Cue up the lentils Barbecued Lentil Chili
Twenty-five years ago, I had never eaten a lentil. In fact, I'm not sure I had even seen one.
Oh, I grew up with dried beans and legumes aplenty, but lentils were never part of the mix.
Then came a vegetarian restaurant, The Sunshine Cafe, in Chapel Hill, N.C., where I attended school. Inspired by the Moosewood Restaurant and cookbook, the menu put forth the first Lentil Chili I had ever encountered.
From the first bite, I was a changed woman.
Fast-forward to years later, when Beverly shared with me her delicious version of Vegetarian Lentil Chili (featured on our website, KitchenScoop.com), and I was transported back to my college days and lingering hours in the funky little veggie restaurant on Franklin Street.
Just recently I tinkered with Beverly's recipe, added a signature splash of my favorite barbecue sauce, and developed today's recipe for Barbecued Lentil Chili.
This low-calorie, low-fat version is tangy and sweet, but still at first bite I was back to the plywood benches of that Chapel Hill restaurant, solving the problems of the world with my friends and fellow students. Who knew such a lowly legume could have such a lasting effect?
Share with us your simple meals that transport you to another time and place at tellus@kitchenscoop.com and in the meantime enjoy this simple Barbecued Lentil Chili with your friends and family. You'll also find another of our favorite lentil-soup recipes at our website.
Suggested menu: Barbecued Lentil Chili with cornbread and baby spinach with vinaigrette.
Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross write “Desperation Dinners! Write them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, or tellus@kitchenscoop.com. More the Desperation Dinners website, kitchenscoop.com.