Lentils! (where has this been all my life?)

My meat-loving family has found a new favorite food---and it's vegetarian!  Maybe even vegan! :) 

Our 4-H Club hosted a free community dinner a few weeks ago and someone brought this dish, and a lot of people didn't eat it, maybe because frankly, it looks kind of gross (see picture!)

Feeling kind of bad for the lady who brought this dish, I had a bowl of it--and YUMMMMM!!!!!  I think she called it Dal, which I think is just another name for lentils.  This is so easy to make and so amazingly delicious!!

It's not really even a recipe, just instructions!  Basically it is like this.  In the bottom of a large pot/saucepan put some olive oil, enough to cover the bottom.   Saute one medium diced onion and some garlic (I used about a spoonful of diced garlic from a jar) until the onion is soft.  Add 1/2 tsp of cumin and 1/2 tsp of salt.  Add about 1 pound of red lentils (they look kind of pink in the package--and then cook up golden!) and about 5 cups of water.  Bring this to a boil and then turn heat down to medium.  Cover and let it cook until the lentils are all softened and kind of a mush (maybe around 30 min? Keep an eye on it, though).  Let it sit for a few minutes and then eat!!

Last night we had it with rice and topped it with a little bit of sour cream--oh, it was so delicious!  You could use plain yogurt too if you'd rather.  

Seriously, we loved it, my teenagers, my husband, and myself.  And we are big meat-eaters.  This is a new favorite, and I'm not being loose with the terminology.  Really a favorite!