Lentils

Never.. never had I eaten lentils before coming to Sicily. Beans, I had eaten but the old Boston Baked Beans or homemade beans of the same variety as the Boston Baked taste. We eat lentils about twice per month and I like them. Who would have thought that I'd sit at the table with a bowl of lentils in front of me and actually devour them.
My recipe changes each time I make them depending what I have in the house. This time I chopped an onion and a couple carrots and put them into a high sided frying pan along with 1/2 pound sausage meat (skin removed) and a small bit of olive oil. When that cooked down I added 1 and 1/2 cups of lentils and a couple cups of vegetable broth. I kept adding broth until I felt the lentils wouldn't absorb much more. It cooked covered for about 1 and 1/2 hours. Seasoning was salt and red pepper flakes.
To serve the lentils, I add chopped tomatoes and chopped arugula that have been doused with lemon juice and olive oil. Shaved granna padanna sits on top.
The local store was selling some ground corn flour this week, so to go along with the lentils I made corn bread that has onion and a bit of pancetta added to the batter. Sometimes you need some USA food to balance out the meal.