Sausage with Garlic Lentils

I'm behind on blogging, so this is a recipe we made last week.

This is a yummy comfort food recipe from Rachel Ray's Big Orange Book.  I have yet to really work my way through this cookbook, but it looks to be full of delicious, hearty meals like this one.  This particular recipe was in a section called "Meals for One".  Now, this is a Rachel Ray cookbook we're talking about here, so when she says it serves one, it really serves two for me and Joe, since we are not big eaters (not since I became a stickler for portion control anyway...).  

Never having made it before though, I wasn't confident that it would serve two comfortably, so I doubled everything but the sausage (the whole reason I was making this recipe in the first place was because it called for only two sausages.  I had exactly that number leftover from when I made the lasagna for mother's day; the kind I bought only came in one pound increments, so I had to buy two packages).  I was sure that two sausages would be enough for us, but I wasn't sure about the lentils or the green salad.  

I probably would have been fine making half the amount of lentils though, because 1/2 a pound of lentils makes A LOT, apparently, but it made great leftovers for burritos for lunch the next day, so I left it doubled in the recipe below.  Also, I used spinach (from our garden, yay!) instead of arugula.  You could also use vegetarian sausage if you don't eat meat, just cook according to the package directions rather than following the directions in the recipe.  

Sausage with Garlic Lentils
adapted from Rachel Ray's Big Orange Book
Serves 2, plus leftovers of lentil mixture

1/2 pound lentils
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 fresh sausages, pork, chicken, or lamb, hot or sweet
2 cups baby arugula (or spinach)
2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Put the lentils in a strainer and rinse under running water to wash away any dirt or grit, then put them in a large sauce pot and cover with water by two inches.  Add the bay leaves and onion quarters and bring to a boil.  Let the pot boil for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender, with a little bite left to them.  Discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile, combine the garlic with about 6 tablespoons of the oil in a large shallow bowl and let stand while you finish cooking.

Put the sausages into a small pan with about a 1/4 inch of water and about 1 teaspoon oil.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to medium-high and let the water simmer for about 8 minutes or so.  Once the water has evaporated, cook for another 3-4 minutes to crisp the casings.

Put the arugula into medium bowl and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently to mix.

Drain the lentils and add to the garlic/oil mixture in the shallow bowl.  Sprinkle the parsley on top and toss to combine.

To serve, pile some of the garlic lentils onto a plate.  Nestle some arugula alongside, and top with a sausage link.