Lentils & Escarole - Can there really be enough escarole recipes?

With RRR working close to home for awhile, I've been doing more home cooking than I have in recent weeks. Another one of my cold weather staples is a dish of red lentils with tomatoes and escarole. Yes I know this is my second escarole recipe... I am a creature of habit.

This healthy and hearty recipe is courtesy of RRR. I believe she saw the recipe somewhere and made some adjustments. Again, this is another dish that is super easy and the most work you will do is chopping the celery, onion and garlic to get the dish started.

Note: I use a large restaurant-style saute pan but a large stock pot would certainly do; just make sure you have enough room for an entire head of escarole.

Start by sauteing some garlic cloves, diced celery (about 3 - 4 stalks) and half an onion. I prefer white onions to add a bit of sweetness, but a yellow onion would do just fine. Once the vegetables have softened, add the red lentils (I use a 14 oz container from Manhattan Fruit & Vegetable Exchange) and mix until well blended.

Next add one (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes and enough chicken stock to cover the lentils. At this stage, I also add a few generous squirts of tomato paste to thicken the bright lentil mixture. I also season at each stage with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Once the tomatoes are added, I grate a bit of nutmeg as well.

Once the lentils have begun to expand and soak up the broth (approximately 45 minutes or so), add one head of well-rinsed escarole and cover until the greens begin to wilt. Once wilted, stir to incorporate the greens into the mixture and finish (if desired) with a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

Serve in large bowl with a generous helping of grated cheese.