Try this easy comfort food as a main meal or a side dish to replace high-carb dishes such as white rice or potatoes. Lentils serve up well with your favorite seasonings.
INGREDIENTS
-One pound bag of lentils
-Can of black beans – rinsed
-Can of (mild or hot) Rotel OR fire roasted diced tomatoes if you don’t want it spicy
-3 or 4 long carrot sticks, chopped
-1 Chopped onion
-2 stalks celery and leaves
-1 tsp minced garlic (or powder if you don’t have diced garlic)
-1 tsp Salt
-1/8 tsp pepper
-Meat for seasoning – I use smoked ham, But you can use any kind.
DIRECTIONS
Place in soup pot with enough water to cover about 2″ above ingredients.
Bring to a boil then simmer on medium/low till lentils are tender.
You can do this same recipe with a half a bag of lentils. You can season it like ham and beans, or give it a Mexican flair by adding Mexican seasonings, or Italian flavor by adding Italian seasonings. You could add more water to make it soupy or less to make it a thicker dish to serve with your dinner entrée. I like sour cream on top of mine sometimes.
VARIATIONS
I usually buy a package of smoked ham ends and pieces, chop it up and freeze in small Ziploc bags.
But, if I don’t have smoked ham, I use diced ham and add 1/2-1 tsp Liquid Smoke to the pot, (Adjust according to your smoky preference.)
I created this dish and started serving it as a substitute for rice and potatoes with a meal to help fill Ken up after his diabetes diagnosis. Even though there are carbs in the dish they are balanced out by the amount of protein and fiber.