Recipe originally from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson.
My revisions and suggestions are in parentheses.
Sloppy Lentils
1 T Olive Oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I usually skip this unless I have some laying around)
1 T Chili Powder
1 1/2 c dried brown lentils
One 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes (or I usually just dice up a bunch of fresh ones)
3 c. water
2T tamari or soy sauce
1 T prepared mustard
1 T packed light brown sugar or natural sweetener
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1. Heat oil is skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, stirring to coat. (I usually just throw all this in the crockpot on high and let them soften while I prep the rest of the recipe. No need to dirty another pan right?!)
2. Transfer onion mixture to a 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker. Add lentils, tomatoes, water, tamari, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
(***** ALSO, very importantly ...I usually add one or two healthy squirts of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce to the mix. )
