Lentil & Kidney Bean Stew

This is one of our favorite cold-weather foods. It is total comfort food! What makes this recipe even better? It is cooked in a crock pot! It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients. Once the ingredients are in the crock pot, you can turn it on, and forget about it for 6 hours. I typically make this on the weekend and eat it as a meal or as a side throughout the week.

If you love mushrooms (like I do!), the stew can be enhanced by adding additional ingredients after it's finished cooking. One of my favorite things to add is lightly sauteed rosemary mushrooms.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound bag of lentils
2 cans kidney beans (or you can cook dry ones)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
2 teaspoon dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 Serrano chiles sliced, more if you like a lot of heat

Saute onions in a skillet with olive oil until they soften. Meanwhile, add all other ingredients to the crock pot. Add onions. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.

If you love mushrooms like I do, just before the stew is ready heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan. Saute mushrooms with 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Saute only long enough for the mushrooms to absorb the oil (about 1 minute 30 seconds). I like them to be softened, but still a little firm.