I led a retreat this past weekend, and wanting to have the retreatants try some healthy and easy recipes, I made one of my favorites for them to sample. Everyone loved it, but unfortunately, I left my recipe handouts at home. In order to make things easier, I told them that I would repost the recipe on my blog, and here it is. Lentils are almost a perfect protein, easy to prepare and inexpensive. Give this recipe a try, especially during these cold winter days.
Lentil Marinara
Serves 6
1 jar (26 oz) tomato-based pasta
sauce (I used Wegman’s “Grandpa’s Sauce Goes Vegetarian”)
1 12 oz. bag Wegman’s frozen Mirepoix (diced carrots,
onions, and celery) or 3 fresh carrots,
diced, two medium onions diced, 2 stalks celery diced
2 tb olive oil
1 cup dried lentils, picked over,
rinsed and drained (I used regular brown lentils)
1/2 cup dry red wine (or low sodium
vegetable broth)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
In skillet, sauté Mirepoix in olive oil over medium heat
until onions are translucent, about ten minutes. In heavy pot, heat six cups water to boiling.
Add lentils and bay leaf and reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered for
15-20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Remove from heat, drain and discard bay leaf. Return lentils to
pot and add mirepoix, tomato sauce, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes,
covered. If sauce becomes too thick add some of the pasta water.
You might try something different and serve this delicious
Marinara over spiralized veggie noodles rather than traditional pasta.
This sauce is tastier the second day.
(recipe adapted from Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for
Reversing Diabetes)
