Creamy Lentils with Kale and Mixed Mushroom Ragout

Well happy New Year Folks!  We've been quite busy here and apologize for the lapse in posts, but we plan to be back in action from this point forward to accompany those healthy New Year Resolutions!  This dish is inspired by a recipe we saw in the Saturday/Sunday edition of the Wall Street Journal this past weekend by created by Chef Mark Steuer of the Carriage House in Chicago.  His original recipe called for grits, which of course we can't have since we're on the Low/No Carb kick here!  So naturally we tried to come up with a Low Carb alternative, and voila- we coin the new and tasty brilliance now known as "Creamy Lentils".  Kind of sounds weird at first, but it is absolutely amazing in this dish especially.  The kale gives a nice bitterness to the ragout which pairs exceptionally well with the creaminess of these lentils.  And hey, by the way, Ragout comes from the French term ragoûter, which means "to revive the taste" and typically refers to a main-dish stew.  Below you find our Low Carb spin on this fabulous dish.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!  It was the perfect meal for this past week's freezing nights.

Creamy lentils with kale and mushroom ragout

Dish Serves: 4

What you'll need:

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 lbs mixed mushrooms (we used a mix of shiitakes and baby bellas), cut into bite-sized pieces  
• 1/2 cup whiskey (we used Jack Daniels)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 a bunch of cabbage kale rough chopped (could also use normal kale or endive)
• 3/4 pkg of Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 pkg of Trader Joe's Baked Tofu (approx. 8 oz. of tofu if using your own stuff)
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• The first step is to make your ragout.  Heat iil in a medium saute pan, stir in onion and garlic until softened.  After 2 minutes add the mushrooms and cook for an additional five minutes on medium heat.
• Stir in whiskey and cook until evapoarated.  Next add your stock, thyme,1 tbsp butter, kale and a little salt.  Saute for another 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.  Once the kale and mushrooms are tender, cover and remove from heat.  Keep the dish warm.
• Meanwhile start your lentils.  Add lentils to medium sized pot and add the cream simmering over medium heat.  Add in a tablespoon of butter and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Let simmer on medium for 5 minutes then reduce heat to low/warm.
• For extra protein, we decided to quickly saute baked tofu from Trader Joes in a pan.  We seasoned with salt & pepper and quickly tossed in a pan with a bit of olive oil.  The key here is to crisp up the tofu a bit and warm throughout- usually taking about 5 minutes total.
• Meanwhile poach your eggs.  We use a microwave poacher but you can also do this in a pot.
• The last step is to serve the dish.  First, distribute lentils in bottom of a bowl or deep plate.  Top each serving with the ragout, cut tofu into triangles and serve on top of ragout. Lastly, add the poached egg.  Enjoy!