The theme this week for IHCC is Ancient Grains. That means any dish that included:
Farro Polenta
Kamut Chia
Spelt Freekah
Barley Buckwheat
Blue Corn Wild Rice
Teff Amaranth
Millet Quinoa
and one they didn’t list – lentils.
Ancient grains are those that have been around for many eons of time. The original grains that have been unchanged since they were originally cultivated. Many of them thousands of years ago. Full of protein and gluten free.
I had already made all of the quinoa recipes in Ellie’s books but then I found one that had quinoa AND lentils. Score!!
Savory red lentil, quinoa, and vegetable stew
Not very photogenic but darn tasty. The red quinoa and red lentils {which I had run out of and so used plain lentils. If I had had the red there would have been more color in the dish.} mean the dish is full of protein and gluten free.
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 large onion
- 1 large carrot
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- One 2-inch piece fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1⁄2 small bunch kale (2 cups packed leaves)
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 cup quinoa, preferably red
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1⁄2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons packed fresh cilantro leaves
Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, then keep warm over low heat until ready to use.
While the broth is heating, chop the onion and dice the carrot. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mince the ginger and garlic. Stem the kale; discard the stems and coarsely chop the leaves. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and cayenne to the onion-carrot mixture and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the lentils, quinoa, and all but 1 cup of the boiling broth. Stir in the kale leaves and cinnamon stick. Cover, decrease the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the quinoa and lentils are nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the peas and cook until the peas, quinoa, and lentils are tender, 2 to 4 minutes more. Stir in the remaining broth as needed if the mixture seems too thick. Serve garnished with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves.
I almost didn’t include the dollop of Greek yogurt on top. ALMOST… but I am so glad I did because it added an extra layer of flavor and a little ‘tang’ to the whole dish.
The full recipe makes a bunch. It says a serving is 2 cups of the stew and 2 Tbl of yogurt. That is a lot. I used it as a side and since I am the only one eating it I have plenty left over.
The recipe is from Ellie’s Weeknight Wonders on page 235.
There are more Ancient Grain dishes over on I Heart Cooking Clubs. So go check them out.
Tea and Scones 