Easiest, Tastiest, Lentil Stew I Have Ever Made!

For the soup swap I did with my Veggin Around Dinner club, I made Sabrina's Berbere Stew that I learned about when I attended the Healthy Lifestyle Expo in LA last Fall.  This recipe is SO incredibly easy and  delicious, I almost felt like I was cheating my swap partner.  It tastes like I put a lot more effort into it than I actually did.  Because I was swapping, I doubled the recipe below.  Doubling the recipe made enough for another family, our family, another friend and I still have some in my freezer.  Next time, no need to double.

I do not have the rice cooker Sabrina suggested, so I poured the ingredients into a huge pot, brought it to a boil, then simmered for an hour and a half.  This time I used dried red lentils from Dekalb Farmer's Market, but I have also made it with the Trader Joe steamed lentils.  I used the entire package of the steamed lentils, and you do not have to cook the stew as long when the lentils are already steamed.

The ingredients, PLUS dried or cooked lentils and water

 

Sabrina's Berbere Stew

from Healthy Lifestyle Expo

Berbere Stew

2 and 1/2 cups red lentils

2 jars Muir Glen Portobello Mushroom Sauce (or other fat free, low sodium pasta sauce) 
½ cup BBQ sauce of choice

1 tbl berbere spice

4 cups water (or fill to 10 cup line in cooker – we fill the 2 empty Muir Glen bottles w/water)

Directions
 (See mine above) or if you have a rice cooker:

Pour ingredients into rice cooker. Press button to cook on “brown rice” setting.

Our favorite Berbere spice is available here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QNR2WA?ie=UTF8&tag=vegsource08- 20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000QNR2WA

She recommends making it in the Zojirushi 10-Cup Rice Cooker:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MAIW1C?ie=UTF8&tag=vegsource08- 20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000MAIW1C

The Zojirushi will take about 90 minutes to finish cooking, and then it automatically goes into a “warming” setting. These actually improve over time and taste even better the second day, when the flavor is intensified.

Thursday Lentils!

Well - home late after the girls' guitar and piano  classes, they are "starving". I am determined to make KP's lentils. But I dont have time to find the recipe. Off the top of my head, and lots of Trader Joe's ingredients, I actually prepared a dish that 3/4 of us liked.

• 1 box of Trader Joe lentils (in the refrigerated section)
• 1 can roasted tomatoes
• about a cup of frozen artichoke hearts
• juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• 1/2 TBS cumin
• 1 cup of already cooked quinoa (I had this left over and threw it in)
• salt and pepper to taste

Threw all of this in one big pot at the same time, stirred and cooked until simmering.  (about 10 minutes)
I put some of the plain lentils in a separate pot for the girls.  They said they didnt want lentils and tomatoes, in fact they no longer liked lentils.  (Funny with babysitters, they love lentils)  So, I put plain lentils with salt, a sliced peach and lettuce with their favorite dressing on their plate.  I did give S some of the lentil and tomato recipe I made.  They both cleaned their plates.  Finally - Ry ate SOMETHING.  Chad loved the dish, and of course I loved it as well.  So, this is SUPER EASY, and delicious.  S asked for it in her lunchbox tomorrow.  Done!

Lentil Surprise Tonight

If I havent made this clear yet - I really am not a cook.   But this afternoon I started going through our cabinets and found a lot of expired food.  It was pretty upsetting to throw away food.  I became determined to cook whatever was left. - Chad was forewarned before he came home - I had cereal ready for the girls.  I got some inspiration from a recipe a friend had shared, but as usual didnt have everything it required but this is what I did:

• One can of organic lentils (I am trying to use all my canned food, still dont feel safe using cans)
• Stewed tomatoes
• 1 TB each of coriander and cumin
• Juice of one lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Roasted red peppers
• And rice - let it stew for awhile then served to the girls

Later, I added more cumin, pepper, salt and red pepper flakes for me and Chad.

Results - one girl spit it into trash, the other took a respectful bite, Chad said he couldnt re-heat his to his liking (remember no microwave) and I ate my whole bowl.  So, I wouldnt say success, but at least I experimented.