The directions on the bag said to cover with 6 - 8 cups of hot water, bring to a boil, cover with the lid tilted, then simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or to desired tenderness. I figured the results of that would be rather bland, so I added a few other ingredients.
I started by sautéing some chopped onions, celery and parsley in a little olive oil. Once the vegetables had softened a little, I added the lentils and 6 cups of water, along with a bay leaf, black pepper, a dash of chili powder and a fair amount of cumin.
I also figured a considerable amount of salt would be required to make the lentils palatable, but I didn't want to turn my healthful lentils into a high-sodium dish. Lentils themselves have almost no sodium. I ended up using a little over half a teaspoon.
Once the water came to a boil, I covered the pan (tilting the lid as instructed, which I guess allows some of the steam to escape) and reduced the heat. I started checking for doneness after 15 minutes. It ended up taking more than half an hour for the lentils to become tender enough. Here's how they looked:
I was afraid the end product would be more like a soup than a side dish, but most of the water ended up being absorbed. I used a slotted spoon for serving, so as to drain any liquid that remained.
As for the taste, the consensus among my wife, my teenage son and me was "not bad." Not the most delicious thing, but certainly edible and filling. I found the amount of salt sufficient, although I think more salt would have made the flavor better. My wife liked drizzling some balsamic vinegar over the cooked lentils.
It's amazing was how much food results from cooking a pound of lentils! They nearly filled two one-quart Chinese soup containers. Two to three of us ate lentils as a side dish for three meals, and there's still half a quart left. I put those leftovers in the freezer and will find out in the near future whether reheated frozen lentils are appetizing or not. Stay tuned for the results!
