Lentil "Meat" Sauce

Roommate dinners are back in action! Life is busy for both of us, but it is so great to be able to relax – cook real food, enjoy conversation and share life together – at least one night each week. Marie had a spaghetti squash begging for roasting, so we planned to enjoy that for our first roommate dinner of 2012. She said to me this morning, “Oooh, maybe we can make it with pesto! Did you and I eat that together once?” Ha, yes! I made and shared vegan pesto early in January in fact… Her response, “Oh, I thought maybe I was just getting really food smart and creative.” Reason number 3709384 I love my roommate, and proof that our brains are so opposite!

Unlike Marie, I have a ridiculous memory for details. Helpful for med school, I guess, so I am not complaining. Also helpful when you are brainstorming a new sauce for spaghetti squash! I remembered seeing a lentil red sauce from The Smart Kitchen a few weeks ago, and decided to try a riff of that out for dinner. We also looked at another recipe and kind of made an amalgam of the two, with great results! The lentils took longer to cook than we expected, but we liked them a little on the al dente side for extra texture. This also made the meal much more filling and hearty, so is definitely a great vegan pasta sauce!

Dinner isn’t complete without dessert, right? Enter Hu-Mousse: a chocolate version of hummus, great spread on apples. Before you go “Ew, gross” remember that some of my favorite vegan pizookies and blondies are made with a chickpea base! I loved this dessert, and Marie eventually got on board after her expectations of a creamy chocolate peanut butter sauce slipped away. I would definitely make this dip again, and may even spread it on toast for breakfast one of these mornings!

Question: Do you usually remember details, or are you a more “big picture” kind of person?

Lentil “Meat” Sauce

inspired by The Smart Kitchen and The Confused Homemaker, serves 4-6

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, diced

3/4 cup lentils

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

In a large saucepan, sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the diced carrot and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Add the lentils and vegetable broth and cook until 1/2 of the liquid is absorbed. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash.

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