I'm a new vegetarian who's finding it difficult to find good protein sources because I really hate beans. I decided to give lentils a try since they're so tiny and that gets rid of some of that chunky bean texture I find so disgusting. Here's the problem: I really have no idea how to cook them. I made some last night, but they were very bland, of course. I ate them anyway and they weren't horrible but they certainly weren't enjoyable. My toddler ate them but my husband (who will normally eat ANYthing) was thoroughly repulsed by them.

I know you're supposed to sort and pick through them and get rid of the discolored and bug-eaten ones, but how can you tell which ones are discolored and bug-eaten?? Sorry, I'm a complete idiot when it comes to cooking beans!

Can anyone give me some lentil help?

Three of my favorite lentil recipes come from Jane Brody.

I make this soup with red wine, rather than white. The wine is the most important flavoring in the recipe, along with the thyme & marjoram. I have also added sauteed mushrooms.
http://www.paxunum.org/lentilsoup.pdf

This is a Mexican-flavored lentil concoction, suitable for stuffing a soft tortilla or what have you.
http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/beans/lentils-ole

This recipe for curried lentils is the simplest recipe, but I think to bring out the best of it, it demands really excellent curry powder.
http://www.recipeslib.com/curry-reci...d-lentils.html

Do you have any vegan cookbooks? Veganomicon has a wonderful recipe for Tamarind lentils. Your library may even have it.

Snobby joes is a good recipe as well if you like sloppy joes.
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbreci...?RecipeID=2059

As for lentils, you kind of just look through them and see if there are any small rocks. I am usually not too particular. I basically rinse them off, do a quick check and then that is it. I've read that modern processes for harvesting lentils are much better than older processes that left a lot of rocks mixed in.

this recipie is similar to meatloaf...leftovers make a good sandwich...

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lentil-Loaf/Detail.aspx

Here's a lentil burger that's nice.

Lentil Burgers
1 19ounce can lentils, drained or about 2 cups cooked
1 onion, diced
¼ cup fine whole wheat cracker crumbs
½ cup nuts or seeds or combination, ground or well chopped
¼ cup low fat Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons sage or favorite herb (savory, oregano or basil are nice too)
Pinch garlic powder
Black pepper to taste
2 egg whites

Mash about half the lentil. Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Fry over low heat until browned on both sides. Serve in buns or as an entree. Good cold in a sandwich. Makes 10 burgers, ⅓ cup each.

And here's a loaf or roast made with lentils that we all like at our house.

Mom’s Quick Lentil Roast
1 can lentils, drained
1 cup bread crumbs OR ½ cup cracker crumbs
3 eggs
⅓ cup any kind nuts, finely chopped or blended
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon oil
½ cup any kind cheese, grated
1 teaspoon savoury (more or less to taste)
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Sauté chopped onion in oil until soft. Mix all ingredients together with the cooked onion. Bake in greased dish at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

To make sure roast doesn’t burn place the baking dish in a larger pan filled with hot water.

And here's a hot dish that was posted on the United Kingdom threads here at 3FC. I really like this one.

Lazy Lentils

Serves 4 to 6, calories 200 to 300

Ingredients
4 large onions peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 cups water
2 teaspoons yeast extract or 1 “beef” bouillon
176 g (6 oz) split red lentils (I've used brown or green lentils very successfully in this recipe.)
1 teaspoon sage or savory
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz grated cheese (mix cheddar with feta)
breadcrumbs

Method
Set oven to 300 F.

If possible use a flameproof casserole that can go on the burner and into oven.

Fry the onions in the oil for 5 to 7 minutes, browning lightly. Then add the garlic, water and yeast extract and stir until yeast extract dissolved.

Take off the heat and add lentils, herbs, seasoning and most of the cheese.
Sprinkle the rest of cheese on top together with some crumbs.

Bake for 2 hours. (If using brown or green lentils check to make sure the dish doesn't dry out before fully cooked. Add a little hot water if drying out.)

Do you like curry? Red lentils with curry spices are good. I've got a recipe for sour lentil soup (made with fresh lemons) that I need to find and try. When I dig it out, I'll post it here.

I've also had brown lentils as a bulgur replacement in Taboulleh. Very good! And they hold their cute little shape better than red lentils (oh how I'd love a bowl full of teeny red lentils like they are when they're dried. )

This would be a close recipe for the taboulleh, except I like it better with a little oil instead of yogurt. Lemon and oil are really nice on veggies.
http://www.drmirkin.com/recipes/lentilsalad.html

I've had this recipe waiting around forever to try, still haven't gotten around to it. It's a bit high in sugar, but you could probably cut down on the honey and it would still be tasty. http://www.recipezaar.com/Honey-Baked-Lentils-58598

Maybe mashed lentils would be even farther from the bean texture you don't like... something like this: http://www.recipezaar.com/Seasoned-M...Lentils-230988