Lentil Stew

This was an experiment.

I got the new Garam Masala from Epicure, and searched their website for recipes that I could try. I found one for a lentil stew that sounded interesting. I was pretty sure the kids would hate it, and possibly even the grown-ups would hate it, but we had all the ingredients at home and it was worth a shot.

I decided to make a half-batch, because, well, I figured alot of it might end up in the garbage. After making it, I realized that a full-batch would have been enough to feed a small army, so I'm very glad I cut it back.

LENTIL STEW
1 tbsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1/2 tsp. garlic
3 c. water
1 c. dry lentils
1 c. sweet potato, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
2-3 tsp. Vegetable Bouillon
1/2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained



Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Add Garam Masala and garlic and cook for another minute. Add remaining ingredients, except for the spinach, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for 25 minutes. Add spinach and stir to heat through. Serve over basmati rice.

This smelled delicious, although I was pretty sure the kids would freak out when they saw little green things and chunks of orange things in their bowl. I'm not ashamed to admit, I pulled out all the cards I had:

1. Soy sauce - my kids will eat anything if it's got soy sauce on it.
2. Naan bread - my kids will eat anything if they get naan bread with it. God bless you, Superstore.
3. McDonalds - I promised a treat after swimming lessons tonight if they eat all their supper.
4. Haiti - I know some people think it's inappropriate, but when my parents told me about the starving kids in Ethiopia, I darn well ate my food. My kids are very concerned with what's happening in Haiti, and well, I used it to my advantage.

Surprisingly, they didn't complain nearly as much as expected. Even William (who freaks out when the waitress puts ketchup in a little container next to his fries, and won't eat butter tarts because there's butter in them) ate his whole bowl. So the moral of the story is, lentil stew ain't so bad, as long as you're prepared to whip out the big guns and threaten/bribe your kids with all you've got.