Barbeque Lentils

Cooked lentils.  They aren’t smooth like French Silk Pie or succulent like the tender chicken picatta the Engineer was famous for making me in his teenage years.

Lentils are savory.  Rich.  Complete with texture and robust flavor. 

And now sweet.  Sweet and filling.

Barbeque Lentils

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (I use this contraption to accomplish mentioned mincing.)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 cups lentils (preferably brown), rinsed
• Celtic Sea Salt, to taste
• ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat oil.  Sauté onions and garlic.  Once translucent, add chili and mustard powder.

Combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Once the tell-tale signs of boiling have occurred, cover pot and allow contents to simmer for half hour.  (Although I must admit, I allowed my lentils to cook for an hour . . . and they were still a bit crunchy.)

Feel free to add water if necessary to keep this dish succulent or moist.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Even Kids will like this: Lentil Rice Casserole

Lentil Rice Casserole
(4-6 servings)

Bake covered at 300 for 2-2 1/2 hours (which makes it easy to pop in the oven before it gets crazy-hungry dinner time)

Blend together the following in a casserole dish and let stand overnight or 7 hours to improve nutrition:
3 cups water
¾ cup uncooked lentils
½ cup uncooked brown rice
Whey or juice of ½ lemon

Add just before baking:
3-4 tbls Liquid Aminos (I use Braggs Liquid Amino, which can be found at Kroger and health food stores)
1 small onion chipped or ¼ cup instant dry onion
½ tsp basil leaves
¼ tsp oregano leaves
¼ tsp thyme leaves
¼ tsp garlic powder

Bake covered at 300 for 2-2 ½ hours or until tender and the water is absorbed.

We serve it on whole wheat tortillas with grated raw cheese.