Persian Beef and Split Pea Stew

Surprisingly (or perhaps not), we here at Bean Basics get into a cooking rut sometimes too. There's school to teach (we're both homeschool Moms of 3), husbands out of town, and a wide world to explore. So we spend a lot of time going back to tried and true, under-15-minute recipes.

But when Fall arrives, suddenly I have the urge to start cooking again. This recipe was part of my attempt to get out of my cooking rut and explore something new. I didn't come up with the recipe, I and I didn't change it substantially, so I'm just going to link it, but I will tell you what I changed, and that the entire family really liked it.

Persian Beef and Split Pea Stew

Now for my changes:

1. I used leftover cooked pot roast - so after cooking the onions, I added everything to the pot all together.
2. I think the recipe calls for too much water. I used 2 c. of beef broth rather than 4 c. of water.
3. I used 2 onions and 5 cloves of garlic.
4. I used 1/4 tsp. of Penzey's dried lemon peel instead of the Persian lime.
5. I used red lentils instead of yellow split peas (they're very similar)

As always, if you're gluten or soy intolerant, make sure you use spices that meet your needs. McCormick and Penzey's are both trustworthy.