I often get asked if I’m a vegetarian. And the simple answer is always, “No!” I do enjoy eating meat, but I usually opt for vegetarian meals. My preference for vegetarian came from the simple fact that I am not good at cooking meat. I also have limited time to prepare my meals between work, traffic, working out, friends, dog etc…. Vegetarian dishes often take a lot less time.
One of my all-time favorite dinners to cook is Bruschetta Lentils. I’ve written about this dish before as I often make and pack this for camping trips. I swear I make this at least once a week because it’s quick, packed with protein, easy to alter with additional ingredients, and keeps very well as left overs for a mid-day snack.
Here’s what you do to make the basic Bruschetta Lentils. Go to Trader Joe’s. Buy 1 pack of Pre-cooked Lentils, 1 jar of Bruschetta Sauce, and 1 package of Non-fat Feta Cheese. On a stove in a sauce pan, add the Lentils and 3/4 of the jar of Bruschetta Sauce (I originally used the entire jar, but it comes out rather salty so I like to go light on the sauce). Stir the two together until it’s heated all the way through. Dish out into a bowl and sprinkle with Feta Cheese. You can enjoy this as a dip with crackers, spread it on bread, have it as a side to chicken…
Last night after an hour-and-a-half long gym workout, I was craving something more than just lentils (or as I described it to my Vietnamese grandmother, “beans and cheese”). I had a perfectly ripe avocado and some Belgian Endive. I fanned out the endive into a bowl, scooped the lentils on top, sprinkled with feta, then sliced up the entire avocado on top of all that (I suppose consuming an entire avocado by myself in one sitting took care of my fat intake for the next 3 days–psst, at least it’s “good cholesterol”).
Voila! Ahhh indulgence!
**This could so easily be a vegan dish–simply skimp on the cheese.
The View à La Vu 