{"id":16397,"date":"2016-02-24T05:00:46","date_gmt":"2016-02-24T11:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blissfulbasil.com\/?p=16397"},"modified":"2021-04-27T12:57:38","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:57:38","slug":"warming-tomato-and-lentil-stew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blissfulbasil.com\/warming-tomato-and-lentil-stew\/","title":{"rendered":"Warming Tomato and Lentil Stew"},"content":{"rendered":"

This warming tomato and lentil stew is nourishing, aromatic, and incredibly simple.\u00a0French lentils are cooked in a comforting tomato broth until tender and plump. A base of onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme offers an earthy, savory vibe that tames the acidity of the tomatoes and unites the flavors as one.\u00a0This stew comes together with just 40-ish minutes of time and a modest amount of stirring. Protein-packed lentils make it an incredibly satisfying dish, and you can bump the comfort up another notch by serving it over brown rice or alongside a warm baguette.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Warming<\/a><\/p>\n

When\u00a0I submitted my\u00a0cookbook manuscript in late December, I expected to feel an\u00a0immense sense of relief and to uncover a\u00a0shiny, new \u00fcber-relaxed\u00a0attitude. And my predictions held true at first. But although I believed\u00a0the\u00a0manuscript was the only thing standing between a stressed-out me\u00a0and a carefree me, it turns out that I'm quite adept at finding new things to become stressed about.<\/p>\n

The calmer waters I sailed\u00a0on\u00a0in January were churned into rough, choppy waters\u00a0by\u00a0February.\u00a0At first, I\u00a0blamed those\u00a0stressful waters\u00a0on external circumstances (an unusually busy month at work,\u00a0lots of blog-related projects, and not nearly enough downtime over the last year) and kept chugging along.<\/p>\n

But as I chugged along the other week, frazzled and frayed, I realized something: maybe, just maybe, I could choose<\/strong> to calm the waters myself. I could shift my perspective<\/strong> to align more closely with the present moment,\u00a0cutting out\u00a0regrets about what I didn't do yesterday\u00a0and worries about what I need to do\u00a0tomorrow in favor of fully utilizing\u00a0the power and peace\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0present moment. And I could shift my approach<\/strong> by\u00a0not\u00a0throwing so much darn\u00a0stuff into the water to begin with.<\/p>\n

The latter\u00a0idea\u00a0rang especially true. When I took a step back, it was clear that the choices I\u00a0was making were influencing my stress levels\u00a0far more than naturally occurring external circumstances.\u00a0After\u00a0skimming\u00a0through old emails, analyzing to-do lists, and glancing at my monthly planner,\u00a0it was painfully\u00a0obvious that I had been\u00a0saying\u00a0\"yes\" to projects, work, etc. when I actually wanted to say\u00a0\"no\". Pushed by my tendency to people-please first and care for myself second, I had been stretched\u00a0thin and in far too many directions by a bad case of \"the\u00a0shoulds\".<\/p>\n

Somewhere in the midst\u00a0of feeling genuinely grateful for\u00a0opportunities and not\u00a0wanting to disappoint others (and maybe even a bit of FOMO),\u00a0I forgot to check-in with myself. With the\u00a0writing on the wall (and my to-do list), I needed to embrace a\u00a0new approach, one that involved stepping authentically into the power of NO.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0luck would have it, there's actually a book called The Power of No.<\/span>\u00a0It's about honoring the\u00a0need to say\u00a0\"no\" so that you can\u00a0say\u00a0\"yes\" to the things that really matter. I haven't read it yet, but I did listen to Tim Ferriss' interview<\/a> with the author, James Altucher. It turned my case of \"the shoulds\" on its head, and it was empowering. I also\u00a0read and reread Derek Siver's article, \"No more yes. It's either HELL YEAH! or no.<\/a>\" countless times over the last few weeks. Also incredibly empowering.<\/p>\n

And I've started saying\u00a0\"no\" (with gratitude) to opportunities I once\u00a0gave a guilt-driven \"yes\" to in an effort to create\u00a0more space and time for the things that\u00a0matter most. It's been an incredibly freeing, unexpectedly\u00a0joyful experience. And to my surprise, not one person has been disappointed or upset, rather\u00a0they've been incredibly supportive and respectful. One lovely individual\u00a0even replied to say,\u00a0\"Way to go! As they say, when we say no to things, it creates more room in our life, so props to you!\" Amen to that.<\/p>\n

With all these no's, I'm slowly but surely making more time\u00a0for little life comforts and joy-generating moments\u00a0(following my curiosity, working on new project ideas of my own, creating new recipes in the kitchen, an afternoon movie with Dan, a quick call to my mom\u00a0that turns into a 2-hour chat about life, etc.). \u00a0And I can't think of a recipe that embodies\u00a0the comfort and joy of those experiences quite like this one.<\/p>\n

\"Warming<\/a><\/p>\n

This warming tomato and lentil stew is nourishing, aromatic, and incredibly\u00a0simple. So simple, in fact, that you can say \"no\" to unnecessary kitchen time and \"yes\" to whatever offers you a bit more joy as it simmers away on the\u00a0stove.<\/p>\n

French lentils are cooked\u00a0in a comforting tomato broth until tender and plump. A base of onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme offers an earthy, savory vibe that tames the acidity of the tomatoes and\u00a0unites\u00a0the\u00a0flavors as one.<\/p>\n

This stew\u00a0comes together with\u00a0just\u00a040-ish\u00a0minutes of time and a modest amount of stirring. Protein-packed\u00a0lentils make it an incredibly satisfying dish, and you can bump the comfort up another notch by serving it over brown rice or alongside a warm baguette.<\/p>\n

\"Warming<\/a><\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udcd6 Recipe<\/h2>
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5<\/span> from 2<\/span> votes<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Quick & Easy Warming Tomato and Lentil Stew (Vegan)<\/h2>\n
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This warming tomato and lentil stew is nourishing, aromatic, and incredibly simple. French lentils are cooked in a comforting tomato broth until tender and plump. A base of onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme offers an earthy, savory vibe that tames the acidity of the tomatoes and unites the flavors as one. <\/span>This stew comes together with just 40-ish minutes of time and a modest amount of stirring. Protein-packed lentils make it an incredibly satisfying dish, and you can bump the comfort up another notch by serving it over brown rice or alongside a warm baguette.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Course <\/span>Soup, Stew<\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cuisine <\/span>Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, plant-based, Vegan<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Prep Time <\/span>10 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cook Time <\/span>30 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Total Time <\/span>40 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Servings <\/span>4<\/span> to 6 servings<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h3>