Lentils with Harissa and Vegetables

Parsley would work, too, for those cilantro-haters out there.

Thanks to Pinterest, I am finally out of my rut of always going Indian with my lentils. I came across this recipe, which I was excited about because I had a jar of harissa in the fridge. I pretty much followed the recipe except for adding carrots (because I had some). I also thought I was being original by adding cilantro, but now that I look back at the recipe, I see that there's cilantro in her picture too. It must have been in my subconscious.

Perhaps my harissa is spicier than the harissa in the recipe, because if I had added the full amount, it would have caused us physical pain. I ended up with half the amount. (Well, the same amount, but I doubled the rest of the recipe.) It was still very spicy, but perfect over rice with yogurt.

I did not have spinach on hand, but I feel like spinach belongs in this recipe. I will add it next time.

The Recipe:

1 tb olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 c cauliflower, chopped

1 c carrot, chopped

Optional: spinach or other vegetables, chopped

1 c red lentils

1 c crushed tomatoes

4 c vegetable broth

3/4 c harissa

Rice, plain yogurt, and cilantro for serving

Saute onion in olive oil over high heat 3-5 minutes, until softened and slightly browned
Turn heat down to medium and add cauliflower and other vegetables. Saute 5 minutes, until softened.
Add all other ingredients and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
Serve over rice, topped with cilantro and plain yogurt.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A-

Overall reason: Easy, healthy, and versatile

Time to prepare: 15 minutes of work and 1 hour of simmering

Husband quote: "Mmm! Something smells GOOD."

Comments

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Adzuki Beans with Black Rice

I hope I don't turn any readers away by featuring cilantro in my first photo. My current food obsession is black rice. I was first introduced to it at Sushi Pure . It's purple when cooked, and I was completely smitten when purple sushi arrived at our table. I mean, purple sushi! It was like my birthday or something. Actually, it might have been my birthday, because I pretty much always have sushi on my birthday, but anyway. It's kind of sweet and has this great chewy texture. When I learned how healthy it is , my crush evolved to full-out love. Sushi Pure's Spicy Tuna Roll (photo from FoodSpotting.com) In my ongoing research for ingredients that are low in calories but high in nutrition, adzuki (also spelled azuki) beans came up. I learned that these are the sweet red beans used in Japanese desserts, including red bean ice cream, which I've been obsessed with since I was a kid. But since turning them into ice cream probably negates the health benef...

Spicy Tomato Jam

Little pot of bubbling goodness seeks lentil patties, sweet potato fries, or pretty much anything else. I recently made this recipe from Crumb Blog for lentil patties with tomato jam. The lentil patties were pretty good, but the tomato jam was really something to write home about. It's one of those foods that makes you feel warm, even when it's cold. It has just the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice. The mustard seeds are a must (haha, must ard seeds). Their crunch, and the little burst of toasty peppery flavor that follows, are amazing in contrast to the rest of the flavors. The next time you're tempted to put ketchup on something, consider this instead. I have a little bit of this gold left over in the freezer. I'm thinking I may thin it out with vegetable broth and use it as a sauce for a stir-fry. Stay tuned for the results. The only change I made to this recipe was upping the amount of mustard seeds. I think 1 tsp is the perfect a...

Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

Search This Blog