In our house, lentils with a fried egg is known as "cowboy food." I still haven't understood exactly why, but my husband peddles this dinner to our children as such, summoning up images of crackling campfires, tin cups, neighing horses... Thomas is German, and obviously not very well acquainted with the food culture of the American West. But it works! The children might even call it their favorite meal. It may be the marketing, but it may simply be because it's a very good meal. It's also simple, and budget conscious. <br /> <br />This technique for cooking lentils breaks up the process into two basic steps: First cook the lentils in lots of water with aromatics and vegetables cut into large chunks until barely al dente. Remove from heat and discard the pieces of vegetables and herbs. Then brown more of the same vegetables, finely diced, return the lentils to the pan with the vegetable mirepoix (the finely diced vegetables browned in olive oil), and reheat until the lentils are cooked to desired consistency.

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