• Quinoa and Red Lentil Stew

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Posted: April 9, 2008

Here’s another recipe inspired by my nutritional kick. Quinoa and lentils with any sort of vegetables and a good lashing of stock makes a super comforting food to curl up with but can also be a great source of protein and vitamins. There is a similar recipe over at eatpeacepleaserecipes.blogspot.com, but they have made theirs quite spicy. My spicy threshold is pretty low, and I try to avoid it as it gives me itchy ears!
For this one, I really wanted to sneak in some of vegetables that are good for you but a lot of people hate, in particular my boyfriend. I used celery, cauliflower, and even carrots, probably three of the vegetables that he dislikes the most, but the stew went down a treat!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa rinsed
  • Quinoa is a great complete food. It has a very high protein content, a balanced set of amino acids, good source of fiber and iron and phosphorus and magnesium as well as being gluten free
• 1 cup red lentils
  • Like I said in my Sweet and Spicy Lentils, these guys taste great and are a good source of protein and dietary fiber
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• 2 celery stalks chopped
  • Good if you are interested in weight loss because it is a negative calorie vegetable. It is high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, K, Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus
• 1 cup frozen baby carrots
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower
  • Has a high nutrient density. It is low in fat and high in fiber and vitamin C. There are claims that it improves liver function as well as slow or prevent cancerous tumors in the breast and prostate.
• 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Good for the heart and high in antioxidants.
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon fennel

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a fairly large pot
• When hot, add the onions and cook until translucent then add the garlic
• Add the rest of the vegetables, the tomato, and spices and give a good stir until everything is coated
• Add the stock, lentils and quinoa and stir
• Cover and simmer until the lentils are soft
• You may need to add more water as the stock is absorbed
• Once soft, blend to the consistency you prefer. I like to blend the whole lot, but you can do half and half if you like a chunky stew
• Serve with a large slice of bread and soya butter

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