Lentil Stew ( For Brigitte and my other amazing friends)

Lentil Stew.
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min to 1 hour ( mostly non active)

This is a really quick and easy meal that I picked up while I was dating the vegan this summer ( may that relationship rest in peace :-P). It literally costs about $3.00 to make, takes 10 minutes to prepare and will feed you for about a week if ur flying dolo like me or a about 4 meals if ur feeding a family. I tend to freestyle this recipe depending on what I have in my cabinets, but here are the basics.
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Tools needed: ( I'm an OT and I like to break things down into lists... forgive me)

-Pot with a top
-large wooden spoon
-Stove
-Knife ( I prefer my chef's knife)
-Cutting board
-Measuring cup
-Measuring spoons

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Ingredients

- 1 16 0z bag of lentils, rinsed and drained( get organic if you can, but steer clear of the store brand I've found that they are of cheaper quality)

- 1 medium onion

- 2- 3 cloves of garlic

- 2 tbs of Extra virgin olive oil

- about 5 cups of H20 or low sodium vegetable stock

***** You could add carrots and celery to this stew for added flavor ********


Spices:
Oregano ( 1.5 tsp)
Paprika ( 1.5 tsp)
Curry (1 tsp)
Celery seeds (1 tsp)
Cayenne Pepper (1/2 tsp... I'm a punk)
Thyme (1 tsp)
2 -3 shakes of black pepper

Sea salt ( approx a tablespoon) and then salt to taste one cooked.
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Steps:

1. Get your mise en place together. Culinary term for get your stuff ready to get into the pot.

1. Coarsely chop onion and place in a bowl on the side

2. Peel and coarsely chop garlic cloves. Place in bowl and put to the side.

3. Measure out all of your spices and put them into a bowl (make sure it looks all pretty and colorful, I swear this step make the soup taste better :-))

4. Measure out at least 1 cup of your water or stock

5. Pour 2 tbs of olive oil into your pot and place over medium heat

6. Once your oil is ready add your beautifully chopped onion, and cook until transparent, about 2 - 3 min

7. Add your garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min)

8. Toss in all of those pretty spices and a little more oil if you feel like your spices look dry. Saute spices in the onion, oil and garlic mixture for another minute or two. Your kitchen will smell like heaven, but be careful not to burn the spices.

9. Add your rinsed and drained lentils and stir in mixture for about a minute

10. Add 3 cups of water and your tbs of salt. Give it a quick stir, and cover for 10 min.

11. Once the water is boiling, recover and lower flame to a simmer. Cook for 45 min or until lentils are tender. I tend to check the water level of the stew every 15 min and add a cup when the water level gets low ( after a 1/2 hour or so).

12. After the stew is finished, add additional salt and spices if necessary and a squeeze of lemon and enjoy!!!!

**** Side note this is a very thick, almost meaty stew, so I tend to eat it with a salad loaded with carrots, celery, red peppers, cucumbers and chickpeas. To keep the meal really clean, I sprinkle the salad with a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice rather than use salad dressing. Add an avocado, and BAM! you've got yourself a satisfying meal.

Cost of the entire meal: Approx $10.