Help! My Thanksgiving Lentil Recipe Lacks Sparkle

Getting it out of the way first:  we're vegetarian, though not vegan, although vegan ideas would be preferable for this.

Anyway, for Thanksgiving dinner I want to make a new recipe for lentils in red wine sauce baked in phyllo (yes I found a vegan prepared variety).  Today, I tried out the lentil filling and it is good, but not special.  I'd love some ideas for how to make this jazzier.  Here are the ingredients:

1 1/2 cups lentils
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp shallots, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 potato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup red wine

What do you think?  One thought I have is there are too many lentils to start with, and I'm going to reduce to 1 cup.

Thanks guys!

For 'jazz'.. I think you may need to pep up the pepper.  A dash of cayenne or tabasco, possible could liven it a little.  Another idea would be a little Worcester Sauce but I don't know if there's a veggie version since it contains anchovies.  Another idea.. could you add some dark-gilled mushrooms?  (The mix looks like the basis for 'Coq Au Vin' in essence and that's one of the flavours in there).  And as well as the bayleaf I'd be tempted to add a bouquet garni with things like thyme & rosemary.  A tomato on its own might be helped by some tomato puree...

Dill weed would go great with it.  Last week I made a veggie-lentil soup with dill.  Delicious.  I added a little Tabasco to my second helping, and it was even better.

When you boil the lentils, you could use some veggie stock to give it a little more flavor, too.  Just be sure to use a low-sodium version.

I would sprout the lentils (start  3 or 4 days in advance) add a serrano chili and some spinach.

I put coriander seeds into ALL my lentil dishes, but here I'm not so sure. What about adding chopped nuts?

I like a  lot of the above suggestions. I would leave off the potato, since it's so bland, and use maybe some bell pepper, parsley...

I love Nature's Seasoning and use it in just about everything.  It sounds like it certainly needs more seasoning.  It's also similiar to greek food I've had so a little lemon juice and greek seasonings that can be found in the spice section might add to it. 

These are great ideas!  For this recipe, I think I'm going to go down the "adapted coq au vin" route, because I'd like something with a little richer flavor for this particular meal.  And yes, there is a vegetarian version of Worcester sauce.  I will also replace the potatoes with mushrooms, that will give it a richer flavor and also not so much starch.

But I'm also going to steal the rest of these ideas and I think I can make up a couple more variations - a mediterranean/greek style with the lemon and a spicy, chili pepper version.

Thanks all!  **Toddles off with new shopping list in hand**

I'm thinking that sun dried tomatoes would add a lot of flavor.  I'm assuming that the vegetables are sauted first.  If so, season them very well so the flavor is in every part of the dish.