Are you looking for a little twist to a weeknight meal? Well this is it. How was that for a catchy header?! hahaha. One of the beans that I always have in our pantry are lentils, they don't have to soak very long, you can infuse with pretty much any flavor combo and get a filling meal with just them. Lentil tacos? Yes! Lentil and mushroom soup. Yes please. Curried, lentils served on white rice or naan. Ummm yeah! I will say damn lentils are hard to make look cute in a photo. Sheesh, I had to heat up leftovers and rephotograph!
We love a weeknight instant pot lentil soup with sausage, squash and spinach but this week I bought chicken drumsticks, so I thought I'd try a spin on a roasted chicken thigh recipe I always make but added our fav/easy dry beans to make it a heartier meal. And just incase you are looking to stay on food budget, organic drumsticks are pretty much always inexpensive and the girls love them, or any "chicken on da bone". So instead of having to heat the oven I decided I'd do it on the stove top andddddd well it did not disappoint.
If I would have meal prepped I could have served it on any grain but I didn't so I cut a corner and used 2 bags of frozen Trader Joes brown rice with a pile of greens for me and a side of frozen peas for the girls.
There are really three big steps to this recipe but broke it down so it's easier to follow.
Ingredients
Lentils
2 cups of lentils, soaked in water for a few hours.
4 cups broth (I always use low sodium)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp dried thyme (I like to crumble the leaves to release the flavor/auroma)
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp dried oregano
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dried (like I used)
splash of vinegar
Sweet potato mixture
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion , chopped thinly
2-3 sweet potatoes chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt
agave
1/4 cup water
Drumsticks
6-8 chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
1tbsp worcestershire sauce
1tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos for gluten free
1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
Recipe
In a large saucepan, bring the lentils, broth, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, the thyme, garlic powder, paprika, dried oregano, vinegar and bay leaves to a boil over moderately high heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender but not falling apart, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat.
Add the onion, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, stirring occasionally but careful not to burn. And add chopped sweet potatoes, black pepper, salt and agave. Brown the sweet potatoes, on both sides and then add the mixture to the simmering lentils.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pan over moderate heat.
Season the chicken with the remaining salt, the black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, then add it to the pan.
Cook the chicken, turning, until brown, about 6 minutes on each side.
Pour out all the fat from the pan.
Add the broth, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 15- 20 minutes minutes.
After that add the pan juices from the chicken/broth to the lentils along with the lemon juice and the parsley. Mix in chicken and let sit, covered, simmering for another 10 minutes.
Serve alone or over any grain (like I mention I love it with jasmine rice but was in a time pinch and the Trader Joes frozen brown rice made it super easy!!). If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, sub the chicken with mushrooms or skip all together. I love making it in big batches to have during the week.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
xoxo
Natalie
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