Red lentil nuggets make a quick meal or snack

When it comes to answering the eternal question of what’s for dinner, one of the most overlooked skills is the ability to look in the fridge and come up with ways to use what’s already there. Dishes around the world are designed to make use of bits of whatever we happen to have, in no particular quantity: fried rice, frittatas, dumplings, pastas.

With a million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, self-taught home cook Alex MacLaren relates to other parents managing what, when, where and how their families eat day to day from her kitchen in Halifax, where she lives with her husband and three young children. Her first book, We Use What We Have Recipes: 101 Easy Weeknight Meals, contains flexible recipes along with grocery tips, substitution charts, and enough additional support to describe it as a kitchen survival manual.

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MacLaren’s red lentil nuggets are cheap, fast and easy, perfect to mix and fry for a quick meal or snack. If you don’t manage to plan ahead, I often simmer dry red lentils in salted water for about 15 minutes, until tender – they are split and so take far less time to cook than blue, green or brown lentils and don’t need to be presoaked.

Lentil Nuggets with Yogurt Sauce

From MacLaren: “This is the recipe that made me known as the Lentil Lady on TikTok. It’s only three ingredients plus spices so it’s nearly free. My lentil nuggets are a nod to Indian fritters but are definitely not traditional. You can switch up the seasoning and dipping sauce based on what you have and the flavours you prefer.”

Fritters:

• 1 cup (200 g) red lentils
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 to 4 tablespoons neutral oil

Yogurt Sauce:

• ½ cup (125 ml) plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried dill
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Soak the lentils in a bowl of room-temperature water overnight. HOT TIP: If you are short on time, pour boiling water over the bowl of lentils, then cover it with a plate to keep the heat in and soak for 1 hour. Drain.

Combine the lentils, eggs, nutritional yeast (if using), garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a food processor and roughly puree. Mix in the breadcrumbs and let sit for 5 minutes to absorb. This will help the nuggets hold together better.

Meanwhile, mix together all the yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Drop in a small amount of the lentil mixture and if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. Working in batches, drop in spoonfuls (2 to 3 tablespoons each) of the lentil mixture and lightly flatten with the back of the spoon, leaving space in between.

Cook undisturbed until the bottoms brown, 3 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the other side browns and the fritters are firm. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Allow the oil to get hot again before starting the next batch. Serve with the yogurt sauce. Makes 10 to 12 nuggets.

Excerpted from We Use What We Have Recipes: 101 Easy Weeknight Meals, by Alex MacLaren.