Power up with lentils!!! This dish can be a meal in itself, or served as an accompianment to chicken, fish, pork, or tofu. It cooks up like a stew, but is done in about a half an hour. No sauteeing, made with no added fat, it’s hearty, warming, and ohhh so good for you! Lentils are packed with fiber, protein, and complex amino acids, and are vitually fat free. The spinach ads calcium, and the onions, apples, and celery add in extra fiber. You’ll feel full and satisfied for many hours (it’ll help you curb the late day slump). This recipe is adapted slightly from the Moosewood Cookbook series: Enchanted Broccoli Forest.
*You could stir in chick peas and add in a little low fat coconut milk for a homemade chana saag version.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of dried red lentils
- 5 cups of water
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 stalks of celery, minced (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp ground corriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Cayenne to taste
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- 2 medium Granny Smith or other tart apples, chopped (unpeeled)
Instructions:
- Place water and lentils into a large saucepan and bring to a boil (watch them, they often overflow). Turn down heat and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes
- Drain remaining liquid, reserving some to add back in if desired
- Return to pot, adding in celery, onions, & spices (except garlic-to maintain healing benefits), and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add in apples and spinach at very end so that they don’t cook very much at all (1-2 minutes just to heat). Serve hot.
Stir in apples at end to keep firm
Stir in spinach at the end to keep full of nutrients
- High in fiber: great for lowering cholesterol, digestive & heart health, maintaining blood sugar levels
- High in protein: great for healing and repairing tissues/muscles
- VERY low in fat (: no added fat and virtually fat free (1g in an entire main meal sized portion): great for heart health and diabetes
- Spinach: high in calcium for bone and dental health
- Anti-inflammatory: Turmeric, garlic, ginger, and vegetables all reduce inflammation and are great for arthritis, improve circulation, heart disease, and other inflammatory diseases
- Full of anti-oxidants: high in Vitamin A: great for bone and dental health, helpts maintain heart health and diabetes, Vitamin & C: helps improve immune function, lowers risk of many kids of cancer
- Lentils: 1 cup of uncooked lentils=40 g protein, 80% iron, 20 g fiber, and 1336 mg of potassium
- Packed with potassium (3737 mg in entire recipe!): needed for kidney function, controls heart rate & lowers cholesterol & blood pressure levels
- Gluten free
- Vegan
- 2 cups of dried red lentils
- 5 cups of water
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 stalks of celery, minced (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp ground corriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Cayenne to taste
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- 2 medium Granny Smith or other tart apples, chopped (unpeeled)
- Place water and lentils into a large saucepan and bring to a boil (watch them, they often overflow). Turn down heat and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes
- Drain remaining liquid, reserving some to add back in if desired
- Return to pot, adding in celery, onions, & spices (except garlic-to maintain healing benefits), and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add in apples and spinach at very end so that they don't cook very much at all (1-2 minutes just to heat)
- Serve hot
