Lentil Love and Another Giveaway!

I've been working on overhauling my diet for about a month now. I'm a loooooong way from where I want to be, but I am making progress. I'm eating a lot less meat and a lot more vegetables. In fact, I'm averaging about three completely meatless days a week! Cutting back on sugar, well....I'd rather not talk about that right now. I still enjoy meat but not basing a meal around it has helped up my veggie intake and has forced me to be more creative in the kitchen. I've tried several new foods including tofu (NO THANKS), artichokes (a little too much prep work for my taste) and lentils.

Love lentils. Love. I can't believe I waited 28 years to eat them. Most likely because every time I encountered this wonderful little legume it was curried and you all know how I feel about curry. Lentils are meaty, smooth, earthy and wonderfully easy. I've had them as patties, in salads and mixed with roasted veggies. But this recipe has been mine, and my family's favorite way to eat them. It's nothing fancy but is super satisfying, wholesome, and quick to prepare. I am quickly realizing that traditional foods like lentils can be your medicine. Food, real food, can remedy just about anything.

Lentils with Feta

•2 tbsp olive oil

•1 medium onion, diced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 cup French Lentils
•3 cups vegetable broth
•1/2 tsp dried thyme (use fresh if you have it)
•salt and pepper to taste
•feta, crumbled ( I used peppercorn goat cheese feta)
•brown rice to serve with
In a pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the lentils until cooked (about 20 minutes).Serve over brown rice, topped with feta . Don’t skimp on the feta, it makes the meal.

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AND......to help you cook up your very own batch of lentils, how about some fab new kitchen gadgets to work with? My dear friend Danielle is giving one lucky reader a set of bamboo spatulas from Pampered Chef! Bamboo is a renewable alternative to hardwood and it's resistence to expansion and contraction associated with temperature and humidity changes makes it perfect for kitchen utensils.

You know the drill. To enter, you must be a follower. Membership has it's benefits! You may enter once a day until I announce a winner on Friday, April 22nd....Earth Day!

For more great Pampered Chef products, you can visit Danielle's website at www.pamperedchef.biz/danicooks. Good luck!