Lentil Stew...yummy for Mommy!

I am not as obsessed with my Crock-Pot as most of my posts make it seem. The slow cooker actually sat idle for a period nearly three years after a Frankenstein-esque batch of chili turned me off the whole slow cooker thing. I have gotten much better at chili...trust me...people will eat it now. The Crock-Pot came out of hiding once the posse started arriving on the scene. Much easier to have dinner cook itself while I attend to the screaming masses.

I'm tired of the same-old. I wanted to find a recipe that was lower in fat, didn't necessarily involve meat, and wouldn't leave me or anyone else hungry after an hour! I've been stalking the lentil and bean aisle at the grocery store for a while now but wasn't quite sure what to do with them. I have finally concocted a recipe for a lentil stew. I have a mishmash from quite a few different sources but I can give the majority of credit to A Year of CrockPotting and BusyCooks.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 cup dried lentils, sorted and washed
• 1 cup dried small white beans (soak in boiling water for 30 minutes then boil for 30 minutes before adding to crock)
• 1 acorn squash, peeled and cubed into 2 cm pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cm piece ginger, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes (not drained)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock

Prepare white beans, lentils, carrots and squash and place in crock. Saute onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes (not drained) and spices to onion mixture. Heat tomato mixture through and add to crock. Heat chicken stock in skillet and pour into crock. (My brain figures that heating all of the liquids gives the cooking a bit of a jump start when dealing with soups and stews...I could be wrong but it works for me.) Cook for 7-9 hours on Low for 5-6 on High. When finished cooking, take out 2 cups of stew and carefully blended until smooth. Add blended stew back into crock and stir. This makes the stew nice and thick.

Very thick and yummy! Makes a nice lunch on a cold day!