I like to cook my lentils in my cast iron frying pan that my grandmother bequeathed to me.
In a warm pan I add some red lentils, maybe 1/2 cup.
Then I add about a cup to a cup and a half of water, depends on how thick I want my soup on that day.
Then I thrown in a bouillon cube, vegetable since I am vegetarian, and cover the pan with a lid. I leave it on low-medium heat and go back to coding.
When the lentils have been simmering a while, maybe 10 minutes, I add about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of frozen chopped spinach. I put it in frozen, it will melt in the pan. I also sometimes add one or two frozen plum tomatoes from my father's crop last summer, and replace the lid and let it continue to simmer. Back to coding.
I don't leave the lid on too tight with the lentils on too high or the lentils may boil over the side. Messy.
Once I have hit enough of a wall coding that it is time for a break, I season the lentils with cumin and tranfer to a bowl. I sometimes add a spoonful or two (1/2 a cup?) of yogurt or quark (a kind of fresh cheese) to cool it a bit and lend a creamy texture.
Hope this works for you and feel free to Tweet with questions or success stories. Cheers, Anita.