Kimá (tomato meat sauce) is a staple in many Greek homes. But when Lent (or random vegetarianism) rolls around, meat and dairy are off the menu. See if you can fool your kids into eating their protein-packed lentils over their rice or pasta with this cheater recipe.

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Name: Lenten Greek Kimá (Lentil “meat sauce”)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 cup Lentils dry, washed; 1 medium Yellow onion diced; 1 pint marinara sauce (I used Bertolli Organic OliveOil,Garlic,Basil); 1/2 cup Water If needed; 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil 100% only! (no canola); 1 tablespoon Fennel seeds (optional); 2 teaspoons Ground cumin (essential to recipe); 2 teaspoons Sea salt or as desired; 2 teaspoons Black pepper (essential to recipe); 1 teaspoon Allspice ground; 1 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional but encouraged); 1-2 Bay leaves (essential to recipe)

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup Lentils ; dry, washed
1 medium Yellow onion ; diced
1 pint marinara sauce ; (I used Bertolli Organic OliveOil,Garlic,Basil)
1/2 cup Water ; If needed
3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil ; 100% only! (no canola)
1 tablespoon Fennel seeds ; (optional)
2 teaspoons Ground cumin ; (essential to recipe)
2 teaspoons Sea salt ; or as desired
2 teaspoons Black pepper ; (essential to recipe)
1 teaspoon Allspice ; ground
1 teaspoon Cinnamon ; (optional but encouraged)
1-2 Bay leaves ; (essential to recipe)

INSTRUCTIONS

Boil lentils for 2 minutes only, then drain.

Throw everything but the water into a 2 quart sauce pot, stir, cover, and bring to boil on medium. Check back every 10 minutes to stir and add water if needed. Reduce to low when appropriate. End consistency should be like any meat sauce, with the lentils slightly overcooked and soft.

Serve over rice or textured pasta. Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.

NOTES

This is a great dish to add the nutritionist-beloved blend of hemp/chia/flax seeds, to add omega3s and fiber when fasting from seafood during Lent. I usually add half a cup to the pot half way through cooking.

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Nutrition

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Serving Size: 1 Serving (131g)
Recipe Makes: 8 Servings

Calories: 190
Calories from Fat: 42 (22%)

Amt Per Serving		% DV

	Total Fat 4.7g	6 %
	Saturated Fat 0.9g	4 %
	Monounsaturated Fat 2.3g
	Polyunsanturated Fat 1.2g
Cholesterol 1.3mg		0 %
Sodium 704.2mg		24 %
Potassium 525.2mg		14 %
Total Carbohydrate 28.5g		8 %
	Dietary Fiber 11.1g	45 %
	Sugars, other 17.4g
Protein 8.8g		13 %
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition.

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Calories per serving: 190

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