The Geek has long sworn that lentils “taste like dirt”.  Apparently his mother cooked them a little too long – apologies to her if she ever reads this – and I have a feeling that is an understatement.

My mother never cooked lentils. In fact, I’m sure I’d never heard of them til well past college. I’d had a lentil soup or two and didn’t mind it though, and I recently made a sausage and lentil soup that was pretty tasty.

Tonight’s dinner was a lentil stew. And what follows is not a recipe, per se. More like a set of guidelines, so those of you who need precision will be aggravated. In any case, The Geek ate it willingly.

LENTIL STEW

1 bag of lentils (any sort will do)

1 pound of Italian sausage – spicy if you like

2 carrots, diced

half an onion, diced

spoonful of minced garlic

pinches of oregano and thyme

box of chicken broth

2 cans diced tomatoes

fresh baby spinach

Saute the sausage in a big pot or dutch oven til browned.  Add vegies, garlic, and spices.  Cook til softened, a few minutes.  Add lentils, stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cover – turn to low heat.  Cook til lentils are softened – I’m guessing this was about 45 minutes?  If it gets too thick, you can add some water – I added a tomato can-ful since the lentils weren’t quite soft. When the lentils are soft, throw in as much spinach as you like, and stir a few minutes – it will soften in the heat. Season with salt and pepper as you wish.

Eat and enjoy with some crusty bread.

You can change this up with celery, maybe some red peppers, smoked sausage instead of Italian, zucchini. More broth if you want a soup.