Sunday, February 3, 2013

Weekend Fun & Easy & Quick Lentil Veggie Stew

The kid had his first sleepover last night. I can’t believe he is old enough for sleepovers… It went really well, and I learned that some 5-year-olds sleep until 9 a.m.! Our kid, on the other hand, “slept in” until 6:30, which is late for him!



We also went to the Farmers’ Market and picked up lots of fresh veggies and some pretty flowers.


The other day I didn’t have anything for lunch around but needed something quickly. I realized that I had some cooked lentils from TJ’s in the fridge along with carrots and celery. While I prefer to cook lentils myself, the precooked lentils are really convenient for a quick salad or to add to soups.



I decided to make a simple stew. I rinsed the lentils to get rid of some of the salt and the “natural flavor” (not sure how “natural” the flavor really is…).


Lentil Veggie Stew

Ingredients
  • 1 package precooked lentils
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 6 carrots, chopped
  • 6 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • salt & pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp salt)
  • curry to taste
  • Cayenne pepper to taste
  • Rice vinegar to taste (I decided to use vinegar instead of lemon juice as originally planned; I like to add about 1/2 Tbs vinegar per big bowl right before serving)
  • Coconut oil
Directions
  1. Heat the coconut oil in a pot and add the onions, carrots, and celery.
  2. After cooking the veggies for about 5 minutes, add curry, Cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper (use less than you think you’ll need; you can always add more at the end). Cook for a few minutes and then add the garlic.
  3. Add the lentils and the vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
  4. Once the stew boils, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  5. Once the soup is done and cooled a bit, add the vinegar and any additional spices as needed.

Questions: Do you like lentils? What’s your favorite lentil recipe (feel free to link in the comments)? What’s your favorite lunch? I love soups and stews for lunch. What was the highlight of your weekend?

Be well,
Andrea