Refried Red Lentils With Avocado and Greek Yoghurt.

This morning I woke up craving re-fried beans just to realize I forgotten to soak the beans overnight, with a busy schedule and kids activities to take care of I know that there is no chance I’ll get to have those beans ready for today.

Then I remember my granny Marina who always made use of what she had in her fridge and cupboards to make delicious meals and my Mum who is very inventive in the kitchen, it’s a skill that only those who cook every day and take care of feeding their families have, you have to get creative sometimes to put some food on the table, because it’s true most times you can make something fresh and tasty out of what little you may have .

With that in mind I put those red lentils I had in my cupboard to good use, these are perfect because they cook quickly and have a lovely texture that resembles re-fried beans, with a few other ingredients and spices I made a bowl of tasty and speedy mock re-fried beans .

This is why I’m so happy to finally share this recipe that truly has become a favorite at home, and it’s one of those recipes that you will be using in more than one way, here I serve it with a side of tortilla chips, fresh avocado, crumbly feta on the top and greek yoghurt to snack on, they are so luscious that you would be finishing the whole bowl in no time.

I also use this recipe to make “molletes” crusty bread topped with a dollop of re-fried lentils and melted cheese , they are amazing with “sopes” (thicker looking tortillas topped normally with re-fried beans and fresh cheese) and “flautas” (crispy tacos shaped like a flute hence the name), I’ll be sharing these recipes on the blog soon! but if you just want to have a side of these and scrambled eggs in the morning that works just fine too.

Ingredients.

2 tbsp rapeseed oil.

1 white onion, (finely chopped).

1 garlic clove, (minced).

2 rashes of bacon, chopped small (optional). or any leftover chorizo in your fridge works too.

1 carrot peeled and roughly chopped.

2 cups of red lentils.

1 tsp ground guajillo.

2 tsp ground pasilla.

2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock.

2 cups of water.

Maldon salt and black pepper to season.

Garnish.

1 avocado.

1 tbsp greek yoghurt.

100 grams. feta cheese.

Tortilla chips .

Add the rapeseed oil into a pan, heat up your oil and then add your onions, garlic and bacon, stir with a wooden spoon and cook over a medium flame until the onion gets soft and the bacon gets a bit of color, I then add the carrots and give it a good stir.

Pour in the red lentils and the dry ground chilies integrate the ingredients, you just need to lightly fry the lentils and spices for a minute, add two cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil, cover with a lid and cook on a low temperature until the water absorbs, I then add salt and black pepper to taste, stir and add the water, cover with a lid again and let them cook through until they turn soft and your carrots are fully cooked.

Remove your pan from the heat, and let them cool down. Once they are cool enough place them in a food processor or use a hand blender to lightly blend them, i like to leave a bit of texture in them.

Serve warm and in a bowl, add spoonfuls of greek yoghurt (you can mix it with a bit of water or olive oil to make it more runny), crumble your feta cheese on top, add avocado cut in small cubes and you can decorate with edible flowers to make these humble re-fried lentils look the part. Serve with tortilla chips on the side and enjoy !

Don’t forget to save any leftovers to make molletes later . :)