I wrote an article when the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans was published. Here is my take on it.
Here is the link to Dr. Andrew Weil’s Dietary Guidelines.
Based on Dr. Weil’s Guidelines, I made this Lentil Bolognese for dinner.
Lentil Bolognese
I admit I just used my instincts for this recipe, so this is a non-recipe recipe. A little of this, a little of that. The below is close to my final recipe.
Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium heat. When warm, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and move it around the pan to coat it.
Add:
1/2 a yellow or white onion, cut into medium dice (1/2″x1/2″x1/2″) or just chop
1 medium carrot, cut into medium dice (1/2″x1/2″x1/2″) or just chop
1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
Simmer for about 6 minutes or until translucent.
Add:
6 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
Simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add:
2 cups cooked lentils, a 16-ounce can is fine, drained
2 cups chopped or crushed can tomatoes, juices included. In the summer, use fresh tomatoes
Stir together and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Seasonings:
This part is up to you! I have fresh thyme in my yard, so I added fresh thyme towards the end of cooking. When I added the lentils and tomatoes, I added:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I used Celtic)
1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo Pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
1 teaspoon basil (use fresh in the summer
At this point, stir in your seasonings and let simmer for about 10 minutes. During this time, heat water in a pan, and bring to a boil. When it boils, add your pasta, whatever kind you like. When the pasta is done, the lentil bolognese will be too.
While my pasta was cooking, I tasted my bolognese and decided it needed a little brightness, so I added the juice of 1 lemon, which was perfect.
When I drained the pasta, I put it back in the pot I cooked it in and tossed in a little olive oil.
You can stir the pasta in with the bolognese or place the bolognese on top of the pasta, which I did.
Grate a little Parmesan on top, if you like.
Notes:
To make this non-gluten, use whatever non-gluten pasta you prefer.
Skip the Parmesan to make this non-dairy.
This is a complete protein meal (wheat pasta with lentils), but if you’d like some meat in it, then stir in already cooked chicken or beef when you add in the lentils and tomatoes, or you may serve it on the side.
