Sunday, July 4, 2010

Moroccan Lentils




We had way too many lentils just sitting around at my house and it was driving me crazy. I found this recipe in Vegan With a Vengeance [<3] and I absolutely love it. It originally had raisins in it, though, so I took them out. Because that seemed a little sketchy. I have a foolproof couscous recipe that's good with it, too[: I'll post it after.

Serves: 6-8
Lentils:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 medium onions, quartered and sliced thin
1 cup carrots, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced, to taste
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
several dashes of black pepper
1 cup dried lentils, washed
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup green beans cut into 1 inch pieces [I cheated and just drained a can of less salt cut green beans]
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon salt
about 4 cups spinach torn into pieces
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped mint
lemon wedges to serve

In a stockpot, saute the onions in the oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and chile and saute 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger; saute for 2 minutes. Add the cumin, tumeric, and coriander, and mix. Add the stock, water, tomato paste, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, black pepper, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Add the veggies [except the spinach] and salt, simmer for 15 more minutes. Add the spinach, cilantro, and mint; stir well. When the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute, turn the heat off. Let the stew sit for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Serve over couscous with plenty of lemon wedges to squeeze in. :D

Couscous:
3 cups couscous
4 1/2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil (optional)

Add the salt and oil to boiling water. Spread couscous evenly in the bottom of a large casserole so that it is in as thin a layer as possible. Add the water and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Wait until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes), then fluff with a fork. Enjoy!

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