Hot Mess

Hey y’all,

I’m eating what I have deemed as a “hot mess.”

This looks like a bowl of slop, I know, but I swear, this is one of the tastiest easy and hearty recipes I have since going plant-based and gluten-free in an area where none of the fun, convenient items are available (like vegan cheese or gf breadcrumbs). I can always make a huge pot of mashed potatoes or rice, but those don’t typically have beans in them like this recipe!

Hot Mess

-1 c lentils (measured when dry)

-2 c rice

-5 c water

-1/2 c nutritional yeast

-1/4 c apple cider vinegar

-1 Tbsp oil

-1/2 tsp ground fennel

-1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

-1 1/2 tsp salt

Soak lentils for about an hour. Most people don’t soak their lentils, but it makes them softer. Put lentils, rice, and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes.

After this is cooked, add all the other ingredients (plus a little more water if you need it), and mash everything up with a potato masher (or use a stick blender). Done. Eat. Enjoy.

I actually discovered this recipe by accident when making dog food. Haha! The standard dog food recipe I used for a long time was sweet potatoes, lentils, rice, nutritional yeast, and oil. I didn’t have sweet potatoes one day, so I just made the food anyway. When it was done, I kept looking at it thinking it looked good, and I finally just tried it. It was too oily, but otherwise tasted really, really good. After that, I made a pot for myself and experimented with a few spices. Oh my goodness! I hit the jackpot! Who would’ve guessed that homemade dog food would inspire something so yummy?

Other than being so tasty, this meal is super hearty. This is basically a pot of plant-based burger mix. It’s chocked full of beans (technically lentils, but lentils are basically a low-maintenance bean) and rice, and it keeps the eater full for quite a while. This also makes a fantastic filling for sandwiches, and since it’s basically veggie “meat,” I’m pretty sure it would be good in many dishes.

This is also an inexpensive meal. What’s cheaper than beans and rice? I’d stopped experimenting with this recipe a while back, but I think it’s time to dust off this recipe and begin trying new variations of it. I’m very curious to see how this recipe would be with Spanish spices. If it works out well, that version can be Lio Caliente.