Lentils with Broccoli Greens

I've never eaten or cooked broccoli greens, until now. Unlike the broccoli at the grocery store, the head of broccoli that came in this week's farm shipment had all of its leaves attached, so I thought I'd treat them like beet greens or chard, since they seemed to have a similar texture. This recipe came out of a need to use things I had lying around - lentils, broccoli, onions, garlic and a can of diced tomatoes. The result was hearty, savory and healthy. The idea for the egg on top came from a different recipe for a chickpea dish in this month's Bon Appetit, which I'm planning to try later. The silky egg yolk was a good "sauce" for the dish and added a new flavor to the lentils, which had a pretty constant flavor throughout. Finally, as a side dish, I roasted broccoli florets until they got a little crispy, which was a nice texture to have besides the soft lentils.



Makes four servings
Total time to cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 lb dry lentils
Greens from one head of broccoli, about a half dozen, destemmed (cut out and discard the whole center stem, leaving only the leafy bits) and roughly chopped
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (mine had no salt added)
Water (use the can, once its empty, to measure)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
Eggs (one per serving)
Pepper

Steps:
- In a medium pot, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook until it starts to brown, then add the onions.
- Once the onions start to soften, add the greens and cook until they're just starting to wilt, about one minute.
- Add the lentils and can of diced tomatoes, including the juice, to the pot. Add another can-full of water.

- When the water starts to boil, reduce to medium-low heat and allow the lentils to simmer, stirring regularly. Add a little pepper to taste.

- The dish is ready once the lentils have absorbed all of the liquid and are soft, usually after about a half hour. I had to add another cup of water and let them cook a little longer because they weren't quite done, so tasting is important.

- When the lentils are done, turn off the heat and cover the pot.
- In a medium frying pan, heat the other two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook two eggs per batch, they'll be ready once the whites become opaque and a little firm (but don't overcook them or else the yolk won't be runny). I quickly flip my eggs once before serving because I like the texture better, but it's not necessary.

- Serve immediately.
- For the roasted broccoli, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the broccoli into small florets and toss with about two tablespoons of olive oil. Spread them out on a baking pan lined with foil, and season with a few pinches of kosher salt and pepper. Roast until the florets start to brown, about 10 minutes.