Hi everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. I spent the majority of my Sunday picking out new plants for the yard and working on cleaning things up. I got tomato and bell pepper plants (I cheat by using the transplants), but I haven’t planted them yet. My stepmom works at a garden store and will be bringing me some more veggies soon so that I can organize my beds and then plant them. Can’t wait! My bell pepper stock is running low. I even got new gardening gloves, which I clearly broke in.
For Meatless Monday, I tried out a new recipe using lentils. I’ve cooked lentils a couple times before, and they’re so good! They’re in the same family as beans-legumes. Legumes are a great alternative to meats, and are used in abundance in many other countries. They are excellent sources of protein and fiber and also contain iron, zinc, potassium, and folate. Because they are so nutrient dense, The Dietary Guidelines classify them as both veggies and protein and recommend for people to count them as either/or.
Crockpot Lentil Chili
Adapted from Whole Foods Market
Ingredients:
8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 lb. dried brown lentils
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
½ cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
2 fresh carrots, chopped
2 16oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp minced garlic
4 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Rinse and drain lentils. Place in crockpot and add all other ingredients. Stir. Cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!
Although they looked a bit dry when I first checked out the finished product, it was definitely still moist! I have a bad habit of under seasoning, but these had a lot of taste. I think the roasted tomatoes played a big role 
. These were so easy to make and definitely a meal I will make again.
Do you plan on making a veggie or herb garden this season? Do you ever cook lentils?
Have a great week!
