Lawnmowing Lentil Lunch

For lunch yesterday we came in from planting and digging and lawnmowing and were accidentally vegan. We had a spinach salad with almonds, orange bell peppers, and some bitter greens from the garden, and we had lentils. This was a made-up lentil dish, and it was so good:

Saute half an onion, then two cloves of garlic, in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, salt, and chile powder (pure, not prepared). Add 1 cup dry lentils and mix them in for a minute or two, then add a whole bunch of water. I think I used twice as much as the basic recipe on the bag. Simmer with a wooden spoon stuck under the lid until the liquid is absorbed and eveything is creamy, maybe 2 hours, maybe more.

It's good to remember that hard work does not always require country ham, biscuits, and a four-egg omelet.