Lentils Marinara

Serve this versatile sauce over rice, potatoes, raw zucchini noodles, any cooked vegetables or pasta. It's even good by itself as an Italian flavored stew.

1 onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups veggie stock (or water)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup dried lentils
2 finely diced tomatoes (or a 14.5 oz can)
1 to 2 bay leaves

In a large skillet dry-saute' onion, celery, and carrot 10 minutes .  Add 2 tablespoons of stock, the garlic, oregano, basil and thyme and cook for 1 minute.   Pour in the rest of the stock, the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, lentils and bay leaf and cook for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Options:  Add chopped bell pepper and/or sliced mushrooms along with the onion.
                Garnish with chopped fresh parsley