MEATLESS LENTIL STEW
This is a hearty stew and you won't miss the meat.
4 cups dried brown lentils (rinse and look for little rocks that might need to be removed. In my entire life I've only found one rock!)
One quart chicken broth (or use four packets from chicken flavor ramen noodles to flavor a quart of water.)
Two bay leaves. (Some people say leaves of bay don't add any flavor to soups and stews but others say these leaves add soul - something no one can quite define but that exists!)
In a pot, cook the lentils in the broth.
I bring to a boil, put a lid on it, and then lower the heat to medium. At about the twenty minute point, when the lentils are softened, I shut the gas off and allow the lentils to absorb any broth left. This happens in about ten minutes. They should be soft and easy to chew.
Olive oil for saute.
One can potatoes (which are already cooked), drained, or boil and cut up one medium potato.
One can carrots (which are already cooked), drained, or two fresh carrots sliced.
One can tomato sauce. (If herbed, you may not want to add more spices.)
One fresh onion diced; red especially good.
Two tablespoons oregano or marjoram dried herb.
Two tablespoons powdered paprika.
In a sauce pan, on medium heat, saute the onion, add the sliced carrots, then the cut up potato, then the spices. Add the tomato sauce last. You want the onions and carrots and potato to be soft. Stir around, add more olive oil as needed, add salt, about a half teaspoon, or as desired. Then add the lentils to the sauce pan and stir well. Continue to cook on low with a lid on over the pan for a few minutes.
If you use canned potato and carrots, the cook time in the sauce pan is less, but just use lower heat, because the tomato sauce will still need to thicken.
Part of the fun of this recipe is the differences in textures and colors.
*** Green and other colors of lentils will work but be sensitive to the cooking instructions on the package as they do have different cooking times. Don't throw different colors of lentils in the same cook pot.
If you use the raman noodle chicken flavor packets, you can still boil up the dried raman and use it for another recipe.
