Indian/Thai Lentil Stew

This was another "made-up" dish that may be an actual recipe somewhere, but this meal was a combination of a bunch of things that sounded good together to me.  It got a 10 out of 10 from the boys!

This meal is very hearty, filling, inexpensive and quick to make.  I sent left-overs in addition to the boys salads for school lunches the following day.  Feeds 3 hungry boys, a Mom IN ADDITION TO leftovers for next day!

Recipe:

• 1 28oz can of Organic diced or stewed tomatoes
• 1 can Organic coconut milk (use Light for lower fat content if that is a concern)
• 2 cups dried organic lentils
• 1 cup brown rice
• 3-6 cups of water, depending on your preferred consistency (I start with 3 and add more if needed)
• Several stalks of diced celery (reserve some raw celery for garnish)
• 1 diced onion
• Several diced tomatoes (optional)
• Sea salt to taste
• Cumin or Curry to taste
• Garlic powder or diced garlic to taste
• Garnish with fresh basil, raw celery and/or corn (only raw celery garnish pictured below)

I dumped everything into a pot, brought it to a boil and turned it down to simmer for 45 min to an hour.  Check water level and stir occasionally.

Once cooked, I served over a bed of raw spinach.  The warm stew softens the spinach to a very nice consistency.  The raw spinach and celery provided enough raw green nourishment that I didn't feel it necessary to serve with a salad.