollop of salsa and serve with crusty french bread.