The adventures of a food, travel, and beauty enthusiast.

Passport & Plate - Lentils with chicharron and pancetta

Nicaragua | Saturday, February 28, 2015 | 2 photos

Ingredients
5 cups water

2-3 vegetable bouillon cubes – I try to watch my sodium intake so generally stick to 2 cubes

1 1/2 cups of organic green lentils (I use the PC Organic Brand available at Superstores)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp paprika

2 bay leaves

1 finely diced carrot

1 finely diced celery stalk

1 finely diced onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 finely diced jalapeño

2 finely diced tomatoes

1/2 cup pancetta

1/2 cup chicharron – cut up into smaller pieces

 

How to prepare this recipe
In one pot, bring the water to a boil. Add your chicken bouillon cubes & lentils.
In a separate pan, combine your pancetta, all your vegetables – except for your tomatoes – and add your spices and jalapeño. Cook for approx. 5 minutes. Add your pan ingredients to your lentils. Add in your diced tomatoes and 2 bay leaves. Cook (stirring occasionally) for 15 minutes on medium-high. Do not overcook or else you’ll end up with porridge. Serve warm in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chicharron! I like to throw my chicharron in the oven for a few minutes (2 min) to add an EXTRA bit of crunch! Top with parsley! This recipe makes 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!

 

The story behind this recipe
I remember growing up, food was the centre of our household. Food meant family, love, laughter, time spent together. My mother has always been an exceptional cook. You can taste her love for creativity and culture in her dishes. She would always prepare the most delicious, traditional Nicaraguan dishes. Nicaraguan cuisine isn't always the healthiest but my mother would always find a way to reduce the amount of sodium and fat that these dishes typically contain – without compromising flavor.

I’d like to think of my mother’s style of cooking as Nuevo Latino cuisine – the exciting fusion of traditional Latin flavors with emerging global food trends, while keeping health a priority and while trying to be as local and sustainable as possible.

Her lentils with chicharron is the perfect example of her bold, expressive, and health-conscious culinary style.

Most importantly, this dish reminds me of home.