Okay, so what can I do with $5 of lentils?

I love lentils in dhal and soup.

Delicious in pumpkin soup with some coconut milk and indian spices added. You can cheat and use a spice paste or add your own mix of cumin, coriander, ginger and cardamom

Yummy!

Obviously I'm gonna hafta do some more research into these 'lentils'. Professor keeps whining that we eat too much meat, he wants veggie nights, but I literally don't know what to do. Dinner was always meat and 3 veg plus mash - veg night is an incomplete meal in my head!

We have eggplant parmigiana as a vego meal it's yummy, filling and cheap.

Another meat free option is Hokkien Noodles. You could make a great vege stir fry and add Tofu to beef it up. It's beautiful!
I have also made a Brown Fried rice from the Biggest Loser recipes. It is packed full of flavour, filling and uses Tofu as well.
Heaps of vege options other than just lentils :)
Do you eat Fish? Salmon or Trout steaks are fantastic meal as well. Very filling.

You can do quinoa in a rice cooker just the same as rice. Super easy!