Good Eats Gone Bad – Don’t Try This At Home

In the spirit of keeping it real.  Let’s talk about dinner disasters.

First, these simple facts:  I enjoy cooking and I like trying new recipes.  Even when the meal turns out bad, which they all-too-often do, I still learn from the process.

So.  Last night, The Hub was working late.  Again.  I had already planned this yummy meal, went to the market for all the stuff, and mentally prepared myself for the 1 hour and 45 minute investment to make Red Lentils with Rice and Pita Crisps.

Things started out great.  I get onions.  I know onions.  I cook onions at almost every meal.  I even (accidentally) poisoned the dog with onions.  The Hub flinches at the $800 vet bill.  I want to cry thinking about the fact that my poor little fur-ball almost died.  Really.  She was 2 blood count points from a blood transfusion. Yikes!

Back to the onions.

Chopped in circles.

Roasted to perfection.  Of course.

The lentils had a good start.  Or so I thought.  In hindsight, this may have been where Good Eats turned into Good Eats Gone Bad.

* * *Post edit:

As I was proof-reading this before hitting “publish”, I realized that I put way too many lentils in the cup.  I wonder if this was the problem?

Lentils expand a lot during cooking.

I never expected to discover this when I set out to write about my dinner disaster.  I love the unexpected.  Sometimes.

Got the lentils and rice going.

Easy enough.

The aroma of the rice with cinnamon & all spice added to the slow roasting onions was absolutely AMAZING.  It was perfection on a COLD rainy summer day in June.

While that bubbled on the stove for 45 minutes, I prepared the Pita bread.

Brush with olive oil, sprinkle a spice mixture of Garam Masala, Garlic Powder and Kosher Salt.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

My “crisps” weren’t that…ummm…crisp because I didn’t realize I was supposed to separate the tops and bottoms until it was too late.  Ahhhh, soft bread or crisp.  Luckily my kids don’t know the difference.

My kids loved the smell.  It did smell great.  But the lentils with rice just didn’t deliver in the yummy-licious department.  Don’t tell my kids I said this.  It was a little yucky.   I was super disappointed.

Oh well.  I guess every meal can’t be a 10+.  If it can, please don’t tell me about it.  I can only handle so much real-ness.

I redeemed myself with something that is really hard to screw up:  nature + chocolate.  <hehehe>

I could have posted the pics and told you how great this Red Lentils with Pita Crisps turned out.  But that’s just not me.

What has been your favorite dinner disaster?

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