Lentils with Stewed Mustard Green Stems and Cilantro

This is a great dish to make with leftover produce you might have normally thrown away. Save those stems when you eat greens like collards, chard, kale or mustard greens and re-purpose them into a totally new dish.

Green lentils, mustard green stems, ginger, hot peppers and spices slowly simmered in coconut milk with fresh cilantro and lemon.

Lentils with Stewed Mustard Green Stems
serves 3
3 cups water
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2" piece fresh ginger
1 cup green lentils
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, small dice
1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded & minced
1" piece fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric 
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups small dice mustard green stems (plus any leaves that remain)
1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro, divided
1 cup coconut milk
juice of half lemon
1 cup cooked brown rice

Combine the water, garlic and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the lentils and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes untildone. Remove the ginger and garlic.
Saute the onions, jalapeno and serrano pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat for 7 minutes until the onion starts to caramelize. Add the ginger and garlic, cumin, salt, mustard powder, ground coriander and seeds, turmeric and pepper and saute 2 minutes more. Add the mustard green stems and half of the cilantro and saute for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and lightly simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the lentils and lemon juice. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Top with the remaining cilantro and serve over brown or jasmine rice.