Crockpot Lentil Bolognese

Alright, so here's the deal, dudes: we got 17 inches of snow last night, so I had a work snow day today. Fuck yeah! What did I do? Cooked the shit outta some food. Waffles for breakfast. Leftover curried lentil soup for lunch. And this spectacular dish for dinner. It was an experiment for sure. I never even thought about making pasta sauce in a crockpot before. What the hell is wrong with me?

I've not made homemade pasta sauce in so long, and I thought I would give it a shot in my crockpot. I had to get creative with my ingredients since I (literally) can't leave the house. There are nearly 2 feet of snow in the street so there's no way in hell I can go to the store! Soooooo, I improvised with a few things, like using lentils instead of tvp, english muffins for garlic toast, and I had no mushrooms (insert sad face). I worried it wouldn't turn out, but WOW. This is some of the best sauce I've ever had. And the lentils are insanely filling. I rocked this shit out.

I have a 5 or 6 quart crockpot, and set it to HIGH for this sauce. It took me about 4 hours to get it cooked down to where I wanted it to be. Your crock may take longer or less time.
This easily makes enough for 4 large servings over pasta.

What I used:

• 1- 28oz can crushed tomatoes 
• 2 cups veg broth or water
• 1-2 TBs Italian spice blend (mix of basil, parsley, oregano, and marjoram or something similar)
• 1/2 cup matchstick carrots, minced
• 1/2 diced bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1 TB oil of your choice
• 4 cloves garlic, mined
• 1 cup dried lentils
• lots of pepper
• salt to taste
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder (gimme a break...I love garlic) 
• 1/2 cup almond milk (takes out the metalic bitterness of the canned tomatoes)

What I did:

1. Set the crock pot to HIGH. Add the tomatoes.
2. In a skillet, heat the oil. Once hot, add the onions and carrots. After the onions turn translucent, add the garlic and cook another 4 minutes. Add the veg to the crockpot. 
3. Add the broth, lentils, and spices and stir well. Cover with lid and cook for about 4 hours. Just be sure to stir it about once an hour. Just before the sauce reaches the 4 hour mark, I stirred in the almond milk and cooked about 15 minutes longer. It kills that metallic taste of canned tomatoes. Depending on how thick you like the sauce, you may need to add a bit more broth. I like it thick, so I didn't add any extra.  

ENJOY!

Curried Lentil Soup - OMFG!

One of my super-close foodie-vegan-blogger friends, Nicole, posted this recipe recently and I knew with 100% certainty that I had to make it. I knew it was going to blow my mind. I was completely right. This soup is fucking amazing. The recipe is perfect in every single way. The only problem I encountered was that I didn't have any celery because I almost never have it around the house. But, it was still so incredibly wonderful that it just doesn't even matter. Make this shit, dudes. You won't regret it.

Nicole's Curried Lentil Soup

What you need:

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 quart vegetable broth or water
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 peeled carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced (which I didn't have, but the soup was mind-blowing anyway)
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 4 tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp dried chili powder (optional, but I seriously recommend it)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Sautee onion, carrots, celery and garlic in oil for 2 minutes. It should look like this:

2. Add parsley, basil and curry powder and sautee for an additional 2 minutes
   — add chili powder here if you’re using it. Like this:

3. Add broth, salt, lentils and tomatoes and bring to a boil, like so:


4. Reduce to low and simmer until lentils are cooked, about 40 minutes— you may need to add a little extra water/broth (I added about 1 1/4 cups water later in the cooking). Here's what mine looked like when it had cooked down to perfection:

5. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and a dollop of vegan sour cream and enjoy! (I only used cilantro, and it was incredibly tasty). Check it out:

Here's a random delicious photo:

This soup makes carrots happy!

You definitely should check out Nicole's rocking blog and make some of her fantastic food. She's my foodie crush.

Two-Lentil Dal (a la Robin Robertson) - VeganMoFo #5

Perhaps you haven't heard of her, but Robin Robertson is an excellent vegan cookbook author. She recently (September 2012) published a cookbook titled Fresh From the Vegan Slow Cooker, and this is the first dish I've made. I'm not sure what it was supposed to look like, but I do know the dal tastes excellent with some rice and my homemade vegan garlic naan. The texture of my dal was similar to refried beans....thick, slightly lumpy, almost creamy. I have no idea if that's how it was supposed to be, but I did end up cooking mine 9 hours while I was at work, so that may be to blame. Regardless, we LOVED IT!!

If you haven't noticed before, I tend to always alter recipes, and this one was no different. I added in a few tiny carrots from my garden, along with a bit of my favorite curry powder. Because I started cooking this at 9:30 am and didn't get home until 6:30, It may have been slightly overcooked, but it was still 100% delicious. Like, insanely delicious. The recipe called for cardamom, and I will admit that I was skeptical. I'd only really ever used cardamom in sweet treats and zucchini bread. It turned out perfect, though, and I'm interested in adding it to other curries in the future.

I think the only other change I might make in the future is to add a little wedge of lemon when I serve it. Lemon is such a perfect complement to lentils, especially Indian-spiced lentils. Unfortunately, this isn't my recipe to share, but I do highly recommend that you check out Fresh From the Vegan Slow Cooker  from your local library (hey, I can't help it; I'm a librarian) or just splurge and buy it. I am so excited to try a ton of the other recipes now!

Happy MoFo, everyone!

Coconutty Potato Lentil Curry

Curry sure isn't pretty, but it tastes kickass.

I've been meaning to make a coconutty curry for ages, but just haven't. Until today, that is. I had asked for inspiration and @greenvegnliving delivered. She recommended a recipe by Mark Bittman for potato lentil curry. It sounded tasty to start with, but I absolutely can't resist altering recipes like a mofo. I know; I'm a badass. You don't have to tell me. I added all sorts of flavor and goodness to the original recipe and it fucking rocks. I can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow. You do know that curries are even better the second day, right?

Serves 4 adults with rice and flatbreads

What you need:

• 1 can coconut milk (I used full-fat)
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 TB (or more) curry powder of your choice
• 1/2 tsp celery seed or celery salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp powdered mustard seed.
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• salt (I used a cool coarse black salt from Hawaii - NOT the sulfurous kala namak salt)

 What you do:

1. Heat a large-ish sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the lentils, 1 cup water and 1 can of coconut milk and mix well. Now mix in your spices except the salt (adding salt early in cooking lentil can cause them to not soften). Above are the starting measurements for the spices. Add whatever you want. 
2. Once the liquid starts to bubble, give it another stir, put a lid on the pot (slightly askew to let a tiny bit of steam out), then turn the heat way down to low. Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Now, add in the onion, potato, and carrot. Here I added another cup of water because it had cooked down so far. Mix everything really well and put the lid on all the way. You'll cook this for about 20 more minutes on low. I set my stove timer to go off every 4 minutes to stir it. I just wanted to make sure it didn't burn to the bottom of the pot. Add more water and/or adjust your spices as needed. Cook until your potatoes are soft and everything tastes KILLER! The longer you simmer over low, the more time the spices have to develop a stellar, delicious sauce.

French Lentil Soup

I have heard nothing but good things about French Lentils, so I was mega stoked when I found some at a local health food store. Then, they sat on my counter for 3 weeks before I finally felt motivated to use them. Yes, I am a fickle chickpea. It's what I do. I make all sorts of plans to cook things, then I change my mind. I'm sure you understand. No? Bugger. Well, whatever. The lentils are quite delectable and they seem to cook quickly. I do recommend giving them a shot. If you don't have them, just use the basic lentil you find at the grocery store. They're kind of greenish-brownish. They'll work just fine, I'm sure.

I decided to make this stew with the random things I found in my fridge because I had zero desire to head out in the cold and buy more food. In addition to being fickle, I am also sometimes rather lazy. And I am okay with that. Anyway, the soup turned out way better than I had imagined. The use of smoked paprika adds a warmth that I found quite tasty. I seem to be slightly addicted to adding it to my dishes lately. Enough talk. Let's get cookin!

This recipe makes about 6-8 bowls of soup.

What I used:

• 14oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 3-4 cups veggie broth (I'd start with 3 1/2 cups and add more if necessary later on)
• 1 1/4 cups dried French Lentils, picked through and rinsed
• 2 large carrots cut into 1/4 inch thick coins
• 1 large russett potato, diced small I peeled mine but you don't have to
• About 2 cups of kale, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2-3 TB olive oil
• 1 TB sugar to help take the tinny taste from the canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp all-purpose seasoning (I use Simply Organics brand)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder/granulated onion
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• a small pinch of cumin
• lots of pepper
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt

What I did:

1. Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, potato and the garlic. Stir occasionally to keep anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
2. Once the onion is translucent, add in all the other ingredients and stir very well. I increased the heat to bring the soup to a boil for a few minutes, then put the lid on the pot and then turned the heat back down to medium-low. I stirred it every 10-15 minutes, for about 40 minutes.
3. Then, I removed the lid and let the liquid cook down a little bit further to make it more like a stew. I think that took about 10-15 minutes. But, you can leave it more liquidy...whatever floats your veggie boat. 

I very highly recommend serving this with some garlic bread. Not sure why, but it tasted amazing together. And, really, I eat garlic bread every chance I get.

Lentil Loaf Heaven

I have been obsessed with using lentils these last few days. I made the lentil tacos, lentil nachos and the lentil shepherd's pie. I'm digging the lentils hardcore, dudes. They taste rad, especially when cooked with vegetable broth with some spices. Well, I've been looking for a lentil loaf recipe for about a week because when I re-organized my cupboards, I found 2 bags of lentils I had forgotten all about. Why lentil loaf? Why the hell not? I always hated meatloaf as a kid, so I have no idea why I became obsessed with making a vegan version.

Whatever, though. This stuff was fucking perfect. I will admit, though, that I was completely skeptical as I don't really love tofu. There, I said it. I don't love tofu. I like it in scrambles, and that's about it. But, I'm certain that I will never make lentil loaf again without it. It keeps it moist and helps it hold it's loafy shape.

Here's the original inspiration recipe. I did make kind of a lot of changes. But, without this recipe, I would have ended up with a dry, crumbly mess. So, I do recommend it. I just needed more spices and sauce.

So, here are the changes I made to the recipe.

• Instead of making that tomato sauce, I used ketchup and bbq sauce topped with some salt and pepper.
• I used just green bell pepper, not red.
• Instead of the 1 TB tomato mixture, I added about 2 TB ketchup and 2 TB bbq sauce into the loaf.
• I left out the balsamic vinegar, sugar, thyme (I don't like thyme) and corn meal.
• Used 1 TB coconut oil to cook the veggies in, then 2 tsp olive oil in the loaf.
• Cooked my lentils in veggie broth with some cumin and all-purpose seasoning.
• Used Braggs aminos instead of soy sauce.
• Upped the spices to:
• 1/2-3/4 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried mustard
• 1 TB dried parsley
• 1/4-1/2 tsp garlic salt
• Added these spices:
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/3 tsp Simply Organic all-purpose seasoning
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp rubbed sage
• pepper
• I followed the directions as-is, except that I ran my drained tofu through my processor instead of mashing it by hand. 
• I didn't measure the bbq sauce and ketchup that I brushed on the outside. I'm guessing 2 TB bbq, and 3-4 TB ketchup.

Here are the photos of the progress:

Freshly formed loaf. About 2 inches high and 4 wide.

Loafy McLoaf smothered in bbq and ketchup before being baked.

Fresh from the oven. Much loafy love.

So perfect with some butter mashed Yukons and a little ketchup for dipping. 

You should totally make this! Don't let my alterations dissuade you. It's soooo easy and the baking time is only 30 minutes. Just do it!!

Spicy Lentil Tacos

 
Hark! I have discovered my very favorite tacos of all time! The lentil taco. So much awesomeness. Plus, any leftover lentils make some crazy-good nachos. Definitely rad. You should make them.

This batch made 6 large tacos and 2 huge servings of nachos.

What you need:

• 1 cup dry lentils
• about 2-2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp all-purpose seasoning (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• about 1 1/2 TB taco seasoning (I use my own blend. Recipe here)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 large mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup salsa of your choice
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• salt

What I did:

1. Cook lentils in the broth with the cumin and all-purpose seasoning (if using). I leave my pot covered so that none of the broth evaporates. Mine took about 15-20 minutes, but cooking times vary by how old the lentils are. If they get too dry add more broth or water then cover again and cook until they are tender, but not mush. Once they're tender done, and nearly all the liquid is absorbed, remove the pot from the heat.
2. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook 3 more minutes. Add the lentils, the spices and the salsa. Stir well and taste for seasonings. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Done.

Have leftover lentil taco filling? Make some nachos. These have vegetarian refried beans, vegan sour cream, some Daiya cheddar mixed into the lentils, some diced onion, sliced black olives and tomatoes. Mega yum, dudes. I wish there were more leftovers. 

Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Shrooms

It's not especially photogenic, but it tastes like comfort.

With the weather turning colder by the day, I have been wanting craving comfort food like mad. Funny thing, I never had shepherd's pie until I went veg, so it isn't some childhood memory for me, which is what most comfort food is to me. But, anything smothered in mashed potatoes instantly becomes comfort food. And if you have a problem with that, then I'm just going to have to ask you to leave. Now. We don't need your types around here.

When you look at the recipe, it seems like a lot of ingredients, I know. However, if you cook regularly, you probably have most of it on-hand already. About 1/3 of them are spices. See, less daunting already! I do hope, though, that you have the ability to multi-task because it definitely saves you a lot of time on this one. And if you don't, well, bummer for you.

I have found a new spice love. I feel so unfaithful to my constant standbys of garlic powder, coriander, etc. I'm in love with an all-purpose seasoning by Simply Organics. I only bought it because I found a recipe I want to make for Thanksgiving that calls for it. But, I've been trying it in other dishes and I'm completely hooked. I find it irresistible. So, I thought I'd shared the love and recommend it to you guys, too. I think you'll like it. Enough blathering on about spice. On to the recipe, already. Sheesh.

This makes 1 large-ish dish. I got 6 main-dish-sized servings out of mine.

What I used for the mashed potatoes: 

• 5 medium-sized yukon gold potatoes, cubed with skins on (You can use any kind, just peel them before boiling)
• some almond milk
• some Earth Balance
• salt 

What I used for the lentils:

• 1 cup dried lentils
• about 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp Simply Organic All-Purpose Seasoning

What I used for the rest of the dish:

• 1 1/2 TB coconut oil
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
• about 8 ounces of fresh mushrooms, sliced
• about 1 cup finely shredded carrot (I just used 1 massive carrot)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach, stems removed
• 2 tsp Braggs aminos 
• 2 TB cornstarch
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth (approximate)
• 1 tsp Simply Organic All-Purpose Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• lots of pepper and some salt
• about 2/3 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned ones because that's what I had in my cupboard)

What you need to do:

1. Preheat your oven to about 400 degrees F. Lightly spritz a deep casserole or pie plate with some cooking spray. Shake the bread crumbs into the bottom of the dish to make a light layer covering the whole bottom. You may need more or less depending on your dish size.
2. Put your lentils, their broth and seasoning into a small pot with a lid. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer (with the lid on) until most of the liquid is dissolved and the lentils are softened to your liking. You do want a little broth left over...maybe 2-3 TB. The cooking time varies with the age of the lentils. Fresher lentils cook faster. Mine took about 15 minutes. Once done, leave the lid on and remove from the heat.
3. While the lentils are cooking, put your potatoes in a large pot, add about 1 TB salt to the pot and cover the potatoes with water. Bring to a boil, then cook for about 10 minutes. Maybe more maybe less depending on how big your taters are cut. You want them to be fork-tender. Then drain. Now, using either an electric hand mixer, of a potato masher, whip in some almond milk, butter and salt. I like mine creamy and buttery, but add however much you want. Once you get them tasting awesome, set aside.
4. I started this while the first 2 steps were still happening. You'll need a large nonstick skillet. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened. Now add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook another 4 minutes. Your mushrooms should be cooked perfectly now.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and the broth until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add that mix, along with the lentils and their broth, the Braggs and the spices to the skillet and mix well. Now add the spinach and mix around a bit. Just cook until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Taste and check for seasoning. Remove from heat.
6. Scoop the lentil mix into the baking dish. 

7. Now, scoop all the potatoes on top and smooth out into an even layer across the top. I then sprinkled mine with salt and pepper.

8. Bake about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly golden. Dig in and enjoy. Or not. Your loss.

Red Lentil Dal with Chickpeas

Red Lentils, anyone? Yes, please!
I was perusing my farmer's market a few days ago when I stumbled upon a rad little booth that was chock-full of dried legumes. You know how I love my legumes! I simply cannot resist. Alright, so I found red lentils at the booth. Now what? Google to the rescue. Make a dal.

I've never eaten dal, but the suggestions I found said it was a curry. Dudes, I can do curries. So, here is my version. Pardon me if it isn't authentic or whatever. It is, however, fucking yummy over some brown basmati rice. The only thing that would have made it better is some naan or some pitas. It would be lovely served sammich style.

Instead of using oil to sautee the veg, I decided to use veggie broth, which is a trick I learned in the Get Healthy Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard. It saves on fat and calories, and it tastes yummy.Give it a shot sometime.

Anywhooo, it makes 4 dinner size servings when combined with rice.

Ingredients:

• 3 small roma tomatoes, chopped (with the guts)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/3 cups veggie broth
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1 very large carrot (or 2 medium carrots) sliced thinly
• 2 TB tomato paste
• 1 heaped tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 1/4 tsp cumin
• 2/3 cup dried red lentils
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp coriander
• pinch cardamom
• 1 tsp muchi curry powder (mine is super potent, so you may need to add more)
• salt and pepper
• pinch cayenne or chili powder

Method:

1. Put a medium size pot over a medium heat burner. Add the 1/3 cup of broth, the onions, carrots and garlic. Stir occasionally to keep anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the onions are translucent. I put a lid on mine to cook a little faster. It took about 5 minutes.
2. Now mix in the turmeric, ginger, paprikas, coriander, cardamom, chili powder, salt and pepper.
3. Bring the burner up to medium-high. Add the rest of the broth, the tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, tomato paste and mix well. Bring to a boil for about 4 minutes.
4. Then put a lid on the pot and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now remove the lid and let thicken up for about 7 minutes, or until the dal is thick to your liking. 
5. Mix in the curry powder (adding it too early can sometimes turn the curry powder bitter). Let sit out for 5 minutes or so. Then serve it up over some rice or quinoa. Mmmmm.

Vegan Lentil & Potato Curry

 

If you visit my blog often, you'll know that lately I've had a complete obsession with making curries, and today is no different. I was looking around for some way to use up a cup of dried lentils I've had in my cupboard for a while and I thought that maybe, just maybe, they could work in a curry. BAM. I was so right. What's new, right? I'm beginning to think I have a knack for this whole "cooking" thing.

If you haven't cooked lentils before, they're really easy to cook. But, they are disgusting if you overcook them. There's a fine line between perfect lentils and overcooked mushy ones. When you cook lentils, check them often. The cooking times can vary greatly depending on the type of lentil as well as how old the lentil is. I cooked mine in veggie broth for about 20 minutes today, checking them often so I wouldn't overcook them. For this recipe, you want to still have some chewiness to the lentils because they will cook a bit longer in the curry. I boiled the potatoes for about 7-8 minutes to make them "fork-soft" to cut down on curry cooking time.

I'm all about brown rice, so I made some to go with the curry. It seriously went so well together that I can't imagine one without the other now. What I ended up doing is lightly toasting a garlic pita, then topping it with some brown rice, then the curry. Definitely the way to go. So, I highly recommend it. But, whatever. It's your dinner.

This recipe make enough for 4-5 giant entree-sized servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked lentils (1 cup dried, cooked in about 1 1/2 cups veggie broth, for about 20 minutes)
• 2 smallish Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/3-inch dice, then boiled until fork tender
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup plus 1 TB veggie broth
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped really small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 of a white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 2-3 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet (that has a lid) over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the onion and carrot and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. 
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir well to cover everything in spices. Cook for about 4 minutes, then cover with lid and turn heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust your seasonings and serve with cooked brown rice. I like to eat mine on either garlic naan or a garlic pita bread. Sooo tasty!!

Shepherd's Pie or Something Like It

I should let you know up front that I have never, nor will I ever eat a "true" shepherd's pie, so this recipe is what I'd like to imagine they are really like...you know, vegan and cruelty-free and junk. And healthy. Okay, okay. You got me. I like to splurge in my mashed potatoes. I love me some Earth Balance in my taters (I blame my mama because she always made buttery mash). Otherwise, this is some healthy shit. And tasty as hell. During this session of honesty, I will tell you that I actually meant to add some lima beans and peas to the stew-filling stuff, but I completely forgot. Maybe next time.

I basically made a smaller and altered version of my recipe for winter stew and topped it with mashed potatoes. Sounds easy, no? It doesnt? Well, forget you. It is easy.

This recipe makes enough to serve 3-4 as a main dish. I cooked mine in two 7-inch Le Creuset baking dishes I got on clearance at TJ Maxx because I am frugal. Or cheap. Or whatever. They were perfect for what I needed them for and they are bright green, which is my favorite color. You can cook them in whatever you want, so long as it's oven-safe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups already cooked mashed potatoes (I added a handful of Daiya cheddar to mine-YUM)
• 1- 8oz can plain tomato sauce
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 medium idaho potatoes, peeled and diced to 1/4 inch bits
• 1/4 large white onion, diced
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 3-4 TB tvp granules
• 1 1/2 TB minced garlic
• 4oz button mushrooms, sliced thickly
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 1/2 TB Braggs liquid aminos
• lots of fresh cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Add oil to a soup pot over a medium heat. Once hot, add your spices and onions. Stir well and cook until onions are softened, 5 minutes. Then add the garlic. Stir and cook 2 minutes. 
3. Turn your heat down a smidge to just under medium heat. Add all of the other ingredients except the mashed potatoes. Stir very, very well. Put the lid on your pot and cook, stirring every 5 minutes for approximately 30 minutes. If for some reason, yours gets too dry, add a bit more broth and stir. 
4. Your stew-type filling should be done by now. You'll need to test by checking the doneness of the potatoes. I like my lentils with some texture, but if you like them mushier, cook it longer with more broth. You should be tasting this anyway to make sure you like the spices and such.

5. Pour your filling into 1 large or multiple smaller baking dishes. Cover with the mashed potatoes. You can try to be artsy, like my lovely pattern that I have been told looks like intestines, or you could just smear the potatoes over the filling. Whatever floats your boat, dooood. 

6. Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack. Then, I turned on the broiler for 3 minutes. Why? It just seemed like the right thing to do. Get off my lawn. Be prepared to burn your tongue at least once. It smells so good, that you will quite literally be unable to wait for it to cool before tucking in. I ate mine with a bit of garlic bread. Mega yum. And incredibly filling.