Totally Homemade Lentils & Bruschetta Lunch

• 1 cup brown lentils 
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3-4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (the amount here depends on how much sauce you want, but remember it will cook down and make a small amount, so I use as many as I can spare)
• Handful of fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tsp dried parsley 
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Step 1: Boil brown lentils in pot of water like you would pasta. Check after 30 minutes to see if lentils are soft. Once they are soft drain water and set aside.

• Step 2: In a pan heat 2 TB of olive oil. Once oil gets hot add in your garlic and let the garlic cook till it gets dark, not burned, but close to it. Then add in all the cherry tomatoes. Stir and cook uncovered on med/high heat till it starts to get soft. Add parsley, salt, and pepper. Then add a little of the chopped basil. Stir and allow to cook. Every few minutes keep adding the basil and stirring. With a potato masher or the back of your spoon push down on the cherry tomato halves. It will be somewhat smooth, but you want some texture of the tomatoes in it. Keep cooking till the sauce cooks down and tomatoes are soft.

Assemble your meal:
Mix together 1 part lentils with 1 part sauce, or however much you prefer.
I serve this over 1/4-1/2 cup of cooked quinoa.
Top with some chopped fresh basil.
Optional but very good- crumble some feta cheese on top.

I serve this with a big salad on the side. And as you see a large glass of water with a straw. I use a straw a lot since its more fun to drink that way and I tend to get down more water when using it.