Roasted Beet, Carrot & Lentil Salad

Does anyone else feel like time is going by super quickly lately? I can't believe it's already near the end of March and I've only managed to write two blog posts this month!

Between schoolwork, spending time with family and friends, and going to classes at the gym, I've been keeping pretty busy and focusing less on developing new recipes. Instead, I've been trying more recipes from cookbooks or other blogs, and throwing together quick and easy meals using whatever I have in the fridge and pantry.

Last week, I picked up a can of lentils thinking I could just use them for another easy, throw-together meal. Taking a look at what I had in the fridge to use up though, I got a bit more inspired and came up with this delicious warm lentil and spinach salad topped with roasted beets and carrots.

The base of the salad was still pretty simple - just saute a bit of garlic, add a can of lentils to the pan to warm them up, and add in some baby spinach leaves so that they get slightly wilted. A sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds adds a bit of crunch, and a balsamic dressing brings it all together.

For the topping, I roasted some chopped beets and carrots with a bit of dried herbs, and then made a glaze with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup so the roasted veggies end up with a nice sweet and tangy caramelized coating.

This turned out to be one of those meals that seems simple and rustic, but with special touches that make it more memorable, like the boost of flavour from the balsamic vinegar and the sweet candy-like beets and carrots.

I always love warm salads like this one, but I'm excited to start eating more warm-weather meals with fresh veggies too (if the weather ever does warm up that is)!

Roasted Beet, Carrot & Lentil Salad

Partly adapted from Barbara Cooks

For the roasted veggies:

3 small beets, peeled and diced (about 1-1.5 cups)

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp dried herbs (I used a mix of dried parsley and thyme)

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

For the salad:

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1/2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 can lentils, drained and rinsed

~3 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves

Dressing:

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the beets and carrots with 1 tsp olive oil, the herbs, and some salt and pepper, then place on the foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, tossing once halfway through.

Meanwhile, start preparing the salad: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast for a few minutes, until they start to pop. Transfer pumpkin seeds to a small bowl. Add olive oil to the pan, then add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, until it starts to brown. Add the lentils to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the lentils are heated through. Transfer lentils to a large bowl and add the toasted pumpkin seeds and the spinach leaves.

You can keep the pan heated on the stovetop because you will use it to glaze the veggies. When the beets and carrots are done cooking, add them to the pan over medium heat with the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Let cook, stirring often, until the liquid is almost gone. Remove from heat.

Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour dressing over the lentil-spinach mixture in the bowl and toss to mix. Divide salad onto plates and top with the glazed beets and carrots. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.  Serve warm.

Makes 2 main servings, or more as a side dish

Veggie Black Bean & Lentil Chili with Stout

I know that my last post was a soup recipe and here I am again with a recipe for chili, but it is the season for warm bowls of comfort food, so hopefully you don't mind!

I've been wanting to make a chili ever since the temperatures first dropped in the fall, but I didn't get around to it until last week, and I ended up with enough servings to last me the full week - something I always appreciate!

Chili is something you can't really go wrong with in my opinion - there are so many different versions of it and as long as you include some beans (although I know many people would disagree with me on that point), veggies, and lots of spices then you'll end up with a hearty vegetarian chili perfect for warming up with on a January night!

For this version, I added sweet potatoes, carrots, and green pepper for the main veggies, and instead of the more traditional kidney beans, I used a combination of black beans and lentils. I loved the mix of textures and the way the lentils kind of dissolved into everything else to create a thick and chunky base.

To build extra layers of flavour, I also added a dose of cocoa powder and used a dark stout as the liquid. The chocolately notes in the beer combined with the hint of cocoa powder added a nice depth and richness to the chili without being too detectable (as in, you probably wouldn't guess that they're in there if you didn't know).

Serve this with a piece of cornbread and add your favourite chili toppings (I ate mine with crushed tortilla chips), and you've got a filling meal perfect for those nights when you want some comfort food that's still on the healthy side!

Veggie Black Bean & Lentil Chili with Stout

Adapted from Appetite for Reduction (as seen here) and Minimalist Baker

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 large jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 medium sweet potato (~3/4 lb), peeled and diced

1 large green pepper, seeds removed and diced

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cayenne

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

12 oz dark stout beer

2 cans (398mL/14oz each) fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can lentils, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno, then stir in carrot, sweet potato, and green pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. Add spices (chili powder to salt) and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add cocoa powder and beer and let simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beer has reduced slightly.

Stir in tomatoes, lentils, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Let sit until chili is cool enough to eat.  Serve with your favourite chili toppings if desired (I recommend coarsely crushed tortilla chips!).

Makes  4-6 servings

Lentil Rhubarb Salad with Arugula & Goat Cheese

Now that the rhubarb patch in my parents' backyard has fully blossomed, I've been taking full advantage of it by trying out lots of rhubarb recipes when I visit! 

Even though rhubarb is technically a vegetable, I've most often had it in sweet treats like muffins, pies, and crisps. Strawberry-rhubarb pie is one of my all-time favourite desserts, but I've been wanting to try using rhubarb in more savory recipes. 

Last year, I tried this savory rhubarb and kale pasta (seen in this recipe round-up from last year), and I've also had my eye on a recipe for Indian spiced lentils with spinach and rhubarb from Vegetarian Times. 

I liked the idea of combining lentils with rhubarb to add a sour component, but with the hot weather we've had here the last couple of days, I couldn't imagine eating a bowl of curry with rice for dinner so I improvised by creating this more seasonal salad combining rhubarb with lentils, arugula and goat cheese. 

I served this to my family for dinner with the warning that it was an "experimental salad", but we all ended up really enjoying it! The rhubarb was just soft enough to blend into the lentils without being too mushy, and I thought they added just enough tart flavour without overpowering the dish. 

The salad as a whole was definitely still on the tangy side from the rhubarb and the vinegar in the dressing, but the sourness was balanced out by the addition of sweet raisins and creamy goat cheese. 

So if you have some rhubarb to use up and you're looking for something different to do with it other than making a dessert, I recommend trying it in a savory salad like this one!  

And for more rhubarb ideas, check back later this week for a round-up of some of the other rhubarb recipes I've made recently!

Lentil Rhubarb Salad with Arugula & Goat Cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium-large shallot, thinly sliced

1 tsp grated ginger

1 heaping cup chopped fresh rhubarb (1” pieces)

1 can lentils, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp sultana raisins

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cups packed arugula

~ 2 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing

1 small shallot, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp agave or maple syrup (to taste)

2 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of chili flakes

Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring. Add shallot and ginger and cook, stirring often, until shallots start to brown (about 3-4 minutes). Add rhubarb and cook until rhubarb softens, about 2-3 minutes (you don't want it to break down fully). Stir in lentils and let cook until lentils are heated through. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

Add raisins, parsley, arugula and goat cheese to the bowl and toss to combine. (Note: you can make everything up to this point and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve. I took my photos at this point before adding the dressing).

To make dressing, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.  When ready to serve, pour dressing over salad and toss to combine (you may not need all of the dressing).

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 4 servings as a side dish. 

Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup

Before I get to today's recipe, I have a bit of news to share...tomorrow morning I'll be off to the airport for what I hope will be an exciting trip!  I'm going to Singapore for an international research conference, followed by a brief trip over to Thailand for some much-needed vacation time.  I'll be gone for about two weeks in total, and while the majority of my time in Singapore will be devoted to work, I hope to have some adventures and see some sights while I'm there too!  And of course I'm looking forward to the food - I've heard some good things about the variety of cuisines available in Singapore, and there should be plenty of vegetarian options for me!

But don't worry, I won't forget about you guys while I'm away!  I apologize in advance if I fall behind on visiting all of my favourite blogs and leaving comments, but I still hope to find some time to post a recipe or two during my trip....and maybe I could share a glimpse of some of the food I'm eating over there if you're interested too.

So to kick off my little adventure, I thought I would share this recipe for a soup I made recently that incorporates a few of the flavours from Thai cuisine.  To make the soup, red lentils are simmered with butternut squash until tender, then pureed until they are nice and creamy.  Next, a mixture of coconut milk and Thai red curry paste are stirred into the soup to make it even richer and spicier, and a final squeeze of lime juice adds one more dimension of flavour!

This was the type of soup that warms your whole body and actually left me feeling really full as a meal on its own. The spice level was just high enough to provide a kick of heat without being too strong (I actually would have liked it just a touch spicier).  I also loved the roasted squash seeds that I added as a garnish for an extra layer of crunch, but feel free to leave those out.

Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma and Marcus Samuelsson

1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs)

1 tsp coconut oil (or other oil)

1/2 a large red onion, peeled and diced

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup dried red lentils

1.5 tsp thai red curry paste

1 cup light coconut milk

Juice of 1 lime

Fresh cilantro for garnish

First, prepare the squash: Prick holes in the skin with a fork and microwave for about 1 and half minutes to soften. Cut off the skin with a knife. Scoop out the seeds and set them aside (they will make a nice garnish for the soup). Cut the squash into 1” pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until softened. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently.

Add the diced squash, vegetable broth, salt and red lentils to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the squash is tender and the soup has thickened.

Meanwhile, prepare the squash seeds by rinsing them and patting them dry, then spread onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with your favourite spices (I used salt, cumin and paprika). Place in the preheated oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until you can hear them popping. Remove from oven and set aside.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or by transferring it to a blender in batches. Return soup to the pot and keep warm over low heat.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the curry paste with the coconut milk, stirring until the paste has dissolved. Add this mixture to the pot, stirring until it is completely mixed in and heated through.

When ready to serve, stir in the lime juice.  Season with more salt and pepper if desired and garnish servings with fresh chopped cilantro and a handful of the roasted squash seeds.

Makes 4-5 servings. 

Indian-Spiced Red Lentil & Mango Bites

If you follow my sister's blog Once Upon a Cutting Board, you would have learned yesterday that Canadian Lentils is holding a recipe contest for Canadian food bloggers. When my sister first told me about the contest, I didn't think too much about it...I figured that every idea for lentil recipes has already been created, and that I wouldn't be able to come up with anything new or creative for the contest.

But the more I thought about it, the more determined I became to develop a recipe, and now I'm excited to share what I came up with: these red lentil bites with dried mango and Indian spices.

I decided to go with red lentils because I knew they would pair well with some of the flavours and ingredients that I like to cook with. Instead of making a soup or stew, which I would normally do with red lentils, I decided to use them in an appetizer.

I also knew that you could make tasty and healthy little oven-baked balls using chickpeas, fava beans, or sweet potatoes, so I figured why not use pureed red lentils instead?

I started by cooking the red lentils on the stove until they had softened and dried up.  Then they went into the food processor along with cilantro, lemon juice, spices, coconut and chopped dried mango. All the ingredients were pureed into a creamy mixture like a hummus, then rolled into balls and baked in the oven.

It took a few tries to get the recipe just right, but after some tweaking, they turned out just how I had envisioned - soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, with a nice balance of spices and sweetness from the mango.  These are the perfect little snack to pop in your mouth on their own, or you could pair them with a dipping sauce - I think they would taste great with mango chutney!

And if you like the sounds of this recipe, I would really appreciate your support in the contest!  Besides taste, appeal, use of lentils, and simplicity, one of the judging criteria is social media popularity.  So if you have a minute, I would love to receive any comments from you on this post, or you can head over to the Canadian Lentils Facebook page and click "like" on my entry that is posted on their wall.  You might find some other entries in the contest that you like there too - like these lentil peanut butter granola bars!

Indian-Spiced Red Lentil & Mango Bites

1/2 cup dried red lentils, picked over to remove debris and rinsed

1 cup water

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

pinch of cayenne

pinch of salt

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tbsp dried mango, finely chopped

Place the lentils and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until liquid has dried up, stirring occasionally to prevent lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Remove lentils from heat and transfer to a food processor. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a glass baking pan (or baking sheet) with cooking spray.

Add the remaining ingredients except for coconut and dried mango to the food processor with the lentils and process until everything is fully mixed together. Add the coconut and mango and process again until the mixture has started to form a thick dough (Note: unless you have a really strong food processor, the mango probably won’t fully break down).

Scoop out the mixture using a tablespoon measure and form into small balls using your hands.  Place balls in the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the balls are slightly firm to the touch and the bottoms are lightly browned (don't worry if they still feel a bit soft, they will firm up more after cooling).

Remove from oven and let cool completely before eating.  Store in the refrigerator. 

Makes 12 balls (recipe can easily be doubled for a larger batch).

Indian Butternut Squash, Coconut & Split Pea Stew

In my last post, I mentioned a couple of Food Network chefs that I like.  Last time, I featured a recipe from Bal Arneson, and today I have a recipe from Aarti Sequeira.

I found the recipe for Aarti's "Indian Summer Stew" on Janet's blog, and after reading her description of it, I had to try it for myself!  I already knew that I loved all the ingredients that the recipe called for (butternut squash, coconut, yellow split peas, cilantro and Indian spices), so I was pretty sure that combining all of those ingredients would make an amazing stew!

Once I tasted it, I was so glad I gave it a chance! The recipe might look a bit intimidating with the number of ingredients required, but it was easier than I thought to put together....Plus it makes a lot of stew, so you can enjoy the leftovers for a while!

This is one of those dishes that makes me appreciate home-cooked meals so much! All it takes is the right ingredients and a bit of time, and you can have a healthy and delicious meal full of flavour and texture that you really enjoy eating!

I actually wasn't planning on posting this recipe initially, since it's not my own creation, but I liked it so much that I decided I had to share it on my blog!

Indian Butternut Squash, Coconut & Split Pea Stew

Instead of posting the recipe again here, I will direct you to the sources where I got it from:

Recipe from The Food Network
As seen on the taste space

My Tips:
- I pre-soaked the split peas to help them soften up a bit before cooking.
- I followed Janet's tip to use large flake coconut instead of the shredded coconut in the original recipe (although I might reduce the amount slightly next time - *Update: I recommend using ~1/3 cup large flake coconut).
- I also used 1 regular tomato instead of a Roma tomato.
- You can use either honey or agave for the sweetener, depending on whether you want the stew to be completely vegan or not.
- Update: I made this again recently and added one diced yellow onion, which worked well in the recipe. Just saute the onion for a few minutes in a bit of oil before adding everything else. I also reduced the oil when cooking the spices to 1 tbsp

Makes 4-5 servings.