1 Tbs olive oil
1 med onion
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 1/4 c water or broth (generous cup)
2 Tbs honey
3 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger (heaping tsp)
1 tsp ground cumin (heaping tsp)
1 tsp cinnamon (scant tsp)
3/4 c lentils
1 bunch kale
grinds black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (if not using broth)
0. Set lentils to soak while prepping other ingredients.
1. Chop one onion or two shallots or some green onions and press a clove of garlic.
2. In a small bowl measure: 1/4 c. water/stock, and honey and vinegar. Separately, measure out remaining liquid, and in another bowl combine dried ginger, ground cumin, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Heat olive oil and saute the chopped onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the tomato paste and let it brown slightly, then add the spices and stir for a minute. Add the lentils and 1 c. liquid and cook covered for 30 minutes.
4. While the lentils cook, cut the stems from a bunch of kale and coarsely chop the greens.
5. After 30 minutes, check on the lentils. They should no longer be crunchy, but still have a few minutes more cooking before they are done. If not done, cook for another 5 minutes and check again.
6. When lentils are nearly cooked through, add the greens and let steam for a couple of minutes until they have cooked down enough so you can stir them without having them escape from the pan. Stir to disperse the lentils, add more liquid if necessary, cover again and cook on low until the kale is cooked through (about 5 minutes). Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
I increased the cooking time for the lentils, as they came out very crunching with only 10 min before adding the kale and the kale got overcooked waiting for the lentils to finish.
If you have leftovers, blending them makes a pretty yummy patty with a little breadcrumb coating and frying.