Tex-Mex Dal

This dish is one of those that was born out of need. We had forgotten to go to the grocery store and I was out of peanut butter for my usual vegan breakfast go to (peanut butter oatmeal), so I was rooting around in the cabinets for something quick 'n easy before I had to start teaching...and behold, split red lentils! I didn't quite have everything to make a normal dal (again, the grocery store situation), so when I found salsa in the fridge an idea - no, a star! - was born.

I'm a big fan of my TexMex dal, but it wasn't quite as filling as I'd hoped. I think in the future I would remember to go to the grocery store so that I could serve the dal with some toast or paratha. Otherwise, this was an instant love! Definitely give it a try if you're wanting an easy breakfast - or other time of day - dish to shake up your normal routine.

Tex-Mex Dal

(1 serving)

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

1/4 of a medium onion (diced)

5 cloves of garlic (crushed/minced)

1 teaspoon of cumin

Dried parsley (to taste)

3 tablespoons of salsa*

1/2 cup of split red lentils

2 cups of hot water

2 teaspoons of bouillon powder

Salt (to taste)

Fresh cilantro (to garnish)

*We usually have a somewhat spicy salsa on hand (the label thinks it's flaming hot, but no), so my dal ends up nicely spicy. If you've only got mild salsa available though and want a bit of heat, then add some sriracha, hot sauce, et cetera, to your final fish.

Directions

1) Place a medium pot over medium heat, add the oil, and then sauté the onion until it becomes tender and translucent.

2) Stir in the garlic and sauté for a minute or two until fragrant, then stir in the cumin and parsley and continue sautéing for another minute.

3) Add the salsa, lentils, water, bouillon powder (veggie of course if you're making this vegan/fasting), and salt to the pot, bring everything to a boil, and then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

4) Do your taste test (this is usually my salt check since I go pretty easy with it to begin with), then serve with the fresh cilantro and whatever other sides you've got on hand, and enjoy!