Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Tuesday

Sloppy lentils (recipe in the comments)
Broccoli slaw
Fresh watermelon

Hot tea
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We are babysitting for the 2-month-old baby of some friends of ours tonight, so a super easy meal seemed warranted. Crock pot to the rescue! This is one of our favorite vegetarian slow cooker meals and one of the earliest ones we did. It's very flavorful and makes a filling and festive meal. I don't think the lentils really taste like sloppy joes, but the concept is similar and this recipe is excellent on its own merits (rather than as a fake meat). The slaw is just shredded broccoli tossed with a simple dressing (whatever strikes our fancy - even something bottled - tonights was a balsamic mustard creation). All in all (after a simple morning or night before prep) this is a super simple meal. It's warming enough to be good for a spring night, but makes one long a bit for the summer nights to come. On that note I love using my slow cooker in the summer, as it doesn't heat up the kitchen!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, bell pepper, broccoli
Time: 25 minutes prep + 8 hours to cook unattended
Make ahead: The whole idea.

Reaction
J: "Vegetarian at its best."
M: "Perfect for tonight."

5 comments:

J said...

Sloppy Lentils – M & J and Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker
Serves 4-6

1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper (colored or green), seeded and chopped
1 T chili powder
Cooking spray
1 ½ cups dried brown lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
5 cups water
2 T soy sauce
2 T yellow mustard
3 T brown sugar
1 t red wine vinegar
1 t salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Buns
Yellow mustard and ketchup

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder to the pan and toss to coat.

Oil the ceramic insert to your slow cooker with cooking spray and add the onion mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients (lentils through ground pepper) and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Unknown said...

I miss this meal!!! One of my M&J faves...

Lidian said...

What a brilliant meal!

Marie said...

MMMM....I'll be trying this one soon! (I love lentils.) Did you have fun with the baby?

J said...

I'm glad this one has gotten so much attention. It's really good. T loved it today :)

The baby slept the whole time with only one brief wake-up in need of her pacifier. It was the easiest babysitting of a two-month-old I can imagine. It brought forth NO memories of T being 8 weeks old, as sleep was not something he was "in to". I wanted to hold her and cuddle her, but it was not to be. Maybe next time...