Sweet & Sour Lentils

I was skeptical about this recipe...an entire meal with just lentils? Weird. However, it actually turned out quite well and hubby said it was decent. Although he did say it would be better with pork :)

I didn't take a picture because I didn't think it was going to be any good, and it's not very pretty!

The original recipe is from Hillbilly Housewife, and I made very few changes to it. I think next time I would also add pineapple chunks to it, and maybe add a small amount of pork for an 'almost meatless monday' meal. Also, hubby suggested that some roasted peanuts sprinkled on top before eating would add extra tastiness...I love it when hubby has culinary suggestions, often he just gives a thumbs up or a thumbs down, so input is appreciated!!

Ingredients

1 Cup Lentils

2 1/2 Cups Water

2 Beef Bouillon Cubes (Mine are vegetarian due to those being the only gf ones I could find!)

A sprinkle of Bay Leaf Pieces

1/4 Cup Pineapple or Apple Juice

1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/8 Cup White Vinegar

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 Tbsp. Oil

1 Red Pepper, Diced (I'm sure other peppers would be just as good, that's just what I had)

1 Large Onion, Diced

2 Cups Rice, Cook as Directed

Pineapple chunks (optional)

Peanuts (optional, obviously leave out if you are nut free!)

Place lentils, water, beef bouillon cubes and bay leaf pieces in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Stir occasionally. 

While that is cooking, in a large frying pan, saute onion and pepper in oil, until tender/onion is translucent.

In a small bowl, mix together pineapple/apple juice, apple cider vinegar, vinegar, brown sugar and garlic. (If using pineapple chunks, add them here.)

When lentils are tender (most of the liquid will be absorbed), add them to the frying pan with the cooked onions and peppers. Add the juice mixture and stir to mix. Heat until bubbling and serve hot over rice. (If adding peanuts, add them to the top.)

Fresh Salsa

My garden is producing! Very exciting except I need to use lots of cherry tomatoes! The ones I planted produce small yellow tomatoes first then medium orange ones then large (relatively speaking since they are cherry tomatoes!) red ones. Right now I have lots of yellow and a few orange. They are wonderfully sweet!

I threw together a salsa tonight and even my veggie-loathing hubby said it was good :) Only problem is I put red pepper flakes in not realizing how spicy they were and made it too spicy for me to eat more then a couple of bites!

This makes enough for 1-2 servings.
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 Medium Green Pepper
Seasonings to taste: Onion powder, granulated garlic and red pepper flakes.
A small amount of water to let the spices mix.
Chop your veggies small and add spices, lemon and water. Let sit in the fridge for about an hour to ensure a crispy flavourful taste.

I served it over chicken breasts cooked in vinegar and water (cayenne, onion powder & garlic powder to taste) on the stove top. A delicious combination!!

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