Scavenging

I get our new produce orders on Wednesdays. Many a Tuesday night finds us running low on fresh produce. I usually end up scouring the cupboards and fridge for things I can throw together to make a meal. This week I adapted another NPR How Low Can You Go meal - Dal, Chilean Style .



Here's what I did:

1 cup lentils
4 red potatoes
2 carrots
1/2 large Vidalia onion
1 Serrano pepper
1 fresh tomato (because I didn't have any more fresh tomatoes, I added 3 canned and reserved the juice from the can as a substitute for tomato sauce in the original)
1/4 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp beer
chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Cook lentils till soft. Drain and rinse, set aside.
Sautee onions, garlic, Serrano pepper, and cumin in olive oil. Add beer or sherry.













Add beef and cook until browned.














Add potatoes and carrots, cover with water, bring to boil.



























Add tomatoes and cook till potatoes are soft.
Add lentils and tomato sauce.
















Salt and pepper to taste. (You can add more water or beer if it's too thick, or vinegar if it's too sweet.) Add more cumin or hot sauce if you like it really spicy.
Add cilantro, take if off the heat. Serve after a few minutes.

















This was really delicious and hearty. If you have a fear of lentils, this dish just might change your mind!