1 lb. ground beef
3/4 c. thinly sliced carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (4 oz.) can mushroom pieces, undrained
2 c. hot water
3/4 c. dried lentils
1/2 c. thinly sliced celery
2 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules (3 cubes)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 c. hot water

Crumble ground beef into 3-quart casserole, add carrots, onions and garlic. Cover loosely and microwave on high 7-8 minutes, breaking up beef and stirring after 4 minutes until very little pink remains.

Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients, except 1 cup hot water. Cover tightly and microwave 24-28 minutes, stirring every 6 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in 1 cup hot water. Cover tightly and microwave 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Remove bay leaf. Serve with crusty French bread. Serves 6.