Mustardy Lentils and Greens

Now that my travels are done (almost) for the summer, I spend most of my mornings in the garden harvesting the beginning of what looks to be a great crop.  This is an easy and tasty way to start using those greens coming up in the garden; the recipe calls for bok choy, but any greens in any combination you like--beet tops, Swiss chard, spinach, kale--will work.  If you use spinach or anything else that shrinks a lot, just be sure to increase the amount.

Mustardy lentils and greens



Serves 4-5

1 cup brown lentils
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium head bok choy, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets and stems
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 small jalapeno, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
2 cups cooked brown rice for serving
2 tablespoons prepared mustard, divided
1/3 cup lemon juice
½  up vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, place lentils and 1 ½ cups water.  Salt generously and stir in 1 tablespoon mustard.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and allow to simmer until lentils are soft, about 18 minutes.  When they are tender, set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven.  When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring often,  until it is very soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until it begins to brown, stirring only occasionally, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and jalapeno and stir frequently until just fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Lower to medium-low heat and stir in the bok choy and broth.  Cover and allow to wilt, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon of mustard and lemon juice. Add the lentils to the pot (drain off some of the liquid if you don’t want it all), stir to combine, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.  Serve over cooked brown rice.