2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 fresh hot pepper (the light green kind) seeded and thinly sliced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coarse salt (or kosher salt)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 garlic cloves
1 pickled lemon
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes
14 oz water (measure this by pouring water into one of the empty cans)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup brown lentils, cooked (measured before cooking)
1/2 cup red lentils, cooked (measured before cooking)
6 leaves of fresh sage (Do NOT use dry. If you don't have fresh, skip this part)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (Do NOT use dry. If you don't have fresh, skip this part)
Cook onions in oil over medium-low heat in a covered pot, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, process garlic, pickled lemon (remove pits first)
and the liquid from the diced tomatoes until you have a wet paste.
When onions are very soft (about 10-15 minutes) increase heat to medium-high and add hot pepper. Cook one minute. Add all the spices except salt. Stir and cook another minute.
Add garlic-lemon paste, stir well and cook another minute.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir well, reaching all the way to the bottom of the pot.
Add salt. Bring to a gentle boil.
Cook, covered, over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Add lentils and fresh herbs. Stir well. Cook 15 minutes more.
Makes 5-6 servings.
Now, granted, some of the ingredients in that guy's recipe (not to mention some of the tools) probably were not available at the time he was cooking it but why spoil a great story with petty details?
OK. So he is cooking up a storm and here comes his (slightly older) brother, tired, sweaty, muddy and mad as a hornet. Poor guy spent the whole day running around hill and dale and found not one animal considerate enough to be willing to die so as to serve as his dinner. The man was starving. And as he walks into camp, he smells this heavenly stew. Salivating, he approaches the cooking fire and, glory be, it is his little brother cooking something that looks mighty good.
Says the hunter "Brother, can you spare a bowl? On second thought, I'll take the whole pot, if you can spare it"
"W-e-l-l," says the cook, "I dunno. I've been spendin' all morning slaving over this here pot o' stew and now you want me to just hand it over? What's in it for me?"
"What do you want for it?" asks the hunter
The cook scratches his head, thinking. "I'll take your best tent, your first wife and 80% of your flocks"
"Say what?" growls the hunter "Look, buster, this pot ain't got but two or three bowl-fulls in it. You're asking for too much"
The cook shrugs "Fine, how about handing over your birthright instead?"
"Birthright? What good will a birthright do me if I am to drop dead in a minute? I came here starving and then you keep me talking about crazy high prices and all. Take the danged birthright and let me have some chow, will ya?"
And so a deal was struck. Showing the danger of thinking you are "starving" when really you're just a bit hungry. There really are starving people in the world. Esav was not one of them that day and mistaking a grumbling tummy for imminent death had cost him (and his brother) great distress down the line.
On the other hand, while this recipe really smells and tastes enticing enough to trick your older siblings into giving you their birth right, do you really want to be the firstborn? Name one firstborn in the bible that came to a happy ending.
Sigh.
(As you may have guessed, I am a firstborn, and I sure wish one of my siblings would take it off my hands)
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