After three days of basically eating cookies and cereal for every meal (life is hard sometimes, don’t judge), all my organs were screaming out for real food.
Real food like vegetables, protein, grains and tinned lentils. Yes, tinned lentils. I didn’t know such a thing existed until I found a few cans at a crazy big grocery store. They exist all right, and thanks to them, real, delicious food is only minutes away. Though, as any avid Gillian McKeith watcher can tell you, tinned goods can have crazy levels of sodium, so rinse, rinse, rinse before cooking!
My intent while chopping was to make something French, but by the time the onion hit the pot, my stomach decided this was destined to be an Indian affair. With protein packed quinoa, fiber rich lentils and vitamin loaded vegetables, this dish will make up for any previous Cap’n-Crunch-for-dinner sins.
Ingredients
Serves four
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 medium sized zucchini, cut into half-inch chunks
1 medium sized carrot, cut into half-inch chunks
1 handful sliced button mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 15-ounce tin brown lentil, rinsed
¾ cup quinoa, rinsed
1½ cups water or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
3 teaspoon lime juice
1 handful cashews (optional)
Method
In a medium sized stockpot, heat oil until hot. Add onions and sauté until translucent over medium heat.
Add garlic, zucchini, carrot and mushrooms. Sweat until everything begins to soften and the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, about five minutes.
Add cumin, coriander, garam masala and cinnamon. Stir for one minute to infuse the vegetables.
Add rinsed quinoa and lentils, and stir for one minute more. Carefully pour in water to deglaze the pot and add in salt and tamarind paste.
Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 18 minutes.
Stir in lime juice and serve topped with crushed cashews.
Image © Yvonne Penzakov for BitchBuzz.com