Lentil and Leek Almost Vegetarian Stew

Starting with this post, I made it my goal/challenge to include some calculated/estimated nutritional information with the recipe. I don't think there's enough science and math in this blog. I talk about experiments in the kitchen, but true experiments need to be better documented than what I have had previously. Hopefully I will be able to keep up. Let's call it a labor of love. Math takes time and effort. Cooking is the easy part.

This recipe came to fruition when I made a list of everything that I had in my fridge and pantry and started to mix and match ingredients to throw into a crock pot. I happened to find the leeks I had frozen a while ago in the back of my freezer.  Typically used in soups, most commonly potato and leek soup, for me leeks add something mysteriously sweet and full-bodied to the dish. I say mysterious because I slice it really thin and they end up nearly liquefying in the crock pot whenever I make stews or soups so it disappears leaving behind its essence. I would definitely say that leeks were the secret ingredient in this dish that gave the dish most of its flavor.

Lentil and Leek Almost Vegetarian Stew
2 cups per serving. Recipe makes about 3 servings.
Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped kale
• 5 oz baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters or eights depending on the size of the mushroom
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1.5 cup dry lentils
• 2 cups chicken broth (replace with vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian friendly)
• 7 oz baby carrots
• 1 cup/ 1.3 oz frozen leeks
• 1 cup water
• salt, pepper, thyme, basil, oregano to taste

Procedure

1. Put lentils in the crock pot first, then add the rest of the ingredients, ensuring that the lentils are covered with liquid.
2. Cook for 2 hours on low and then stir the pot. Then cook for 5 more hours on low.

Lentil and Leek Almost Vegetarian Stew Estimated Nutritional Information Per Serving (Serving size = 2 cups; 3 servings in 1 recipe)
Total Calories	455.55
Total Fat (g)	1.81
Cholesterol(mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	421.69
Potassium (mg)	1477.66
Total Carbs (g)	82.8
Fiber (g)	33.18
Sugar (g)	11.55
Protein (g)	30.65