I’m starting today’s post out with something we (and by we I mean me) are very excited about in the Forensic BBQ household. A TeenyTinyTent!!! Yep! As some of you may know, I am an avid hiker and backpacker. When I discovered TinyTents.com, I had to order one for our cats! It’s a huge hit! You’ll see Teeny Tiny (of course) modeling it in the photo in this post. This tent is awesome. It’s got a rainfly and little teeny tiny pockets inside for your cat’s (or small dog’s) camping essentials! I realize this has nothing to do with Green Lentil Stew, but I had to share our excitement over this find!!
On to our post. This chili has a bit of a kick to it, probably from the red wine vinegar. Let’s gather our ingredients!! Obviously, we need some green lentils. Lets talk lentils. There are essentially 3 different kinds of lentils, red, green, and brown. Brown are probably the most common. They hold their shape very well and cook in about 25 minutes. They have a mild, earthy flavor. Green lentils have a bit of a peppery flavor. They take a bit longer to cook, about 45 minutes, but they keep their firmness after cooking, which makes them great for stews! Red lentils are the sweetest and nuttiest flavored. They cook in about 39 minutes but get mushy when cooked. They are ideal for Indian dals.
Ok, so we have our lentils. Lets cook those little guys! We aren’t going to cook them all the way through, because they will finish cooking once we add them to the stew. While those are boiling, we can chop up some celery, carrots, and a parsnip. Throw those in a pan with a little water and let them sizzle.
Once the carrots, celery, and parsnip are cooked to softness, add them to a large pot with some vegetable stock. Simmer that on low.
Next, fry up the mushrooms in a pan with the red wine vinegar (next time I make this I am going to try using straight-up red wine). Once the mushrooms are saturated and the vinegar is dried up, add a small amount of tomato paste and a can of diced tomatoes to the pan. Simmer that for a few minutes, then add it to the pot with the carrots, celery, parsnip, and stock. Lastly, add the lentils to the pot and stir everything together! Garnish with a little snip of parsley to be fancy and enjoy! Oh, and go buy a Tiny Tent!!
