Week 20: Smoky Lentils and Roasted Sweet Potato

Cooking with Jane, Recipes, , , ,

This week we were inspired by the Smoky Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potatoes recipe from Dishing out Health, and decided to make our own spin on it! This dish has lots of layers of flavour – smoky from the smoked paprika, sweetness from the sweet potatoes, herby brightness from the parsley, and a bit of zip from the lemon in the topping. It’s hearty and filling and easy to make. We recommend! Serve it alongside a salad (ours was with RR greens and tomatoes, chopped almonds and the maple balsamic vinaigrette) for a truly vibrant and filling dish!

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Smoky Lentils and Roasted Sweet Potato

Ingredients

  • 4-5 sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red lentils
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. ground coriander
  • ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. red wine vinegar sub apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 bag spinach chopped (optional)
  • cooked rice or other grain for serving
  • plain full-fat Greek yogurt for garnish or avocado (optional)

Parsley-Lemon Topping

  • 3-4 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Poke each sweet potato a few times with the prongs of a fork and rub all over with a bot of olive oil. Place on center oven rack and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until fork tender.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet with a fitted lid over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, until the tomato paste turns brick red and garlic is aromatic. Stir in lentils, smoked paprika, coriander, and chili flakes; stir to coat. Cook 2 minutes to lightly toast lentils and bloom spices.
  3. Add broth, salt, and pepper; increase heat and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 22 to 25 minutes, until lentils are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. (If the mixture needs more liquid, stir in up to ½ cup water.) Once cooked, stir in vinegar and spinach and allow spinach to wilt.
  4. Meanwhile, cook rice or other grains, and make the garnish. To make the garnish mix the parsley, lemon zest, and chopped walnuts with the 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Set aside. (If you don’t want to make the garnish, simply toss the parsley into the lentils, or use as a solo garnish!)
  5. Slice sweet potatoes to create little coins. To serve, start with a base of rice, then add the sweet potato slices, followed by the lentils and the parsley-lemon garnish. This can be served with yogurt or avocado if you’d like to keep it vegan.