So, a lazy Friday night, not feeling like going to the market, but with the cool air lingering, I rummaged through the cupboards in search of a meal. First thing that jumped out was the multiple bags of lentils, so OK, that would be the main ingredient. Onto the fridge, and I see I still have a rutabaga in the crisper that is in dire need of being used. Great, the co-star. I still had a large leek from my tuna dish earlier in the week, some carrot, a rib of celery, and I am in business.

I dice the rutabaga fairly small, as the lentils will cook fairly quickly, so we want the other vegetables to cook in a similar fashion. Rough chop the carrot, celery and leek toss in the pot with the rutabaga, add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and begin to sweat the vegetables. When cooks say "sweat", they mean to begin to draw out the inherent moisture within the vegetable- bring out the "juice", so to speak.

I toss the lentils in (after a quick rinse, and check for that stray pebble), a few bay leaves, and some rough chopped garlic. I want the garlic to cook slow, with the other vegetables, that's why a little later, and a rough chop versus minced.

While foraging through the cupboard, I come across a stray carton of a vegetable broth I had picked up at the grocer. This particular one is from a Pacific foods. I believe it came in a three or four pack. Anyway, it had a touch of sweetness, so I thought it would be a good addition to the natural flavors the vegetables would create. Most grocers carry the Swanson vegetable broth, which has a similar sweetness.

I'm sure there is some rule of thumb for water to beans, but I always play it by ear, as to what the beans are going to be used for. So after adding the broth, I add just enough filtered water to cover the beans, and then once they come to a simmer, I add just enough for the consistency I'm looking for. In this case, I want more of a stew, so I add just enough water to keep the beans covered, allowing for the starch in the lentils to slightly thicken the broth.
As the beans and vegetables soften, to an al dente, lets say, I begin to season with a big squirt of Braggs Amino, for those not familiar with the product, its a natural seasoning enhancer that has similar properties of soy sauce. It gives a bit of sodium, but has other attributes to bring out flavor and give some richness. Highly recommend keeping a bottle in the pantry. Any health food store will carry it.

A generous amount of coarsely cracked pepper, kosher salt to taste, and about a spring and a half of fresh rosemary chopped up, and let the stew continue to simmer, approximately 15 minutes, until the beans and vegetables are done. I tend not to chop rosemary to fine, as I think it takes on a bitter taste if minced. Another way of adding the rosemary would be to add the whole sprig, and then just fish it out before serving, or serve around it, allowing the flavor to linger longer.

Now I was feeling blah, and simply feasted on several bowls of the stew, however if one wanted to make a full meal, I would perhaps serve some type of crusty whole grain bread, and a salad of field greens lightly dressed in olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Maybe a little blue cheese, and some really fresh tomatoes tossed into the salad. A big glass of red wine, and you've taken a humble lentil dish and turned it into an elegant meal.