Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry

Hi,

I've adapted this recipe to make it more soupy. It's great served with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or sour cream. It heats up well for lunch the next day. You can also fill it out when you serve it with rice. I threw everything in a slow cooker before I left for work in the morning and when I got home, dinner!

1 large onion peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook the onion and olive oil in a removable stove safe slow cooker insert or large soup pot until the onion starts to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.

1 lb chicken breast, diced and sprinkled with a bit of salt

Add the chicken breast and cook stirring until the chicken is no longer pink.

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin

Add the above ingredients and cook just until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.

1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and sorted to eliminate debris
1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
3 cups water
1/2 bouillon cube
(1 cup frozen spinach, optional. This added a nice bit of green.)

Add the rest of the ingredients. If you plan on using a slow cooker, set it to med/high to be ready in about 7 hours. If you plan on cooking the curry on the stove, cook for about 30 minutes on low, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Taste to see if you need to add additional salt or pepper.

Hope you enjoy the curry. Maybe it is more like soup than curry. If you want to make it thicker you can add 1/2 cup more lentils. Enjoy!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Squash and Lentil Stew

Hi,

I'm always looking for a stew that's easy to make, with ingredients that I usually have on-hand. This one might be almost perfect. It heats up well for leftovers, although I think it would benefit from some additional cilantro on reheating to add a pop of color. It's vegetarian also, so we had it with "cheese toast" on the first night and then the second night with baked chicken. It was good both ways.

3 tablespoons olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot.

3 carrots, diced (I admit it, I didn't peel them)
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper or 2 ribs celery (or live large and add both)

Add the veggies to the oil and cook about 5 minutes.

1 medium squash (you can use butternut, kabocha, or acorn squash) peeled, seeded, and chunked
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I used the seeds, I was out of ground)
salt and pepper

If you use kabocha, you don't have to remove all the peel and I would recommend waiting until 20 minutes into the simmering to add. Add the squash and season with spices.  Stir.

1/2 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 cup brown lentils
1.5 cup stock or water with a bouillon cube


Add the tomatoes, lentils, and liquid. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes. Don't let the squash get too mushy. Check to see if the stew needs more salt or additional liquid.

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Add the cilantro just before serving to keep the fresh green color.

This stew would go well with brown rice or eaten as is. Although I made the stew just as the summer was waning, the stew would be a welcome fall or winter dish.

Let me know what you think?

Hugs,
Mameekosan